genuine of fake?

Battara · 11th January 2008, 07:22 PM

I echo what everyone else has said plus one other thing.

I do research on what I like including handling and museums. Thus when I come up on something I don't know anything about or little about I pass (as hard as that is sometimes). I usually don't get anything I have not researched.

t_c · 12th January 2008, 08:22 PM

Ditto on all of the above.
One thing that has helped me though is understanding the material process by which weapons are created. If you understand forging, tempering, jewelry making, wood carving, finishing, etc. you will be able to "see into" a piece better.

A. G. Maisey · 12th January 2008, 09:33 PM

Earlier mentioned a world renowned authority on Javanese art and the keris who made mistakes.

In the past this gentleman was regarded by some people in the Javanese keris trade as something like a bank account that could be drawn on at will. They would produce, one way or another, something unique that had not been see before, take it along to this gentleman with a wonderful story and a sufficiently high price, and it was almost certain that he would buy.

Now, he could, and can, afford to take risks, and sometimes his gambles paid off, but for those of us who have limited funds it is perhaps best to play the game more safely.

I have bought one keris off ebay. Only one. I bought that because I had sold it six months previously and I was able to buy it back for a fraction of what it would cost in Jawa.I do not buy off ebay because for the most part I cannot see sufficient to give me confidence to buy. If I wanted to gamble, and have fun, I would buy from ebay. But I don't want to do this with keris. I do buy from ebay, and I do have fun, but I do not buy keris or weaponry, I buy things like English silver and photographic equipment and canoes.

Research is an integral part of the experience equation, but it is very difficult to apply any experience in some situations.

Tim Simmons · 12th January 2008, 09:52 PM

Alan that reads like you have had a few, as a quite happily say I have too. If you ain't got no dough then you have to rely on nouse. Sometimes you just have to push your luck. Some folks are stuck in boxes. I could post loads of stuff about the top art market forgeries in the paper today except they are not related to weapons. It is stagering how people can be, I wish I could get the police involved every time I have been sold a dud.

12th January 2008, 09:52 PM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,875	Alan that reads like you have had a few, as a quite happily say I have too. If you ain't got no dough then you have to rely on nouse. Sometimes you just have to push your luck. Some folks are stuck in boxes. I could post loads of stuff about the top art market forgeries in the paper today except they are not related to weapons. It is stagering how people can be, I wish I could get the police involved every time I have been sold a dud. Last edited by Tim Simmons; 12th January 2008 at 10:40 PM.

11th January 2008, 07:22 PM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,308	I echo what everyone else has said plus one other thing. I do research on what I like including handling and museums. Thus when I come up on something I don't know anything about or little about I pass (as hard as that is sometimes). I usually don't get anything I have not researched.

12th January 2008, 08:22 PM	#2
t_c Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: ca, usa Posts: 92	Ditto on all of the above. One thing that has helped me though is understanding the material process by which weapons are created. If you understand forging, tempering, jewelry making, wood carving, finishing, etc. you will be able to "see into" a piece better.

12th January 2008, 09:33 PM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,047	Earlier mentioned a world renowned authority on Javanese art and the keris who made mistakes. In the past this gentleman was regarded by some people in the Javanese keris trade as something like a bank account that could be drawn on at will. They would produce, one way or another, something unique that had not been see before, take it along to this gentleman with a wonderful story and a sufficiently high price, and it was almost certain that he would buy. Now, he could, and can, afford to take risks, and sometimes his gambles paid off, but for those of us who have limited funds it is perhaps best to play the game more safely. I have bought one keris off ebay. Only one. I bought that because I had sold it six months previously and I was able to buy it back for a fraction of what it would cost in Jawa.I do not buy off ebay because for the most part I cannot see sufficient to give me confidence to buy. If I wanted to gamble, and have fun, I would buy from ebay. But I don't want to do this with keris. I do buy from ebay, and I do have fun, but I do not buy keris or weaponry, I buy things like English silver and photographic equipment and canoes. Research is an integral part of the experience equation, but it is very difficult to apply any experience in some situations.