keris Lombok

[guwaya]

however lombok kerisses are influence by balinesse...but if we look at the sheath (TULANG PAOK /lombok) ,we will see the diferences between LOMBOK and Balinesse (BATUN POH).
and the KOJONGAN sheath ; i believe (at least as far as i know),we only can find it in lombok.
i am so sorry about my english.[/QUOTE]


Hello,

After my knowledge and my experience I think there are no real Lombok keris. 20 years ago when keris where offered to me at Lombok it was always in the western region where the Balinese communities are. Looking to the blade and without having any sheath or hilt I would not be berani to decide if it is a Balinese blade or if it is a Lombok blade (whatever this might be).

The polishing or not polishing of a blade doesn't say anything nowadays about the origin. As already remarked old blades from the Balinese comunity on Lombok are newly washed and possibly not polished again. The newly made blades nowadays - mostly by Madurese people - are most often polished.

To take the sheath or the hilt as an indication for attributing a keris to Bali or Lombok in my eyes is not a serious way as these attributions can be changed easily and are changed whenever wanted.

In my eyes the lots of "Lombok keris" on the market now is a dealers' concept same to the lots of Sumbawa keris.

If I stepped on someone's feet here with my short statement I apologize for that in advance but this is the way I see the situation.

[David]

Originally Posted by guwaya

The newly made blades nowadays - mostly by Madurese people - are most often polished.

This is true, but from my experience they don't do it correctly and it is usually pretty easy to tell the difference.

Originally Posted by guwaya

In my eyes the lots of "Lombok keris" on the market now is a dealers' concept same to the lots of Sumbawa keris.

I can understand your feeling on this, but i have seen enough keris blades that are obviously related to the Bali "family" of keris that just don't fit into the Bali "pakem" that i feel it is more than likely that there are indeed keris of Lombok origin that have their own small differences.
I certainly agree that the manner of dress can never assure the origin of a blade.
Are you suggesting that there was never any keris forging centers in Lombok or that those centers if they did exist were only in Balinese communities existing in Lombok?

[guwaya]

Originally Posted by David

This is true, but from my experience they don't do it correctly and it is usually pretty easy to tell the difference.

I can understand your feeling on this, but i have seen enough keris blades that are obviously related to the Bali "family" of keris that just don't fit into the Bali "pakem" that i feel it is more than likely that there are indeed keris of Lombok origin that have their own small differences.
I certainly agree that the manner of dress can never assure the origin of a blade.
Are you suggesting that there was never any keris forging centers in Lombok or that those centers if they did exist were only in Balinese communities existing in Lombok?

"This is true, but from my experience they don't do it correctly and it is usually pretty easy to tell the difference."


I agree with you as it is also with many newly made ones from Balinese people as they are working with a flex now to make the greneng and do the polishing.


"Are you suggesting that there was never any keris forging centers in Lombok or that those centers if they did exist were only in Balinese communities existing in Lombok?"


This is my assumption mostly based on the arabic derivation of the Sasak, but I have no proof for it - just an assumption. For any further going explanations I would be thankful.