16th May 2014, 07:38 PM | #1 |
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A pair of Bali (?) keris, 1 of 2
Here is a keris that I got recently, and which I have talked about in other threads. It's the one that had a rotting fabric wrap on the tang, and which smelled very bad. I have given it a wash with diluted vinegar, which has taken off surface rust mostly, there is still quite a bit of crust on the tang, which suits me if it turns out my finishing strategy was wrong. The fellow that I got it from said that it needed an acid etch. Perhaps he is right, in any event I can't find much pamor if any.
I am looking forward to getting a verdict from more seasoned keris fanatics ob how to proceed. The hulu seems to be wrapped in horsehair, I can't be sure. It doesn't seem to be a vegetable fiber. Anyway, let me know what you all think. Keris #2 tomorrow…. |
17th May 2014, 07:59 AM | #2 | ||
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Hello S,
Yup, Bali/Lombok again. Quote:
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Regards, Kai |
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17th May 2014, 08:37 AM | #3 |
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Kai is correct:- this is a laminated blade, and it does have pamor, but this pamor is what we call "pamor sanak".
The word "sanak" means related or relation, so this type of pamor is recognised as being made from related material, not materials that differ. In other words, it is plain iron, the contrast that may appear after it has been stained is frequently caused by weld lines and/or manipulation during forging. Sometimes a distinct contrast will appear in this type of pamor, and this contrast is caused by the use of high and low phosphorus content irons. Native irons smelted in Jawa, and possibly also in Bali, seem to have generally been high phosphorus irons, which are quite unsuitable for tool and weapon making, so these high phosphorus irons were combined with expensive imported irons, probably mostly tools from China, in order to extend the quantity of material. When stained the high phosphorus irons appear to be whitish or greyish in colour, the better quality irons appear darker, so this gives a good contrast. You often see this type of pamor in older Javanese blades. |
17th May 2014, 10:27 AM | #4 | |
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17th May 2014, 06:58 PM | #5 | |
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17th May 2014, 07:02 PM | #6 | |
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17th May 2014, 08:21 PM | #7 |
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I think that Japanese sword people call this black coloured corrosion something like "inert rust", or "inactive rust". They do not seem to want to remove it on sword tangs. I truly do not know if it can cause further damage or not, because I have always taken everything back to clean metal, no matter what colour the corrosion is.
I normally use magnification and bright light when I'm cleaning away rust. Direct sunlight is good, but I also use very bright artificial light. |
21st May 2014, 12:56 AM | #8 |
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By the way, although pamor can't yet be defined on this or my other kris, any insight on how to describe the dapur would be much appreciated.
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