Keris Hilt: A Kemo Kerdas/Bugis Hilt (Help Needed)
 

Hi guys,

I just acquired a bugis kerdas kemoh hilt. Will post the pictures tomorow. Looks old and I had already cleaned it. Do u think polishing the hilt is a good move? I read that Blu mentioned that newly made kemo hilts are highly polished. How to determine the age? Does the unusual shape of this kemo is a sign that it is recently made? Anybody had ever seen a kerdas kemo? I'm quite puzzled now. Help please.. :confused:

I have never witnessed any kerdas kemo hilt ever since my long pursuance of this form 10 yrs ago but your finding is sure something alarming. Do not confuse with kerdas bone hilts. It doesnt matter, old or newly made because owning kemo as hilt form is damn lucky. Nobody would want to do it for you, longer time taken and too complex doing it. I am a great collector of this hilt, presently owning 3 jawa demam kemos. I even tried to make one out my giant kemo but honestly speaking, it needs real patience and skill. Cutting is a problem, shaping is another. Hard but breakable. As far as I know, Kemo hilts existed as early as 1700s, nearby sea surrounding countries esp. Sulawesi, Patani,Trengganu. The only disadvantage is that it looks horrible without polishing it. How sure yours is kemo? Bone? :) put up pictures.

Thanks Sakhti, so, do i need to polish it? Does others agree?

Rasdan, if yours is kemo, soak it lime juice and clean wash and try waxing it and see the effect, otherwise let it be in original state. it will look dull though :) . To some people, kemo has element of medicinal energy too and other fortune or good luck mystical properties.

Rasdan, where's the piece?... you can post the 'before' first...
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Hi Rasdan. Is this the hilt that MyKeris sold in the swap forum? :)

Nechesh, the clam hilt that I posted in the swap forum was a large Pekaka motif, as according to Paul (message). I suppose, Rasdan`s hilt will be a different one.

Cool. I just thought that if we were talking about that hilt there woulde already be a photo posted to refer to. :)

Hi guys :),

Heres the hilt. I only cleaned it from dirt and what ever it is that makes it looks dirty. Sorry, improper lighting. Took it last night. But i think its the low light that depicts the tru state of the hilt. Its a bit brighter than that however. :D

Great kerdas form but bit skeptical on its kemo origin unless you exhibit more close-up pictures revealing its natural genetic lines or else could be synthetic / animal bones /mixture of natural and non-natural elements processed in Thailand. High grade kemo hilts should emphasize the following: heaviness, color, natural lines and clarity. :)

Hi Sakhti,

I'm still learning how to use the camera properly. All those apature and ISO setting really confuses me. Will try to take better ones. :)

Notice the black inclusion on the hilt. Mine has those too. So does the one Dave posted a while back. I think it's real kemoh.

The form of the kerdas hilt is ok, but not great. But of course, we must take into consideration that kemoh is very difficult to carve.

Thanks Blu,

The hilt does have some carved lines like the tyical Bugis hilt, but it is barely visible. The lines are at the "cheek" , back of the balung and the forehead. Any idea to determine wheather is old or new?

For the phenominally ignorant, what is kemoh?

Come on Jose, don't you know by now that we keris enthusiasts love to use all kinds of words and terms to keep the uninitiated in the dark? ;) :D
Really, i believe it is just a local term for the type of giant clam shell used for this hilt. Then again, it could really mean....... :rolleyes:

Hi Jose,

Actually even kemoh is a north eastern dialact. The accepted malay word is Kima. In English it is Tridacna. Sorry for the misunderstanding. :D

Heheh... I've given up trying date kerises and keris parts except for the obviously new ones. :) Sorry, can't help much.