Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Keris Warung Kopi

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 15th March 2022, 04:41 PM   #1
shadejoy
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Massachusetts, US
Posts: 67
Default Resin-based Warangka & Hilt

Hello, would like to solicit your opinions on resin-based warangka and hilt. Have you guys had any experience with the material?

I am interested in learning if resin is an ideal alternative to regular wood material used for warangka and hilt, and how would resin, oil and wilah react over time if Keris is left sheathed for long period of time.

I appreciate the discussion.
shadejoy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th March 2022, 05:34 PM   #2
David
Keris forum moderator
 
David's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,165
Default

Just an opinion, but i do not consider resin hilts and sheaths suitable for anything beyond a souvenir keris-like-object.
David is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th March 2022, 06:04 PM   #3
Bob A
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 430
Default

The horror, the horror!
Bob A is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th March 2022, 07:55 PM   #4
Jean
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,740
Default

Look at this one which has some age (1980's), it is not my favorite of course but not so bad. I also have one hilt made of a similar materials, I did not realize it when purchasing these 2 pieces.
Attached Images
 
Jean is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th March 2022, 08:10 PM   #5
David
Keris forum moderator
 
David's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,165
Default

Sure, it can occasionally look like close to the real thing (usually mimicking ivory), and it is far too often presented as the real thing, which is criminal IMHO. But i see no reason that it is necessary as an alternative. For new dress i would rather have bone or antler for an ivory substitute than molded resin. I don't see it as a wood substitute either and though some woods have indeed become rare i doubt that resin can serve as a reasonable look-alike for those materials.
David is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th March 2022, 10:13 PM   #6
shadejoy
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Massachusetts, US
Posts: 67
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by David View Post
Just an opinion, but i do not consider resin hilts and sheaths suitable for anything beyond a souvenir keris-like-object.
The idea I have is to use the resin as the core while the whole outer warangka is enveloped in full silver. I have seen full silver warangka, more often in Bugis Keris. Hoping to prolong the life of warangka with less maintenance should the wilah is oiled frequently.

In the traditional Warangka, and to quote Alan "..storing an oiled blade in a wooden scabbard is a sure and certain way to stain the wood and eventually damage that wood and the value of the scabbard, the cellulose material."

And to add, some say that it might develop mold (jamuran) on the wilah.

So I was thinking that maybe resin would be a good alternative for the core part that is in contact with the steel blade, am curious to learn the interactions and what effects it may cause between resin, oil and steel blade in the long run.
shadejoy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th March 2022, 10:36 PM   #7
Marcokeris
Member
 
Marcokeris's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Italy
Posts: 928
Default

I happened to find in Yogya (in the big market) handles made of resin. In their form they were also quite good and mimicked those made of bone, horn... Their price was very low. Obviously they have been explained to me that they are handles for Indonesian people who cannot afford a higher expense for other types of handles.
Marcokeris is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th March 2022, 01:27 AM   #8
A. G. Maisey
Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,924
Default

I feel that resin might be acceptable if the purpose was purely to provide a storage facility for the keris, equally, resin hilts & scabbards might be acceptable in a non-traditional setting, or a very low economic level setting, as dress used for a keris in its function as an item of formal dress.

For example I have seen both a blade made of cardboard & a blade made of a tin can used as items of formal dress in a poor village setting in Central Jawa.

However, no traditional Javanese person could ever accept resin as an acceptable substitute for the traditional materials.

I would never even consider applying the insult of resin dress to any keris.

But as long as nobody else ever saw it, as long as it was kept in a singep, in a locked drawer, in a locked cabinet, in a locked room, I guess it might provide a suitable storage facility.
A. G. Maisey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th March 2022, 02:44 AM   #9
shadejoy
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Massachusetts, US
Posts: 67
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey View Post
I feel that resin might be acceptable if the purpose was purely to provide a storage facility for the keris, equally, resin hilts & scabbards might be acceptable in a non-traditional setting, or a very low economic level setting, as dress used for a keris in its function as an item of formal dress.

For example I have seen both a blade made of cardboard & a blade made of a tin can used as items of formal dress in a poor village setting in Central Jawa.

However, no traditional Javanese person could ever accept resin as an acceptable substitute for the traditional materials.

I would never even consider applying the insult of resin dress to any keris.

But as long as nobody else ever saw it, as long as it was kept in a singep, in a locked drawer, in a locked cabinet, in a locked room, I guess it might provide a suitable storage facility.
What I have in mind is not to create entire warangka from resin. Only the core. The attached picture might clarify my intention. The warangka is from gold with natural stones/gems encrusted. This warangka and all other golden warangkas outthere including silver warangka, I believe, are still commonly using wood as the core. So the wooden core (cellulose material) would need to be replaced eventually from recurring oil stain. I thought ..resin might be the answer to that. Keep the gold and silver material as the outer part but use resin as the core for better, longer life of warangka and the blade.

I feel like I made everybody idea that I was going to make cheap warangka. Definitely not. Just thinking about getting a more luxurious new dress. Essentially the project's aim is to improve esthetic (full gold or silver warangka) with better functionality (using core material that is better withstand oil staining and degradation).
Attached Images
 
shadejoy is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:32 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.