Meteoric Piha Kaetta?

derek · 16th February 2005, 05:03 AM

I'm having trouble capturing it well in a photo, but this little piha has some interesting and distinct silver lines in the blade. Anyone seen that on a piha before? Would it possibly be meteoric?

<hr>

-d

VANDOO · 16th February 2005, 06:23 AM

I WOULD CONSIDER IT VERY UNLIKELY THAT THE BLADE IS METEOR IRON, IT MAY BE FOLDED (WATERED STEEL) AND PERHAPS BE A ALOY CONTAINING NICKEL AS USED IN KERIS BLADES ALTHOUGH THAT WOULD BE UNCOMMON IN THE EXAMPLES I HAVE SEEN. IT IS GENERALLY DIFICULT TO JUDGE THE METALS AS THE BLADES ARE VERY OFTEN IN POOR SHAPE ON PHIA'S. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO GET ARTZI'S (ORIENTAL ARMS) VIEWS ON THE QUALITY OF THE BLADES ON THESE AS HE HAD AQUIRED THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF THESE I KNOW OF AND IS A GOOD JUDGE OF SUCH THINGS.
THERE ARE SOME DISCUSSIONS ON THE DIFFICULTIES OF FORGEING METEORS INTO BLADES IN THE OLD FORUM FILES. SOME HEAVY METALIC METEORS CAN BE CUT AND SHAPED BY STOCK REMOVAL TO MAKE A BLADE BUT IT WOULD BE BRITTLE AND WOULD MAKE A POOR WEAPON BUT COULD BE USED FOR CEREMONIAL OR MAGICAL PURPOSES. I HAVE A SMALL SLIVER OF METEORITE MADE INTO A BLADE WHICH SHOWS THE INTERESTING LINES TYPICAL IN THAT FORM OF METEOR, IT WOULD MAKE A GOOD ARROWHEAD BUT POOR KNIFE.

derek · 16th February 2005, 02:45 PM

Jens,

You made an interesting comment about wootz being exported from Sri Lanka and India in the Meteoric thread on the keris. Did they export wootz from Sri Lanka?

Also, Vandoo,
your comments about piha blade quality are true in my experience as well. However, I was rereading an article Jim shared about a royal piha, by Pieris. He mentions the reputed high quality of the iron ore in Ceylon. The Sinhalese were supposedly adept at working with it as well (John Knox discussed their processes in his account of being captive there). Funny how none of the pihas around today seem to show much forging skill.

So, assuming this example of mine has streaks of nickel in it, has anyone else seen the same thing in another piha?

-d

Jens Nordlunde · 17th February 2005, 10:30 AM

derek,
As far as I know wootz was exported from Sri Lanka, just as it was from India.
They did at one point mix the iron with nickel to get these silvery lines, without a too good result, untill they imported the nickel from Solingen (I think). The reason for the better result when using nickel from Solingen was, that it was much cleaner.

Jens

16th February 2005, 05:03 AM	#1
derek Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 215	Meteoric Piha Kaetta? I'm having trouble capturing it well in a photo, but this little piha has some interesting and distinct silver lines in the blade. Anyone seen that on a piha before? Would it possibly be meteoric? <hr> -d

16th February 2005, 02:45 PM	#3
derek Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 215	Something Jens Said........... Jens, You made an interesting comment about wootz being exported from Sri Lanka and India in the Meteoric thread on the keris. Did they export wootz from Sri Lanka? Also, Vandoo, your comments about piha blade quality are true in my experience as well. However, I was rereading an article Jim shared about a royal piha, by Pieris. He mentions the reputed high quality of the iron ore in Ceylon. The Sinhalese were supposedly adept at working with it as well (John Knox discussed their processes in his account of being captive there). Funny how none of the pihas around today seem to show much forging skill. So, assuming this example of mine has streaks of nickel in it, has anyone else seen the same thing in another piha? -d

16th February 2005, 06:23 AM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I WOULD CONSIDER IT VERY UNLIKELY THAT THE BLADE IS METEOR IRON, IT MAY BE FOLDED (WATERED STEEL) AND PERHAPS BE A ALOY CONTAINING NICKEL AS USED IN KERIS BLADES ALTHOUGH THAT WOULD BE UNCOMMON IN THE EXAMPLES I HAVE SEEN. IT IS GENERALLY DIFICULT TO JUDGE THE METALS AS THE BLADES ARE VERY OFTEN IN POOR SHAPE ON PHIA'S. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO GET ARTZI'S (ORIENTAL ARMS) VIEWS ON THE QUALITY OF THE BLADES ON THESE AS HE HAD AQUIRED THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF THESE I KNOW OF AND IS A GOOD JUDGE OF SUCH THINGS. THERE ARE SOME DISCUSSIONS ON THE DIFFICULTIES OF FORGEING METEORS INTO BLADES IN THE OLD FORUM FILES. SOME HEAVY METALIC METEORS CAN BE CUT AND SHAPED BY STOCK REMOVAL TO MAKE A BLADE BUT IT WOULD BE BRITTLE AND WOULD MAKE A POOR WEAPON BUT COULD BE USED FOR CEREMONIAL OR MAGICAL PURPOSES. I HAVE A SMALL SLIVER OF METEORITE MADE INTO A BLADE WHICH SHOWS THE INTERESTING LINES TYPICAL IN THAT FORM OF METEOR, IT WOULD MAKE A GOOD ARROWHEAD BUT POOR KNIFE.

17th February 2005, 10:30 AM	#4
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	derek, As far as I know wootz was exported from Sri Lanka, just as it was from India. They did at one point mix the iron with nickel to get these silvery lines, without a too good result, untill they imported the nickel from Solingen (I think). The reason for the better result when using nickel from Solingen was, that it was much cleaner. Jens