Resin-based Warangka & Hilt

[shadejoy]

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.

[David]

Just an opinion, but i do not consider resin hilts and sheaths suitable for anything beyond a souvenir keris-like-object.

[Bob A]

The horror, the horror!

[Jean]

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.

[David]

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.

[shadejoy]

Originally Posted by David

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.

[Marcokeris]

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.

[A. G. Maisey]

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.

[shadejoy]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

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).