A simple question.

Flavio · 25th February 2007, 04:37 PM

Hi all, maybe some of you remember this keris (my only one, for the moment...

) Now there are some little spots of light rust and my question is: if I put the blade in the pineapple juice the contrasting pamor will disappear? Thank you for the help

David · 25th February 2007, 04:49 PM

Yep, if you soak it in the juice your will ruin the present look of the blade. If the rust areas are small and only on the surface you should be able to deal with the problem on a spot basis. Try some WD-40 and a toothbrush to start. Also make sure that once you deal with the problem that you keep the blade oiled regularly. I tend to cycle through my collection on a monthly basis. Much easier to keep the rust away than to deal with removing it latter...and i get to look at all my blades at least once a month that way.

Flavio · 25th February 2007, 05:01 PM

Thank you David! Indeed the rust was already present when I purchased this kid but (and the situation is the same now, with no more areas of rust) now i'd like to remove it. Yes me too, I need to look frequently my pieces

A. G. Maisey · 25th February 2007, 09:36 PM

I'll pass this on for what its worth, but you probably won't take my advice. Very few people do in this respect, because it does not suit their style of collecting.

I need to ensure that a very large number of keris do not deteriorate over long periods of time. I do not have the time to look at every keris I have on a monthly basis, or even on a 6 monthly basis. Once I have the blade as good as it can be got, I want it to stop that way virtually forever.

I start with a WD40 soak, then let the blade dry off, I follow this with keris oil ( sandalwood, kenanga, medicinal parrafin), but light industrial oil like sewing machine oil, or even gun oil would be as good, or better, then I wrap the blade in a plastic sleeve and replace it into the wrongko. The complete keris is placed in a singap ( cloth cover bag), and stored in a drawer or chest.

Blades treated in this way will last for years with no further attention.

If you do the same thing with your keris, but keep coming back to it regularly, say weekly, and scrubbing the rusted areas with a stiff bristle brush, you will find that over time most of the rust will disappear. That rust which is left can be removed by using a jeweller's loupe to see what you are doing, and carefully picking it away, grain by grain, with a needle. I use a saddler's needle in an awl when I need to do this.

25th February 2007, 04:37 PM	#1
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	A simple question. Hi all, maybe some of you remember this keris (my only one, for the moment... ) Now there are some little spots of light rust and my question is: if I put the blade in the pineapple juice the contrasting pamor will disappear? Thank you for the help Attached Images

25th February 2007, 04:49 PM	#2
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,123	Yep, if you soak it in the juice your will ruin the present look of the blade. If the rust areas are small and only on the surface you should be able to deal with the problem on a spot basis. Try some WD-40 and a toothbrush to start. Also make sure that once you deal with the problem that you keep the blade oiled regularly. I tend to cycle through my collection on a monthly basis. Much easier to keep the rust away than to deal with removing it latter...and i get to look at all my blades at least once a month that way.

25th February 2007, 05:01 PM	#3
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Thank you David! Indeed the rust was already present when I purchased this kid but (and the situation is the same now, with no more areas of rust) now i'd like to remove it. Yes me too, I need to look frequently my pieces

25th February 2007, 09:36 PM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,892	I'll pass this on for what its worth, but you probably won't take my advice. Very few people do in this respect, because it does not suit their style of collecting. I need to ensure that a very large number of keris do not deteriorate over long periods of time. I do not have the time to look at every keris I have on a monthly basis, or even on a 6 monthly basis. Once I have the blade as good as it can be got, I want it to stop that way virtually forever. I start with a WD40 soak, then let the blade dry off, I follow this with keris oil ( sandalwood, kenanga, medicinal parrafin), but light industrial oil like sewing machine oil, or even gun oil would be as good, or better, then I wrap the blade in a plastic sleeve and replace it into the wrongko. The complete keris is placed in a singap ( cloth cover bag), and stored in a drawer or chest. Blades treated in this way will last for years with no further attention. If you do the same thing with your keris, but keep coming back to it regularly, say weekly, and scrubbing the rusted areas with a stiff bristle brush, you will find that over time most of the rust will disappear. That rust which is left can be removed by using a jeweller's loupe to see what you are doing, and carefully picking it away, grain by grain, with a needle. I use a saddler's needle in an awl when I need to do this.