Antique kalis for comment

xasterix · 22nd August 2024, 04:42 PM

What makes Filipino and Bangsamoro traditional blades worth collecting and pondering over, are the odd ones or outliers that inspire further research.

By its measurements (22in blade, 5in hilt) this kalis would seem late 1800s; but there are some notable features that make me think twice.

There were two asang-asang that were placed in the past (the outlines are still visible).

The gangya separation line is angled, and the tang is square. The blade was loose and the tang was broken when I got it; I soldered in a similar tang that I cut from a modern blade, the length of the tang repair corresponding to the maximum depth of the hilt's "hole." The blade is light and springy. The heat treatment is better than most pre1900s I've encountered and it retains an edge effectively.

Conservatively I would place the blade at late 1800s; however I have a gut feel that the blade can be as old as mid 1800s, just an outlier for its size (and keeping in mind that nobility blades could adhere to user-preferred measurements). The seki kura hilt is late 1800s, I suspect this is already the 2nd or 3rd hilt installed. The current hilt had seen extensive use, as its cracks had been patched up. The cord wrap is already frayed on the repaired areas, and subsequent cord wraps were done.

The center-line delaminations that I usually observe on twistcore krises are absent on this piece, a testament to the skill of the blacksmith/s who made this. The blade was topographically etched in the past, and the nickel gives off a "reflector" effect when the blade is seen at a certain angle against light. I lightly etched it with white vinegar, keeping with Moro tradition (etch with organics, not FeCL) and to reveal the nickel highlights in the pattern weld.

Comments are welcome, TIA!

22nd August 2024, 04:42 PM	#1
xasterix Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Posts: 653	Antique kalis for comment What makes Filipino and Bangsamoro traditional blades worth collecting and pondering over, are the odd ones or outliers that inspire further research. By its measurements (22in blade, 5in hilt) this kalis would seem late 1800s; but there are some notable features that make me think twice. There were two asang-asang that were placed in the past (the outlines are still visible). The gangya separation line is angled, and the tang is square. The blade was loose and the tang was broken when I got it; I soldered in a similar tang that I cut from a modern blade, the length of the tang repair corresponding to the maximum depth of the hilt's "hole." The blade is light and springy. The heat treatment is better than most pre1900s I've encountered and it retains an edge effectively. Conservatively I would place the blade at late 1800s; however I have a gut feel that the blade can be as old as mid 1800s, just an outlier for its size (and keeping in mind that nobility blades could adhere to user-preferred measurements). The seki kura hilt is late 1800s, I suspect this is already the 2nd or 3rd hilt installed. The current hilt had seen extensive use, as its cracks had been patched up. The cord wrap is already frayed on the repaired areas, and subsequent cord wraps were done. The center-line delaminations that I usually observe on twistcore krises are absent on this piece, a testament to the skill of the blacksmith/s who made this. The blade was topographically etched in the past, and the nickel gives off a "reflector" effect when the blade is seen at a certain angle against light. I lightly etched it with white vinegar, keeping with Moro tradition (etch with organics, not FeCL) and to reveal the nickel highlights in the pattern weld. Comments are welcome, TIA! Attached Images Last edited by xasterix; 22nd August 2024 at 06:02 PM.