Malela luk 5 for comment..

A. G. Maisey · 20th May 2008, 09:06 AM

It is always quite difficult to comment on material from a photo. You really need to touch it, and turn the blade all around so that you can see exactly what the smith was doing when he forged it. However, based on what I can see in the photo, and assuming that an all-round inspection would not deliver any surprises, my guess is that a piece of very fibrous wrought iron has been welded with one or more other types of wrought iron to provide sufficient material to forge a blade without a core. I'd say that when the smith was finished he was probably a bit disappointed with the result, because instead of getting a blade with a nice consistent quality throughout, the fibrous iron had surfaced in a number of places, even on the edges, where it would most definitely not have been wanted.

Yes, to a present day collector this is an unusual blade and to a present day collector that probably makes it somewhat desirable, however, from the point of view of quality of fabrication, I'm afraid this blade just doesn't make it.

It is definitely not a Javanese blade.

20th May 2008, 09:06 AM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	It is always quite difficult to comment on material from a photo. You really need to touch it, and turn the blade all around so that you can see exactly what the smith was doing when he forged it. However, based on what I can see in the photo, and assuming that an all-round inspection would not deliver any surprises, my guess is that a piece of very fibrous wrought iron has been welded with one or more other types of wrought iron to provide sufficient material to forge a blade without a core. I'd say that when the smith was finished he was probably a bit disappointed with the result, because instead of getting a blade with a nice consistent quality throughout, the fibrous iron had surfaced in a number of places, even on the edges, where it would most definitely not have been wanted. Yes, to a present day collector this is an unusual blade and to a present day collector that probably makes it somewhat desirable, however, from the point of view of quality of fabrication, I'm afraid this blade just doesn't make it. It is definitely not a Javanese blade.