New forged keris for review

A. G. Maisey · 31st August 2023, 10:50 PM

In respect of the art discussion & the ethics involved in copying any art work, I will only comment that in general I feel that art, as an expression of beauty or meaning, has lost the plot.

However, Anthony, in respect of the time taken to complete your keris, my opinion is that around a month is a reasonable time.

I think the forging would have taken around 3 or 4 days for a smith working with one striker, if he used two strikers, probably less than that.

Working with electric tools I believe a competent carver would take between 8 & 14 days to complete the carving. Working with non-electric tools, no more than a couple of additional days.

Refinement of the finished keris, and its staining could take another week, but all these estimates that I have quoted as days are full working days, I have rarely seen either Javanese or Balinese workers in any craft, work for a full 8 or 10 hour day, they take long breaks & short breaks & if they don't feel like working on any day, they do not. Additionally, somebody who makes a keris very rarely works alone and unaided, he usually has one or two assistants, & he works as quality control.

I have made a few keris, and a lot of other sundry bladed weapons. The shortest time it ever took me to make a keris was 16 days, the longest time it ever took was 49 man-days. The 49 man-days was a keris I forged in Jawa, & I used two strikers for three days to complete a complex pamor miring, that ultimately failed. The 16 days was a full size tilam sari that I forged and carved in Wentworthville, NSW, Australia. All keris I have made were made with traditional non-electric tools, and I never worked less than an 8 hour day when working in Australia, nor have I ever used a striker when working in Australia.

A month or so is an absolutely reasonable time to complete this keris under discussion.

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31st August 2023, 10:50 PM	#28
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,989	In respect of the art discussion & the ethics involved in copying any art work, I will only comment that in general I feel that art, as an expression of beauty or meaning, has lost the plot. However, Anthony, in respect of the time taken to complete your keris, my opinion is that around a month is a reasonable time. I think the forging would have taken around 3 or 4 days for a smith working with one striker, if he used two strikers, probably less than that. Working with electric tools I believe a competent carver would take between 8 & 14 days to complete the carving. Working with non-electric tools, no more than a couple of additional days. Refinement of the finished keris, and its staining could take another week, but all these estimates that I have quoted as days are full working days, I have rarely seen either Javanese or Balinese workers in any craft, work for a full 8 or 10 hour day, they take long breaks & short breaks & if they don't feel like working on any day, they do not. Additionally, somebody who makes a keris very rarely works alone and unaided, he usually has one or two assistants, & he works as quality control. I have made a few keris, and a lot of other sundry bladed weapons. The shortest time it ever took me to make a keris was 16 days, the longest time it ever took was 49 man-days. The 49 man-days was a keris I forged in Jawa, & I used two strikers for three days to complete a complex pamor miring, that ultimately failed. The 16 days was a full size tilam sari that I forged and carved in Wentworthville, NSW, Australia. All keris I have made were made with traditional non-electric tools, and I never worked less than an 8 hour day when working in Australia, nor have I ever used a striker when working in Australia. A month or so is an absolutely reasonable time to complete this keris under discussion.