Preserving wooden kris hilt

[Jean]

Originally Posted by jonng

Hi All,

I have a Palembang wooden keris hilt that's very old and light with some minor cracks. Most of the carvings are intact and I would like to preserve this. It has traces of wax which has probably helped keep it in such good condition. Should I re-wax it?

Hello Jonng,
I personally like to oil or wax wooden hilts but would personally not apply pure bee or carnuba wax on this particular piece as it will partly fill the tiny carvings and leave white specks upon drying which are difficult to remove. A dyed liquid wax would not create this visual problem but still partly fill the cavities so I would rather use oil in your case, I personally use good quality melati, cendana, rose, or almond oil.
Best regards
Jean