Help with Identification please

imas560 · 26th August 2010, 10:41 PM

I might have a go at trying to clean the blade up following some of the posts here on Keris cleaning (but maybe without the arsenic). When I was in Malaysia I spoke with a Keris maker in Kuala Kangsar who mentioned using a tamarind solution.
So far I have managed to clean up slightly rust speckled blades and strip gun blueing (the gun blueing strip was not intentional, left it on too long).
When I get a free stretch of time I'll take some photos.
If the keris cleaning process by a novice is not advisable please let me know, all advice is appreciated.

Rick · 26th August 2010, 11:00 PM

Pineapple juice; but I'd think about it a bit before diving in .
The blade may be out of stain; but a real cleaning will remove much of the 'patina' .

A. G. Maisey · 27th August 2010, 12:04 AM

Yeah Rick, it might, but sometimes with these older blades you'll find that what happens is that most of the rust comes off and you reach a point where the blade is pretty clean, then it starts to colour up again and if you're not too much of a fanatic, you can get a reasonable stain job straight out of the pineapple juice without using arsenic. I suspect that what might happen is that the residual arsenic is activated by the juice.

Just remember to brush daily with a soft toothbrush under running water.

Rick · 27th August 2010, 03:02 AM

Would you try to degrease it before a pineapple juice soak, Alan ?

Or no ?

A. G. Maisey · 27th August 2010, 03:28 AM

Definitely yes, Rick.

This is a standard part of the process.

I usually do it in the kitchen sink with warm water, dishwash liquid and soft toothbrush, then I rinse off and dry thoroughly before putting into the juice.

Rick · 27th August 2010, 03:32 AM

No solvents ?
I have a Sumatran/Bugis blade that I cannot get free of oil; no matter what I do to it, including acetone .
I have used everything ; and still it smells of scented oil !!
If it still smells of oil; then it is not degreased; no ?

Sorry to digress ......

A. G. Maisey · 27th August 2010, 04:15 AM

No mate.

If the ferric material is porous the oil penetrates down into the body of the blade. You'll never get rid of the smell.

You could wash a blade off with turps, I suppose, acetone tends to dry a bit too quickly for my liking, but all I ever use is dishwash --- when I think its necessary

I've got blades that I've stripped and stained and oiled with kenongo/cendono, and then I come back 12 months later and they still smell of the oil that was on them before I cleaned them up.

I suggest you ignore the smell. Just give it a scrub with dishwash and go ahead with the job.

kulbuntet · 27th August 2010, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

No solvents ?
I have a Sumatran/Bugis blade that I cannot get free of oil; no matter what I do to it, including acetone .
I have used everything ; and still it smells of scented oil !!
If it still smells of oil; then it is not degreased; no ?

Iff you realy want to do the job as good as it can get, dont use acetone beter use apolar(non polar) solvents, like hexane, petrolether, toluene and so on. Also you can "cook"or boil the blade in water and let it cool down... afther that lot of dirt wil come out of the pores of the blade. But do reconsider about the state of the blade before you try to do this. Also NaOH (sodium hydroxide) can be used to degrease or break oil or fat like dirt on the blade.

regards Ab

26th August 2010, 10:41 PM	#1
imas560 Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 180	I might have a go at trying to clean the blade up following some of the posts here on Keris cleaning (but maybe without the arsenic). When I was in Malaysia I spoke with a Keris maker in Kuala Kangsar who mentioned using a tamarind solution. So far I have managed to clean up slightly rust speckled blades and strip gun blueing (the gun blueing strip was not intentional, left it on too long). When I get a free stretch of time I'll take some photos. If the keris cleaning process by a novice is not advisable please let me know, all advice is appreciated.

26th August 2010, 11:00 PM	#2
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,339	Pineapple juice; but I'd think about it a bit before diving in . The blade may be out of stain; but a real cleaning will remove much of the 'patina' .

27th August 2010, 12:04 AM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,995	Yeah Rick, it might, but sometimes with these older blades you'll find that what happens is that most of the rust comes off and you reach a point where the blade is pretty clean, then it starts to colour up again and if you're not too much of a fanatic, you can get a reasonable stain job straight out of the pineapple juice without using arsenic. I suspect that what might happen is that the residual arsenic is activated by the juice. Just remember to brush daily with a soft toothbrush under running water.

27th August 2010, 03:02 AM	#4
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,339	Would you try to degrease it before a pineapple juice soak, Alan ? Or no ?

27th August 2010, 03:28 AM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,995	Definitely yes, Rick. This is a standard part of the process. I usually do it in the kitchen sink with warm water, dishwash liquid and soft toothbrush, then I rinse off and dry thoroughly before putting into the juice.

27th August 2010, 03:32 AM	#6
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,339	No solvents ? I have a Sumatran/Bugis blade that I cannot get free of oil; no matter what I do to it, including acetone . I have used everything ; and still it smells of scented oil !! If it still smells of oil; then it is not degreased; no ? Sorry to digress ......

27th August 2010, 04:15 AM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,995	No mate. If the ferric material is porous the oil penetrates down into the body of the blade. You'll never get rid of the smell. You could wash a blade off with turps, I suppose, acetone tends to dry a bit too quickly for my liking, but all I ever use is dishwash --- when I think its necessary I've got blades that I've stripped and stained and oiled with kenongo/cendono, and then I come back 12 months later and they still smell of the oil that was on them before I cleaned them up. I suggest you ignore the smell. Just give it a scrub with dishwash and go ahead with the job.