opinions on my kerises

[Rick]

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Looking forward to pix .

Welcome !

[nechesh]

Welcome Casey. We look forward to seeing your collection. Anyone who would give 24 keris to you, especially if any are high quality or old, must be a very good friend indeed. It appears you will be having a very merry Kerismas.

[Lee]

Here is a clearer rendition of the first picture above:

[nechesh]

Hi Casey, you have a mix of quality and styles here. I find the 3rd image of the Bali keris to perhaps be the best blade among them, but that's pretty subjective. Most of your pieces could use some restortation of some sort if you are into doing that with your collection.
The keris singo (lion) looks like it might be interesting. It's hard to judge with your photos because they appear to be on the point of pixelating, making it difficult to make out detail. It would also be nice to see the entire blade of your keris as one can not get a feel for the flow of the design in the entire blade. This is an essential part to the overall appreciation and assessment of a good keris.
Your friend has started you off witrh quite an interesting collection. Few of us ever got such a nice opening opportunity. Congrats! I look forward to seeing more of your new found passion. You're hooked now.
Is there some reason why you friend sudden gave you these. Has he given up collecting.

[Henk]

Nechesh is right. A very mixed collection. But a very nice start to begin with.

1. Keris solo, Java, Pamor bulut ayam.
2. This is a maduran keris. The first tourist keris for the dutch soldiers who came home during and after the war. I use to call this a KNIL keris. Koninklijk (Royal) Nederlands (Dutch) Indisch (Indonesian) Leger (Army). The keris itself is a real and good keris. The dress however was made of a cheap piece of wood and carved quickly. You see them still regularly.
3. Nice bali keris with a pendok on the back side. Would be nice to see a picture of it. The mendak is missing.
4. A real balinese tourist keris.
5. Balinese tombak. In my opinion for tourists.
6. Jogya keris, Java. Keris singa. The sitting lion. I think a very nice one.
7. Balinese keris with a walikat sandang scabbard. Very nice. Here too is the mendak missing.
8. Bugis keris. And a good one. Please turn the ukiran (the grip) 90 degrees to the other side.
9. Keris madura. The inlay under the pendok is turtle shell. This ukiran should be turned too 90 degrees.
10. Keris solo, Java.

You have a couple of nice keris. Some care is necesarry but it was a gift. I would be happy too when my friend came with a box with 24 kerisses.

[BluErf]

Hmmm... pamor is not my forte, but I don't think the pamor on the Solo keris is bulu ayam. Maybe more like "floating water weed" or something.

[rasdan]

Hi,

I think Blu is correct, the pamor is 'gaggeng kanyut'.