Battered Datu Kris for comment - restoration tips needed

[kai]

Originally Posted by Federico

The problem I have always had with inlay and restoring kris has been in the etching vs the polishing. The acid can seep underneath the inlay and loosen it, or it can eat away at the thin inlay real fast vs its eat rate for steel. In certain cases, I have used a thin layer of clear nail polish to protect inlay or other fittings (such as asang-asang) when etching. High grit sandpaper (eg. 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, etc...), is relatively gentle. You could always start at a higher grit.

Thanks, Federico. I'll try to keep on the safe side...

I would just personally avoid over-etching, or long soaks in acid, as it can add a topographical etch, that at least in what I have seen, has not been typical of Moro swords.

There's certainly no topographical etch as of now. For Moro weapons I'm looking more for something like a Balinese finish - smooth steel with a brief final etching to bring out the pamor and darken the blade a bit. In this case that won't work out for the tip (without excessive steel removal) but keeping the blade intact as possible is my primary concern.

The polishing compound idea, can work depending on the compound, but there is always a danger that some compounds contain a portective additive that can sometimes create more of a mess than theyre worth (eg. brasso). Jewelers red rouge is nice, and goes a long way.

It certainly pays to get professional polishing compounds rather than undocumented household stuff. I have several grades including pure Tripoli - I'll compare that to similar graded sandpaper.

BTW, did anybody tried oil based polish vs. water based paste?

if you decide to send to Battara for restoration,

Someday I'll surely go for a competent silverwork upgrade but money's too tight these days...

Regards,
Kai