I'd Like to Learn More About This Peninsula(???) Keris

[Jean]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

So yes, as the K. bahari is somewhat shorter than the original "long keris" I guess you could be right. However, EK gives bahari length as 42 - 45cm, and if a keris alang is only 30cm, then it is shorter again than a bahari.

Hello Alan,
Yes,the EK page 88 describes the keris bahari as having a blade between 42 to 45 cm long, and on page 64 the keris alang having a blade of about 28 to 32 cm long, so shorter than the bahari and the reverse than what I wrote.
However Harsrinuskmo also writes in the same paragraph of page 64 that "a keris with a blade longer than 32 cm is usually called Keris Java"
Actually the names keris alang and keris bahari may designate the same type of keris but in different areas?
Finally Gardner page 27 describes a long Sumatran rapier kris as keris panjang, a medium one as keris alang, and a short one as keris pendek but his book is also often inaccurate. On page 45 he describes a long keris panjang as keris bahari...
This is why I would like to get the opinion of our Malaysian members
Regards