I’ve just found some videos on warangan making and using

[David]

Originally Posted by milandro

There are other methods , especially the Rice water+ Salt and Sulphur method.
But until there are beter or different videos , in English, this remains to only alternative for people living in most part of the world to do this themselves

Having a video that is in English and clearly lays out steps for this process is great i suppose...if indeed it is showing us a good method that will yield the best results. I must agree with Alan though that the process this gentleman is showing us may in fact not be the best method available for us to follow and certainly not the simplest. The point is that there are other methods of applying warangan, and that when we talk about "other methods" we don't necessarily mean non-arsenic methods. I have not personally done a great deal of blade staining, but i have had much better success with the brush on method that Alan has laid out in his post #36 than anything this gentleman has showed us so far. All the hoops this guy suggests we jump through to create warangan and his method for applying it are unnecessary and may not yield the best results. So following his methods just because they are clearly laid out in an English speaking video does not make much sense to me.
I will also note a couple of other things. While i am quite aware of the pinching method he uses to help get the warangan into the pores of the blade and that indeed many people who do this in Indonesia do it barehanded, i have a hard time recommending people handle an arsenic solution in this manner. I have not done or found any studies on how this kind of practice might affect the health of mranggi who do this consistently over periods of time, but i believe it is not wise to encourage people to handle it with your bare hands as the video shows. Of course, i realize that a lot of things are done in Indonesia that would not pass muster with OSHA or the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHSA). I have seen countless videos of people smithing shirtless and barefoot without wearing any eye protection. It is just the way of things over there. While i accept that i certain can't advocate for the practice though.
Also, while i realize that the blade should be rinsed with running water when finishing this is obviously going to rinse small amounts of arsenic down your drain. Can't say i can be an advocate for such a thing even in small doses.
I also noted when watching this last video that there appeared to be a relative large area of rust that remained on the pesi of the blade he was working on. Yes, the guy has perseverance that is perhaps admirable, but again, i am not impressed by these videos.

[milandro]

well it is what it s ad until someone will create better ones , as it is, this is the only source of warangan information to the wider audience.

[David]

Originally Posted by milandro

well it is what it s ad until someone will create better ones , as it is, this is the only source of warangan information to the wider audience.

No, it is not the only source of warangan information. Information was just provided right here to a different method of applying warangan by Alan. It may be the only source produced in a video that is in English, but information has been passed between humans in other ways long before the invention of video.
And if the information presented in these videos is a method that is neither the easiest or best method for collectors looking to try their hand as an amateur mranggi, then accepting it simply because it is the only thing available in English is not particularly valid in my opinion. Myself and others are being critical of the videos because we find fault in them. Following advice simply because it is the only video you can find available may not be your best course of action.

[milandro]

I’ll rephrase so that the dots are on all the i’s , the only source of video information in English on warangan

When I’ll see more from any other person I’ll report here

[Marcokeris]

the only precaution I took when I was using the warangan was not to smoke.... for obvious reasons I didn't want to touch the filter of the cigarette with my fingers wet with solution .... and it was a real torture for me not to smoke!!

[David]

Originally Posted by Marcokeris

the only precaution I took when I was using the warangan was not to smoke.... for obvious reasons I didn't want to touch the filter of the cigarette with my fingers wet with solution .... and it was a real torture for me not to smoke!!

Well, we all have done unsafe things and survived Marco. I know have. LOL!
Your skin is the largest organ of your body and arsenic can indeed be absorbed through the skin. My recommendationis don't do it. Use gloves if you need to come in contact with the solution. But as i stated before, there are mranggi in Java who have no doubt handled these materials barehanded for much of their lives. My policy though is better safe than sorry.

[A. G. Maisey]

As to the danger of handling arsenic.

Here in The Land of Oz (AKA: Australia), people who need to work with arsenic are routinely tested for arsenic levels in their body and appropriate action is taken.

In Jawa I have known a number of people who stain blades, some use the commercial method that the video shows us, or a variation thereof, others use the method I have set forth, or a variation thereof. None have been affected by, nor died of arsenic related diseases, most have died of emphysema or some other tobacco related disease.

Yes, there can be no question that arsenic can affect health. It is a possibility that depends upon the level of exposure. In many parts of the world, arsenic used to be used as a medication.

The easy availability of knowledge that has arisen since the proliferation of the internet is very tempting. The making of a video now is common. The big, very big, problem with this internet knowledge is that we need a very strong foundation of real knowledge to differentiate between true knowledge and waffle.

There is one hell of a lot of waffle on the net, and You Tube is a major offender. I sometimes think it is an intentional disinformation campaign to dumb everybody down to a pre-determined level. A tool of societal management.

The method that I have outlined above does work. Results can be improved by using slight variations, variations that I myself use, but that I am not prepared to recommend to others because of the possibility of somebody taking legal action against me.

I stained a lot of blades very successfully before I ever learnt the variations used in Central Jawa.

Some years ago I spent a day or so with a lady who worked in the museum industry, I ran her through the entire process of staining and when we parted she had a very good understanding of the process. My contribution was only a small part of the further research that she carried out. Eventually she produced an academic paper:-

Scroll down to page #19

https://aiccm.org.au/wp-content/uplo...June2007_0.pdf

[Anthony G.]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

As to the danger of handling arsenic.

Here in The Land of Oz (AKA: Australia), people who need to work with arsenic are routinely tested for arsenic levels in their body and appropriate action is taken.

In Jawa I have known a number of people who stain blades, some use the commercial method that the video shows us, or a variation thereof, others use the method I have set forth, or a variation thereof. None have been affected by, nor died of arsenic related diseases, most have died of emphysema or some other tobacco related disease.

Yes, there can be no question that arsenic can affect health. It is a possibility that depends upon the level of exposure. In many parts of the world, arsenic used to be used as a medication.

The easy availability of knowledge that has arisen since the proliferation of the internet is very tempting. The making of a video now is common. The big, very big, problem with this internet knowledge is that we need a very strong foundation of real knowledge to differentiate between true knowledge and waffle.

There is one hell of a lot of waffle on the net, and You Tube is a major offender. I sometimes think it is an intentional disinformation campaign to dumb everybody down to a pre-determined level. A tool of societal management.

The method that I have outlined above does work. Results can be improved by using slight variations, variations that I myself use, but that I am not prepared to recommend to others because of the possibility of somebody taking legal action against me.

I stained a lot of blades very successfully before I ever learnt the variations used in Central Jawa.

Some years ago I spent a day or so with a lady who worked in the museum industry, I ran her through the entire process of staining and when we parted she had a very good understanding of the process. My contribution was only a small part of the further research that she carried out. Eventually she produced an academic paper:-

Scroll down to page #19

https://aiccm.org.au/wp-content/uplo...June2007_0.pdf

Hi Alan, thanks for the sharing but do you happen to have a local pdf copy?

<Oops, This Page Could Not Be Found!>


I also support what Alan and David had just commented on safety. When i try warangan, I used disposable gloves and mask as i dislike the smell. Safety is essential when handling chemical and many videos do not enforce it. Many newbies might endanger themselves due to blindly following people's videos.