Pedang.....Mataram blade?

[A. G. Maisey]

Jim, it is a random pattern, some people would perhaps give it as kulit semangka (ngulit semongko) others would give it as wos wutah (beras wutah).

I favour wos wutah.

I doubt that much material has been lost from this blade, tosan aji other than keris, & sometimes tombak, are not subjected to the repeated washing & staining that keris get, the pamor plates are still largely undamaged, I believe that if felt with light passing of the finger tips along the blade, the pamor would feel relatively smooth if compared with the usual keris blade feel, this type of pamor seldom erodes to the same extent as some other types of pamor material.

Peter, this is most definitely a Javanese pedang, there can be no question of this. The blade is a common style in Jawa, the recent dress is Javanese, the dress was made in Solo by m'ranggi Agus Irianto, AKA Agus Warongko, the style of dress is generic, the pommel interpretation that I have given can be supported by similar stylized interpretations of the Rojomolo that are found in carvings of various types that were and are produced in & for Solo consumption. The Rojomolo is woven into the culture of Solo.

In respect of both surface manipulated pamor mlumah, and pamor miring, when these pamors are found in a pedang blade, that pedang is usually taken to have been made as pusaka or as an item of dress, not as a weapon of war.

Pamor miring in particular does not have any strengthening effect in blade construction, surface manipulated pamor mlumah also has no strengthening effect. The common random pattern does act to support the steel core, manipulated patterns tend to weaken a blade.

The pamor motif Batu Lapak is often the result of the tang having been attached after the body of the blade has been forged but not yet subjected to the necessary cold work. This type of construction is common in old thrusting weapons, but is seldom found in slashing & cutting weapons, as it tends to weaken a blade.