A feature of interest

A. G. Maisey · 16th November 2024, 05:19 AM

In Jawa and Bali too, if the pamor material enters into the edge this is considered to be a flaw in the blade.

When we carve the blade we are supposed to continually check by etching whether the pamor is away from the edge, if it has entered the edge we need to reheat the blade and bend at the point where the pamor enters before we continue with carving.

Some makers now, & in the past, were lazy & did not do the check and adjust step, as a consequence they made sub-standard blades.

Ideally there should be a "frame"of blade steel that surrounds the pamor, if this frame is kept to a uniform width, that is regarded as evidence of the skill of the maker.

adamb · Today, 02:48 AM

Thank you Alan, for this insight.

It strikes me that an apparent fault in the process of blade manufacture is interpreted as a hallmark of quality and esteem by present-day Bugis-Makasar people, or at least the ones I've talked to about this feature in a particular part of South Sulawesi. I wonder what that could mean; and I wonder, among other things, how far back in time this belief about the symbolic importance of this feature goes.

16th November 2024, 05:19 AM	#1
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,897	In Jawa and Bali too, if the pamor material enters into the edge this is considered to be a flaw in the blade. When we carve the blade we are supposed to continually check by etching whether the pamor is away from the edge, if it has entered the edge we need to reheat the blade and bend at the point where the pamor enters before we continue with carving. Some makers now, & in the past, were lazy & did not do the check and adjust step, as a consequence they made sub-standard blades. Ideally there should be a "frame"of blade steel that surrounds the pamor, if this frame is kept to a uniform width, that is regarded as evidence of the skill of the maker.

Today, 02:48 AM	#2
adamb Member Join Date: Oct 2024 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 13	Thank you Alan, for this insight. It strikes me that an apparent fault in the process of blade manufacture is interpreted as a hallmark of quality and esteem by present-day Bugis-Makasar people, or at least the ones I've talked to about this feature in a particular part of South Sulawesi. I wonder what that could mean; and I wonder, among other things, how far back in time this belief about the symbolic importance of this feature goes.