Tombak for comment

[Henk]

You're welcome Wolviex, and make sure if the experts wants to do something that warangan is used in the right way. Can you imagine how nice it would be if the conservator of the museum is willingly to ship it to someone of the forummembers who is able to do the washing?

I noticed the red tip of the scabbard. I also see some black spurs. Is that dirt or remains of black paint? I've tombak with a scabbard that is completely red painted.
I will try to scan some drawings of a tombak next week at school so that you have an idea how your tombak must have looked like.

[nechesh]

Wolviex, Henk makes a good point. Don't be surprised is your expert in metal conservation looks at you cross-eyed and in confusion when it comes to raising the pamor on this tombak. This is a cultural skill which i doubt you would come across in many museum conservators. There are real experts in this craft that your museum could send this blade out to, but knowing museum they will probably chose not too. Often museums are more concerned with merely maintaining condition rather than restoring it.

[wolviex]

Well, I didn't wrote it Nenesh, but I think the same about museums (O boy! and I work in one of them ). I was afraid you'll think about Krakow's National Musuem - what a backward ruin, they don't know how to make pomor, but now I see that my afraids are the same what yours
I admit, chances are not big, but I'll try. Knowing the financial situation, Musuem won't decide to send it elsewhere, especially, this object isn't such important "for Polish historical and cultural aspects" and dspite it's nice, it isn't special.

[Adni Aljunied]

Both tombaks have similar features, but closer look at the "metok" or ferrule shows that the one wolviex has is seperated whereas Rick's has it made one with the blade, or "seiras".
More commonly seen from Sumatra or Malaysian regions are the seiras tombaks, while the other type are more Javanese inclined, although there are exceptions. The not very contrasting pamor on Rick's tombak also has less Javanese features, and I'm sure with a good washing, wolviex's tombak will show good contrast.
Do retain the sheath please, and give it some good old English oils or other wood oils to "relive" it back again, and maybe a longer shaft for the handle. On that note, I would consider both pieces more as a "lembing", a throwing spear, rather than a "tombak" (lance) from it's more slimmmer and rather "aerodynamic" features. But again, there are a few views on the diffrences between a tombak and a lembing, as it is with a lance and a spear.

[Rick]

Adni , I was suprised at how smooth the surface of my piece is .
Can you make any comment on that ?
It's good to see you here .

[Adni Aljunied]

It mutually good to be here too Rick.
The smoothness on the surface of your tombak may be seen as a common Balinese styled finnish, but I don't think the tombak is of Balinese in origin. Without handling the piece it's hard to tell, but the metals used looks more "compact" and "stronger" if I may say. Arranged in the "miring" technique with the pamor "adeg", stronger metals, and of course made with an experienced empu, the fusion of the layers are more "tighter" and "compact" which when finally finished traditionally with limestone, can result in a more smoother surface. Not usually done in Malaysian blades, but not uncommon on Sumatran pieces.
Also note of the temper mark from the darker shades on the top half of the blade (especially the edges) where it is submerge during temper quenching. Another feature pointing it more towards a Sumatran origin.
The presence of a wax coating for preservation may also make the surface smooth, but removing the wax layer will expose the courser surfaces.

[Henk]

Wolviex,

I understand the museum problem and that is something common in every museum. Adni was the one I was thinking of for the washing.

As promissed I scanned some drawings how this tombak or lembing like Adni says ,and he's right we should talk about lembing, was dressed.