New Keris--Balinese?

Daniel · 21st April 2008, 08:12 PM

I appreciate the comments. I thought there was something terribly wrong when I saw the streaks running counter to the grain of the steel, but wasn't sure if this was a bad attempt at faking the layers or was some common decorative treatment that I had never heard of.

In any case, Under magnification, I can see that the bright lines stand slightly proud of the background (maybe .001" or thereabouts). I suppose if the wax resist was used, it protected the steel from being etched where the lines occur. I don't know if cleaning the blade at this point would make the lines disappear or not. I don't like the idea of using abrasives to remove them, so I may just stain them as best I can to make it less obtrusive. Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks for your help,

DD

Henk · 21st April 2008, 09:14 PM

Daniel,

I don't think you should stain the blade to make it less obtrusive. You stain the blade or not. But If you do, you have to clean the blade completely and remove the rust. When you etch the blade with warangan the blade will turn completely black without pamor, as Alan already said. Such pamorless keris is called kelengan.
I think this pamor batik is made to give the keris more value for the ignorant buyer (read tourist).
If I'm not mistaken the pamor in batik is pamor Bendo Segado.

A. G. Maisey · 21st April 2008, 11:46 PM

Daniel, what you do with this keris probably depends upon your plans for it.

If you intend to sell it, give it a good soak with WD40, brush vigorously, and market it as is.

If you intend to keep it, polish the blade with powder sink cleaner, give it a couple of days in a pineapple juice bath, and restain it. Yes, it will not display brilliant contrasting pamor, but it will show a distinct colour difference between the steel core and the iron skin, that iron skin will show nice grain, in fact, it will come up a pretty decent, genuine old keris.

Not all old keris were works of art, and not all old keris had beautiful high contrast pamor. A keris such as yours could well have been more likely to see use as a weapon than a keris dripping with pizzazz.

In short, its an OK keris, the dress is horrible, but at least its got dress, and I would guess that you paid on the low side for it. Just keep your eyes open for genuine old dress, it sometimes comes up in ebay, and I guess in other places.Provided the wrongko is bigger than the dimensions of the blade, it can be made to fit. This keris is not worth the expense of placing a special order for new dress of the correct style.

Daniel · 22nd April 2008, 03:51 PM

Thank you all for your help. I do have little invested in it and would like to give the cleaning and restaining process a try--just for the fun and education of it.
I know there are recipes on this forum for making the arsenic bath. Does anyone have any suggestion on the best place to look for the necessary chemicals? I doubt my local Save-Rite drug store is likely to carry them.(or sell them to me)

DD

David · 22nd April 2008, 06:13 PM

Daniel, as you might imagine the cleaning and staining of keris has been much discussed on this forum. Here's a good thread link, but you might want to search further.
http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000717.html
Nope, you won't find Arsenic Trioxide at your corner druggist.

If you search on-line you can find it wholesale to chemical companies. I would try calling one of these wholesalers to find out who they sell to in your area. Then you might me able to convince that local company of your need and they might order it for you. It is obtainable, but it's not easy and it might take time and patience.

21st April 2008, 08:12 PM	#1
Daniel Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: California Posts: 16	I appreciate the comments. I thought there was something terribly wrong when I saw the streaks running counter to the grain of the steel, but wasn't sure if this was a bad attempt at faking the layers or was some common decorative treatment that I had never heard of. In any case, Under magnification, I can see that the bright lines stand slightly proud of the background (maybe .001" or thereabouts). I suppose if the wax resist was used, it protected the steel from being etched where the lines occur. I don't know if cleaning the blade at this point would make the lines disappear or not. I don't like the idea of using abrasives to remove them, so I may just stain them as best I can to make it less obtrusive. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks for your help, DD

21st April 2008, 09:14 PM	#2
Henk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,209	Daniel, I don't think you should stain the blade to make it less obtrusive. You stain the blade or not. But If you do, you have to clean the blade completely and remove the rust. When you etch the blade with warangan the blade will turn completely black without pamor, as Alan already said. Such pamorless keris is called kelengan. I think this pamor batik is made to give the keris more value for the ignorant buyer (read tourist). If I'm not mistaken the pamor in batik is pamor Bendo Segado.

21st April 2008, 11:46 PM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	Daniel, what you do with this keris probably depends upon your plans for it. If you intend to sell it, give it a good soak with WD40, brush vigorously, and market it as is. If you intend to keep it, polish the blade with powder sink cleaner, give it a couple of days in a pineapple juice bath, and restain it. Yes, it will not display brilliant contrasting pamor, but it will show a distinct colour difference between the steel core and the iron skin, that iron skin will show nice grain, in fact, it will come up a pretty decent, genuine old keris. Not all old keris were works of art, and not all old keris had beautiful high contrast pamor. A keris such as yours could well have been more likely to see use as a weapon than a keris dripping with pizzazz. In short, its an OK keris, the dress is horrible, but at least its got dress, and I would guess that you paid on the low side for it. Just keep your eyes open for genuine old dress, it sometimes comes up in ebay, and I guess in other places.Provided the wrongko is bigger than the dimensions of the blade, it can be made to fit. This keris is not worth the expense of placing a special order for new dress of the correct style.

22nd April 2008, 03:51 PM	#4
Daniel Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: California Posts: 16	Thank you all for your help. I do have little invested in it and would like to give the cleaning and restaining process a try--just for the fun and education of it. I know there are recipes on this forum for making the arsenic bath. Does anyone have any suggestion on the best place to look for the necessary chemicals? I doubt my local Save-Rite drug store is likely to carry them.(or sell them to me) DD

22nd April 2008, 06:13 PM	#5
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,218	Daniel, as you might imagine the cleaning and staining of keris has been much discussed on this forum. Here's a good thread link, but you might want to search further. http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000717.html Nope, you won't find Arsenic Trioxide at your corner druggist. If you search on-line you can find it wholesale to chemical companies. I would try calling one of these wholesalers to find out who they sell to in your area. Then you might me able to convince that local company of your need and they might order it for you. It is obtainable, but it's not easy and it might take time and patience.