Tactical keris

[BluErf]

Ugly!!!

Maybe it works by baffling opponents with the thought of what that ugly piece of metal is... and then the wielder can take the opportunity and move in for the kill... haha

[Henk]

Just an ugly dagger with a wavy blade. Not practical at all.

Doesn't belong here!!!

[Alam Shah]

I wouldn't term it as tactical blade either... the kydex is tactical, but with a gleaming shiny blade like that... arghhh! my eyes... it's a giveaway when unsheathed.

[A. G. Maisey]

Art is in the eye of the beholder.

I personally think this is an enormously ugly piece of metal, but having been tied up with the custom knifemaking movement in Australia some years ago, I can understand how some people would consider this to be a wonderful representation of skill.

Western makers who attempt the keris form nearly always get it wrong because they do not understand what they are supposed to achieve. The first keris that I made, I made in Australia, after being involved with keris for better than 25 years, and before I was accepted by Empu Suparman as his pupil.

I did not understand what I was supposed to achieve. I made something that vaguely resembled a keris, but was lacking in many elements.

Here are some pics of what the Sheffield makers Joseph Beal, and Joseph Rogers thought a keris should look like.

None of these things are keris, but knowing they exist helps us to come a little closer to an understanding of just what a keris is.

[asomotif]

It has a wonderful pamor pattern in the HANDLE

[Newsteel]

That dagger is not attractive at all. What eye sore!!!

Again, how would one define a keris? In another words, what makes keris to be called a keris? By the wavy or straight blade? Or by having pamor or not? Imagine if the dagger is a straight blade, would the maker call it keris? Why don't he put it as keris-like dagger...

[sjors]

Believe me, it allways can be worse!

Here's a "9 luk kerissword"
I think its pamor is called "Pamor rust banyak"

It must be a stage prop or something like that because I can't imagine that someone wants this hanging on a wall of a livingroom (but like Alan said: Art is in the eye of the beholder.)

[Jussi M.]

Originally Posted by Newsteel

Again, how would one define a keris? In another words, what makes keris to be called a keris?

I think this is actually a very good question to which, unfortunately, I dont have an answer

We could say - as I have read on other threads - that a keris is whatever a Karaton decides it to be, but what then are the things a keris should have in order to become a keris? - What is the criteria and is that criteria general guidelines (principles), or is it too complex to be be drawn as a set of principles that govern what is a keris and what is not? - I gather there must be some basic principles - otherwise there would be chaos which cannot be.

The "tactical" keris I pictured is, bluntly said, unique on its hideousness (IMO). Not all "keris" like objects however are "bad" though they cannot be seen a proper "kerises". Some stuff actually is pretty neat though it is of course arguable what is neat and what is not. I very much like the aesthetics of this modern variation which, on a way, has some roots to an actual culture that used bladed weapons with such a blade form:



Newsteels´s question...

Originally Posted by Newsteel

Again, how would one define a keris? In another words, what makes keris to be called a keris?

...is in my opinion indeed an excellent question which deserves a worthy answer

Best,

J