Strange bladed Keris

[Royston]

This is not something I have seen before.
I am assuming that it is some kind of fault and not supposed to be there.
But then my knowledge of Keris is very limited.
Any suggestions would be welcome.

Regards
Royston

[Rick]

Some may say different; but to me this is a forging failure that may have been exaggerated, not a special dapur .

There is the old 'hole in the keris' story; maybe this piece was aimed at that market (Lonely Bachelors) .

[kulbuntet]

Hi Royston,

Its called Combong.. Its no Dapur but just a name for a keris that have opening in blade due to beeing wasshed tru the years.. There ar mystical powers subcribed to a keris combong.

regards, Michel

[David]

Originally Posted by kulbuntet

Its called Combong.. Its no Dapur but just a name for a keris that have opening in blade due to beeing wasshed tru the years.. There ar mystical powers subcribed to a keris combong.

Michel, from my limited understanding many things are called "combong" that are not. I have been led to believe that there are "true" combong blades that are forged intentionally to have an opening and perhaps someone on this forum might have an example to show us. I have only seen one and don't have any photos to share. Calling a blade "combong" that has worn through from many washings might just be a hopeful way to increase the value of an old worn out keris for resale.
Either way, it doesn't seem to me that this opening was caused by excessive washing. This looks like an obvious forging flaw that may have been exaggerated to make it look more intentional.

[sjors]

I'm sorry, I don't want to be blunt and off course I'm not sure but looking at the picture I've the feeling this "combong" is quite "recent", a later on fabricated combong... Not made by an Empu!

[Rick]

Well Sjors it's one way to make a profit from a shop 'second' .

I can see tool marks at the opening, also the blade bulges where the opening is .

[Henk]

What a shame of such a beautiful keris
Defenitly roughly made with the purpose to make more money from the ignorant tourist. The one who did this should be hanged with a certain bodypart, that gives a very unpleasant feeling, in a flagpole

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by Royston

This is not something I have seen before.
I am assuming that it is some kind of fault and not supposed to be there.

Dear Royston,

First of all, (1) I would say that you put the "pendhok" in a wrong way. The front face of the silver pendhok, you put in the other way. (I post pictures for your example. The foto of keris without flower, is the wrong way of putting the pendhok on the gandar. And keris with flower is the right way...)

And (2) I would say, your keris blade is actually an old and quite good one. Unfortunately -- as said by other forumites -- someone had changed it in a worse way, to make as if it was a "combong" keris, to make it more looks "magical"... The dhapur of your keris is "kebo lajer" or "mahesa lajer" (literally means, straight buffalo blade), with pamor of "junjung drajat" or at least, "adeg" (straight lines).

Of course, (3) this blade is still possible to be repaired by the specialist. Heat-treatment in 'besalen' (keris workshop), and then "hammered" the heated bending blade to straight, with a soft wooden hammer, to "shut" the combong. Heat treatment, of course, will change the heated part to be 'younger' than the rest of the blade. Although would not be perfect, the specialist can still make it better, by treating 'kamalan' (with certain chemical, or traditional blend of crushed bricks, mixed with salt and sulphur) on the old-turned-to-younger heated part of the blade. Not an easy process, but anyway -- the specialist is still be able to help your kebo lajer to be a better blade than now, although 'not original' anymore...

GANJAWULUNG