My new Keris

[William.m]

Hello everybody,

I have just came back york with a new keris and Japanese nco sword that I bought in one of the many antique shops.

While I am very pleased with my new keris it seems that somebody has put a pin through the handle in order to secure the blade. It is very annoying as it seems that the handle is on the wrong way around. So my question is firstly can you have keris with the handle alignment like mine and also were the handles and tang pinned together traditionally ?

Also I showed my first keris on this website a while ago and it was mentioned that the handle was very large. However it looks like the blade is also very large when I compare it to my new keris. The blade looks lighter than what it really is because I used a flash. Enjoy!

[Alam Shah]

Originally Posted by William.m

...While I am very pleased with my new keris it seems that somebody has put a pin through the handle in order to secure the blade. It is very annoying as it seems that the handle is on the wrong way around. So my question is firstly can you have keris with the handle alignment like mine and also were the handles and tang pinned together traditionally ?

Hi William.m,

The alignment is not normal (for both right hand and left hand use). Traditionally, the handle and tang is not pinned together. The hilt normally can be removed from the blade.
See here for removal tips.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...5&postcount=23

The first piece looks like a nice example of a Northern Malaysian / Pattani keris.

The big unusual bulging piece of wood below the cross-piece (of the sheath) is not original to the piece and spoils the aesthetics of the Sari Bulan sheath form. The sheath's end-piece, a pantat lipas form is missing.

An example of a pantat lipas sheath's end-piece.
http://alamshah.fotopic.net/p34057944.html

Beautiful Luk 3, keris blade. A good catch. Congratulations.

[William.m]

Thank you very much for that information, very helpful. However that link you supplied on how to remove the tang I don't think will be of much use as it doesnt say on how to remove the metal pin that I have in the handle. I will post a photo of the pin when I get back from work.

Cheers!

Will

[William.m]

Sorry about the delay, but here is a photo of the metal pin, which seems to stop the removal of the blade.

[Rick]

Does that pin go all the way through to the other side of the handle William ?

[William.m]

Originally Posted by Rick

Does that pin go all the way through to the other side of the handle William ?

Hi Rick, the pin does go through to the other side, although you can only see a very small part of it. Also the blade can twist ever so slightly left and right, but cannot move upward at all.

Cheers!

Will

[Rick]

Originally Posted by William.m

Hi Rick, the pin does go through to the other side, although you can only see a very small part of it. Also the blade can twist ever so slightly left and right, but cannot move upward at all.

Cheers!

Will

Think you could drive or draw the pin out somehow William ?
Possibly a small pointed nail set could be used on the smaller end of the pin to get it started; then you might be able to draw it from the wide end with pliers.

Rick

[Alam Shah]

Hi all,
It's now my new keris... adjusted the hilt orientation and removed the piece of wood, at the hilt joint.

This is how it looked now.
http://alamshah.fotopic.net/c1208138.html

The joints needs repair and the end-piece needs replacement.
I'll look into that, at a later stage...

It's small and light. After handling it, it feels like a woman's keris.
Let me know your opinions...

[David]

Originally Posted by Alam Shah

It's small and light. After handling it, it feels like a woman's keris.
Let me know your opinions...

At 28 cm that is just over 11 inches which seems a bit long for a patrem...but maybe it was made for a big women.

[Alam Shah]

Originally Posted by David

At 28 cm that is just over 11 inches which seems a bit long for a patrem...but maybe it was made for a big women.

Oppsss... after re-measuring, it's only 27cm, the the ganja to the tip. (28cm was the measurement given from previous owner). David, not necessarily 'big', but perhaps taller? I do agree that it's slightly longer than the normal patrem.

Keris of different sizes within the Malay family.