Iron Type Questions

Karttikeya · 13th February 2012, 03:53 AM

Hi all, I have attached a photo for discussion, comments would be very appreciated. To the point, I will focus on this type of iron which the color is grey or greenish grey. The blade has been stained by arsenic for several time however its color would never be black. Also after coating with oil and get lighting, we may see the blade seems to have golden sand or gold blink is more precisely. Anybody can explain me what makes the blade looks like that? Whether it is related to specific iron type or forging technique?

A. G. Maisey · 13th February 2012, 04:07 AM

I can get colour variations such as you describe in almost any keris, if I use industrial quality arsenic.

Laboratory quality arsenic does not produce queer colours, nor do any or the different types of warangan that I've used.

Karttikeya · 13th February 2012, 04:50 AM

Thanks for the reply, Pak Maisey. Yes, I agree with you that arsenic can play any color on the blade. Regardless of arsenic, how to see its original color or let say how to get right color of iron after warangan? I heard there are several iron type with specific color as well, is it? Probably you ever heard nelek lencung, lar glatik, hurap, etc to describe particular color, so it all can be achieved by playing warangan?

A. G. Maisey · 13th February 2012, 06:51 AM

No Karttikeya, I did not say that.

I related my experience with a type of arsenic, that experience with a material cannot be extrapolated into all possible combinations of material, arsenic and colour.

In respect of the staining of Javanese keris, it is accepted that the person staining the blade should be able to predict with fair accuracy the expected colour, when the blade has been correctly stained, so he needs to be able to estimate tangguh, and then recognise when the blade has the colour that indicates it is correctly stained for that particular tangguh.

When the arsenic or warangan that one is using is known to be reliable, one cannot alter the result of the staining process, except by degree of either over colouring or under colouring.

I cannot explain why your blade gets all these peculiar colours, but if blades of similar physical characteristics do not stain the same as your blade does, I'd be looking for some different warangan. There is a fair bit of very dubious warangan around at the moment. The stuff that we used to be able to buy in Solo ran out, and a new batch that came from India was sold for a while, It produced some very peculiar results.

Then again, greenish grey, or reddish and yellowish tints that seem to appear under the actual blade colour can very often be an indication that the blade was not properly cleaned before the staining was begun. This can particularly be the case with porous material, because the rust and the dirt gets into the pores and its almost impossible to remove it.

If you want the best job you can get, make sure the blade is absolutely clean and white before you start, use the pinch or constant brushing method of staining, not the soak method, and use proven warangan or lab quality white arsenic.

13th February 2012, 03:53 AM	#1
Karttikeya Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 54	Iron Type Questions Hi all, I have attached a photo for discussion, comments would be very appreciated. To the point, I will focus on this type of iron which the color is grey or greenish grey. The blade has been stained by arsenic for several time however its color would never be black. Also after coating with oil and get lighting, we may see the blade seems to have golden sand or gold blink is more precisely. Anybody can explain me what makes the blade looks like that? Whether it is related to specific iron type or forging technique? Attached Images

13th February 2012, 04:07 AM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,897	I can get colour variations such as you describe in almost any keris, if I use industrial quality arsenic. Laboratory quality arsenic does not produce queer colours, nor do any or the different types of warangan that I've used.

13th February 2012, 04:50 AM	#3
Karttikeya Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 54	Thanks for the reply, Pak Maisey. Yes, I agree with you that arsenic can play any color on the blade. Regardless of arsenic, how to see its original color or let say how to get right color of iron after warangan? I heard there are several iron type with specific color as well, is it? Probably you ever heard nelek lencung, lar glatik, hurap, etc to describe particular color, so it all can be achieved by playing warangan?

13th February 2012, 06:51 AM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,897	No Karttikeya, I did not say that. I related my experience with a type of arsenic, that experience with a material cannot be extrapolated into all possible combinations of material, arsenic and colour. In respect of the staining of Javanese keris, it is accepted that the person staining the blade should be able to predict with fair accuracy the expected colour, when the blade has been correctly stained, so he needs to be able to estimate tangguh, and then recognise when the blade has the colour that indicates it is correctly stained for that particular tangguh. When the arsenic or warangan that one is using is known to be reliable, one cannot alter the result of the staining process, except by degree of either over colouring or under colouring. I cannot explain why your blade gets all these peculiar colours, but if blades of similar physical characteristics do not stain the same as your blade does, I'd be looking for some different warangan. There is a fair bit of very dubious warangan around at the moment. The stuff that we used to be able to buy in Solo ran out, and a new batch that came from India was sold for a while, It produced some very peculiar results. Then again, greenish grey, or reddish and yellowish tints that seem to appear under the actual blade colour can very often be an indication that the blade was not properly cleaned before the staining was begun. This can particularly be the case with porous material, because the rust and the dirt gets into the pores and its almost impossible to remove it. If you want the best job you can get, make sure the blade is absolutely clean and white before you start, use the pinch or constant brushing method of staining, not the soak method, and use proven warangan or lab quality white arsenic.