Here are some pics of my collection

Federico

Federico

Joined
Sep 5, 2000
Messages
1,522
Please dont ask for better pics cuz this is as good as they get since my camera is poopy.
gunong.jpg

barong.jpg

big.jpg

khukri.jpg
 
federico - you have more keris than me! anyhow i guess i have more khukuris than you! i like your website & i have bookmarked it already!
 
Thank you, Fed. We need to try to start making some posts of things other than our immediate feelings and yours helps. Thanks again.
 
Fed:

The collection is beautiful, even if the pics are slightly fuzzy.Your website is a pure winner. BTW, AC uses Canon and a couple of other brands, but no "Poopys"? Where are they made?
 
Thank you all for the compliments. While these past events are still painful we have to try and go on with our lives and not let evil win.
 
Here's a pic of my Sundang. A close up will follow as well as a pic of an unknown origin and style sword type blade.
 
This one should show some of the detail carved into the blade. The engraving goes almost to the point!!!
 
I never have been able to identify the origin of this blade. The sheath is very, very thin wood covered with thin leather. It appears to have been sewn with braided grass.
Anyone have any ideas?
Could this blade also be from the Phillipines?
 
I am learning slowly every day about the many programs this machine holds within itself. Some of them I will probably never use, but the opportunity to be able to is really nice.:)
 
yvsa

Your kris seems to be a post 1930 Tausug kalis seko (fully waved kris). The okir (engraving) work on the blade is very interesting.
Truly an interesting piece. cant tell from the pics if there seems to be any hint of pattern welding since the okir work is so extensive. A good etch would determine that, but then it may not be a good idea since it could be damaging to the okir work. It almost seems that it never had any asang-asang (clamps), which is strange. How is the feel to it?

As for your other sword it looks like a Masai seme. Erik farrow has a couple on his site Eriksedge. Actually he may be able to tell you more about it as since he is much more knowledgeable about African swords than I.
 
Yvsa one more question. What kind of wood is you kris handle made out of? Seems like it should be able to be restored, but a new ebony or mahagonny handle wouldnt be too bad if its completely a lost cause. After looking at the pic a little closer there does seem to be a hint that there was an asang-asang at one point, but strangely that means the okir went under it.
 
Yvsa,

I believe that the other weapon you've shown is a "Seme," the so called "lion sword" of the Maasai of Kenya/Tanzania. Cf. Spring, "African Arms & Armor."
 
Originally posted by Federico
yvsa

Your kris seems to be a post 1930 Tausug kalis seko (fully waved kris). The okir (engraving) work on the blade is very interesting.
Truly an interesting piece. cant tell from the pics if there seems to be any hint of pattern welding since the okir work is so extensive. A good etch would determine that, but then it may not be a good idea since it could be damaging to the okir work. It almost seems that it never had any asang-asang (clamps), which is strange. How is the feel to it?

As for your other sword it looks like a Masai seme. Erik farrow has a couple on his site Eriksedge. Actually he may be able to tell you more about it as since he is much more knowledgeable about African swords than I.
Click to expand...

Fedrico the blade is pattern welded as there is evidence shown in some places where the welds weren't absolutley perfect. There are 2 very notcible flaws in the wider part of the blade with some smaller imperfections a couple of places near the edge.
The okir work is quite deep and there is still a lot of black areas on the blade probaly from past etchings. I suspect the blade was entirely black at one time. The blade is all one piece without having the crosspiece of steel at the hilt like my keris do. It doesn't appear to have ever had one

The tang unlike those shown on your website is very, very short with a triangular shape the same thickness as the blade.
I was quite shocked at the tang's size when the handle finally loosened and came off in my hand.
I never swung the sword around until after I put the handle on with the hot glue. I used hot glue because I knew it was easily removable and wouldn't cause any harm to the blade or tang.
Even with the hot glue I have the handle secured with at the present time the handle feels very solid and at 1 pound 10 ounces the sword is light and lively in the hand.
The handle also appears to be of mohagany and is very roughly carved with the corners having small flat areas instead of being perfectly rounded off.
It does appear that there may have been at least one clamp on it on the short side as the edge of the blade looks as if it has had work done on it, slightly rounded over.
(Edit) I was hoping to get Ray aka Broken Arrow to make a new handle and put the ferrule and asang-asang on my Sundang someday. But I know how busy he is and like me is way behind on his projects.:)
I have always felt it should be restored to its original condition and a nice carved sheath would be very nice , just never felt like I could do one the justice it needed to be as nice as an original.
(End edit.)

I saw one of the Seme Masai Swords exactly like mine on Erik's website. The sheath has the same small loop in the same place as mine that I expect a thin belt was put through.
I have long suspected it might be from Africa as it resembles the sword shape of the Masai Spears.

Many thanks for the information. I can't remember what I gave for these but I think it was around $20.00 to $25.00 a piece about
1978-'79. There was another sword type artifact that Glenn had that was solid black with a very decorative type point with several radii and points on it. The blade wasn't sharp and looked very cheap so I didn't buy it for the price he was wanting for it, about the same as the ones I bought.

Many thanks for the help. One of these days I will find the pix of my Keris or I will scan them and post them.
I know that everyone here appreciates looking at any antique or odd sword or knife.
Then again I may try to get some better pix with our daughters digital camera.
I've became convinced the better the original pix the better it looks when posted.
The original pix look much better than they do when posted.
 
Hello Yvsa

The triangular tang is somewhat intriguing and seems similar to a sword I took apart a couple years back that my uncle gave me when I was last in PI. It wouldnt be too hard to build a new asang-asang and then restore and re-attach the handle. I recently re-built a ferrule for one of my barongs. Not quite finished since I dont have any polish on me to get a nice luster on it so Im just waiting till some arrives then Ill consider it done. Ill post some pics, but with planes all messed up I dunno when my order will arrive.

Ive used epoxy to re-attach Moro handles. Other collectors Ive known have done this too. The old resin that is used to attach these things isnt meant to come off. Though heating the blade will take it off pretty well. Actually works with most modern epoxies as well. Anyways while the resin does dissentigrate with age, generally it isnt too big a problem. Only a couple of pieces that Ive had were in a state in which they needed to be re-attached.

Anyways from the look of the pics of your kalis seko it seems that the handle should be salvagable. If youre interested I could do it for you. Depending on what you want done it wouldnt take too long.
 
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