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Nice Blue! I kind of dig the fullers with holes idea in this type of blade. I mean with the way they start off looking like they are starting to disintegrate within hours of being made, it just adds to the unique look of them. I hope the coconut water gives you the effect you want. What are you using for the grip ect? the "brown" one off the other keris? or did this one come with it's own Koshirae, whatever they call that in these style knives :D
 
the periodic washing ritual, soaking in coconut water and rubbing with lime juice to remove any rust and the old arsenic blackening, then re-soaking/etching in the lime juice/arsenic mixture to blacken the softer iron, highlighting the nickel rich areas does remove metal and eventually roughen & weaken the blade and over a long time, eat holes in the blades, especially the thinner areas of the fullers. this is accepted as part of the mistique and reverence for the older magic blades. in essence 'holey is holy'.

more info on keris: The keris <- linky

youy can eventually find the page on theat site with all the blade patterns (pamor) but this is a direct link: Pamor & patterns
near the bottom of the page are small sketches you can click to go to lusts & pictures of even more patterns in the group. these patterns are the hearts ofthe keris and determine their magical qualities.
some are beneficial, some evil. indonesians can spend a lifetime arguing about the details of the pamors and blade details and which one a particular blade has.

keris parts:
wrangka_med.jpeg


parts of the blade:
Ricikan+keris.jpg
 
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Thanks! I was planning to use the hilt off a crappy tourist keris I have, but the tang on this one is twice as long as my other kerises. I think I'll drill out the tourist hilt so it'll fit but keep my eye on eBay for an appropriate nice older hilt.

I have a lot of work to do on the scabbard. It's very worn. I tried cleaning it off wood polish but it still looks like crap. I think I'm gonna have to take some 2000 grit paper to it
 
kronckew said:
the periodic washing ritual, soaking in coconut water and rubbing with lime juice to remove any rust and the old arsenic blackening, then re-soaking/etching in the lime juice/arsenic mixture to blacken the softer iron, highlighting the nickel rich areas does remove metal and eventually roughen & weaken the blade and over a long time, eat holes in the blades, especially the thinner areas of the fullers. this is accepted as part of the mistique and reverence for the older magic blades. in essence 'holey is holy'.

more info on keris: The keris <- linky

youy can eventually find the page on theat site with all the blade patterns (pamor) but this is a direct link: Pamor & patterns
near the bottom of the page are small sketches you can click to go to lusts & pictures of even more patterns in the group. these patterns are the hearts ofthe keris and determine their magical qualities.
some are beneficial, some evil. indonesians can spend a lifetime arguing about the details of the pamors and blade details and which one a particular blade has.

keris parts:
wrangka_med.jpeg


parts of the blade:
Ricikan+keris.jpg
Click to expand...
I'm impressed by how each little tooth has a name.
So far these blades looked just random to me and I assumed it was more or less about how the bladesmith felt that particular day.
 
Every tiny nook and cranny of these things has some deep spiritual significance to the Javanese. Most have several layers of significance actually since Javanese culture has layers of animist, Hindu, Buddhist, and Islam.

Just yesterday I was reading an article about the Ron Dha, which is just a couple of the "teeth". From the Islamic pov they're supposed to resemble the Arabic character for Allah. From the Hindu/Buddhist pov they're supposed to resemble "Om" in the Javanese script.

The ganja, the bit I need to replace, some say is a seal to keep the "spirit" in the blade. Others say it represents the Yoni with the blade representing a lingam, which is some pillar of fire having to do with Shiva. Or it might represent Mt Meru, the Mt Olympus or Hinduism , or maybe a naga.

http://www.kerisattosanaji.com/INTERPRETATIONPAGE5.html
 
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Cool linky Kronck. :thumbup:

Any of you guys etch blades using the crystalline ferric chloride? If so what mix ratio?
 
I've never etched with fecl crystals, but my experience with fecl is that if you use it at too high a concentration it turns your blade orangeish. No permanent damage, just sand it off and etch again with more dilution.

Kerises have to be etched with a mixture of arsenic and lime juice
 
You boys are talking skeery chemical stuff again. Hold me mommy, I'm skeered.
 
Steve Tall said:
That interpretation page didn't come right out and say it, but the lingam is a phallic object and the yoni is the, ahem, female counterpart.
Click to expand...

Whoooohooo!!! Little Keris's

Blue: When you put it under your pillow the first night you got it did ya hear any hanky panky? I see you kept it so dreams musta been good:D

Arsenic:eek: I can see the guy at the chemical store now. " You use that to clean your WHAT!!!"
 
I dreamt of the Eraserhead baby, so I don't know what to make of that. For the arsenic you have to buy this mineral from China and soak it in water with steel wool to extract the arsenic from the mineral.

According to Wikipedia the idea that the lingam was phallic was a myth propagated by the British to make the shiva worshippers look like perverts. But who knows.
 
Apologies, I meant to say preverts

Supposedly back in ye olden days, a smith would shape the hot metal into a keris with his bare hands and temper the steel with his tongue. The most famous keris smith, though, was a woman and I'll leave it to your imagination how she supposedly tempered her blades.
 
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latest acquisition: ebay win tonite: comeing to me from the USA - will take a couple of weeks or so.

dutch indonesian european style hunting hanger/klewang, 1906, horn grip, silver and brass fittings, engraved and chiselled decoration in fullers both sides, wood scabbard, lacquered to look like leather. 28 in.blade. 34.5 in overall.

looks like a few age spots on the blade. i have a few myself, tho mine won't polish off ;)

hunting klewang june 2015 04.jpg

IndoDutch8.jpg

hunting klewang june 2015 11.jpg
 
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Very cool! Grats Kronck! Kinda has a bit of Yatagan shape to the blade except for the clip point. :thumbup:
 
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