WHICH SUNDANG?

[kai]

Hello Pak Ganja,

It's certainly a keris sundang - I'm not convinced that it's antique though. My first thought was that this may have come from a pande Jawa, or probably be a Madurese creation.

The blade is not Moro (laminations and scroll work are off). Any pic of the blade tip?

From cleaning blades experience -- with coconut's husk, and then "mutih" (whiten) the blade with lime-juice and cream-soap or whatever -- you may learn too to differ which blade is newly made and which is old...

Has the blade been hardened? Could it have been forged from old steel?

AFAIK sundang blades were kept smooth (like keris Bali) in all ethnic groups with a keris sundang tradition. Possibly Rasdan was referring to the obviously Javanese surface treatment?

I don't even bother the type of warangka and the hilt, because it could be changed at anytime.

I'm fairly sure the scabbard is a replacement done on Java/Madura. Can you narrow down it's age from craftmanship and material?

Regards,
Kai