Resin, traditional recipies

[spiral]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

Many Indian and other Asian weapons have the tang set in a grainy plaster/cement like compound. In trying to repair a choora hilt I found the tang held with this substance which hand become very crumbly.

This substance is like a fine lime mortar. Lime mortar in ancient.

Yes Ive seen that same stuff & I remember reading in an old book years ago that in Afghanistan & NWF a mix based on Borax was often used to hold on sword hilts.

The Laha I saw used used in Dharan Nepal in 2005 was boiled tree resins,saps & tars mixed with hard powderd or ground substances like stone, bone & buffalo horn dust etc. untill it is of the right quality & consitancy.

Occasionaly its dark brown mostly its black. I expect many different handy ingriediants have been chucked into it over the years.

spiral