keris, siraui or somethingg else?

[rumpel9]

Hello everyone. I recently acquired this item. As far as I can tell, it originates from South Sumatra. However, I'm not entirely sure what its specific name is. I'm inclined to think it's a keris, as it has a pendokok and a Putri Malu handle. I might be wrong. What do you think?

[Sajen]

Hello Rumpel,

It's not a keris, it's in Palembang style, I would say that it belongs to the kerambit family. If we could call the handle as an effigy of Putra Malu is a little bit diputable. With a little bit of TLC your dagger will look much better. Interesting little dagger!

Regards,
Detlef

[rumpel9]

Detlef, Thank you.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by rumpel9

Detlef, Thank you.

You're welcome! The wooden parts I would polish with a good oil, linseed, almond or walnut oil for example, the pendokok I would polish up and the blade as well, it would look much better. The handle I would turn by 45 degrees to the front.
When you ever want to part with it, just let me know!

Regards,
Detlef

[David]

I agree. It certainly is not a keris, even though it does have a keris hilt. The hilt may be a replacement, though i don't know what the orginal may have looked like. Nor is it a siraui, which does curve similar to this, but is a single sided blade. Detlef may be correct to place this in the kerambit family.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by David

Nor is it a siraui, which does curve similar to this, but is a single sided blade.

Here is my siraui for comparison. David is correct, a siraui is always single edged.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by rumpel9

Hello everyone. I recently acquired this item. As far as I can tell, it originates from South Sumatra. However, I'm not entirely sure what its specific name is. I'm inclined to think it's a keris, as it has a pendokok and a Putri Malu handle. I might be wrong. What do you think?

Can you add dimensions?

[A. G. Maisey]

Detlef, I have no opinion in respect of who might have put it together, none at all, for the simple reason that i have absolutely nothing upon which to base that opinion. To form an opinion, I need evidence, I have none.

However, I do have a picture, & that picture tells me that I'm looking at something that has three or four parts that I have never previously seen combined in a single item.

The blade can be recognised & named, the hilt can be recognised & named, the scabbard appears to have some age and could well have been made for the blade, but can all these parts , assembled as one, be named? To give a name we need a whole group of similar objects that do have a name & a supportable geographic location of origin.

We do not have this.

Then there is the problem of how this implement could be used.

I doubt I would want to use it for anything unless I was wearing a metal mesh glove.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Detlef, I have no opinion in respect of who might have put it together, none at all, for the simple reason that i have absolutely nothing upon which to base that opinion. To form an opinion, I need evidence, I have none.

However, I do have a picture, & that picture tells me that I'm looking at something that has three or four parts that I have never previously seen combined in a single item.

The blade can be recognised & named, the hilt can be recognised & named, the scabbard appears to have some age and could well have been made for the blade, but can all these parts , assembled as one, be named? To give a name we need a whole group of similar objects that do have a name & a supportable geographic location of origin.

We do not have this.

Then there is the problem of how this implement could be used.

I doubt I would want to use it for anything unless I was wearing a metal mesh glove.

Hello Alan,

There we are again by the name game! I haven't given it a name, I just wrote that I would place it to the kerambit family, you said with other words the same. It's just my feeling that someone in the Palembang area has created a personal dagger for self defense. It's a unique piece for sure, like you I never have seen a similar piece before! How it can be used is difficult to say without handling it in person. And I wouldn't mind to add it to my collection!

Regards,
Detlef

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, all true.

Except for who might have put it together, & I'm not prepared to speculate on that, simply to ask for one speck of genuine evidence that might be able to support some opinion or another.

Maybe demount the hilt & see what is holding it in place.

If it had a different hilt on it I might be a bit more inclined to be persuaded, but I've simply seen too many of these marriages over the years to want to play guessing games.

[rumpel9]

The item itself is quite small. The dimensions are: Overall length 197 mm; Blade length 125 mm; Blade width 17 mm; Blade thickness 3 mm.