Bugis Sheath Info Requested

[RobT]

David,
There is no question that the sheath is not original to the blade and In my previous post I had mentioned the possibility that the hilt and selut weren’t either. Of course, you are far more knowledgeable about keris than I am but it’s funny how different people see things. To me, the hilt and selut look a tad too large for the blade but just right for the sheath. That’s not to say that the hilt wouldn’t still look good in the sheath if it were a bit larger but, as it stands, it’s a pretty whacking big chunk of ivory already.

A. G. Maisey,
I am following your recommendations exactly. As I mentioned in my last post, I have already widened the sheath throat (at best 1/64” on each side) so the blade seats fully without wobbling and aring side fits well. It took at most 30 minutes work making flight passes with a fine cut riffler and checking the blade for fit between strokes.
I have cut the wooden plug for the dagu side and it fits well. Now comes the really hairy part, matching the color of the plug to the sheath. This will probably take about a week as I test various agents on pieces of scrap wood and wait for them to dry fully.
The buntut has been covered with a rather opaque stain. I have examined the chip with a magnifying glass and it appears for all the world to be some sort of poplar. The bottom of the buntut (where the stain is less opaque) shows a figure like poplar also. Ideally, I would like to fit a wood piece to fill the chip but that looks like it might be tough to do. I’ll give it a shot but, if I fail, plastic wood will work.

Sincerely,
RobT