Black stain spreading on keris during vinegar cleaning

[David]

Originally Posted by jagabuwana

Yes I have attempted a stain using salt, rice water (i.e. the water that becomes cloudy after you rinse and soak rice in it) and sulphur, based off some info in previous posts on this forum.

Brushed it into a blade, covered it in cling/saran wrap. In a day it turned as black as squid ink. I freaked out after a bout a day or two thinking it would damage the blade, but it looked promising. I think had I left it, it would have done a better job.

Any photos of this Jaga?

[jagabuwana]

Originally Posted by David

Any photos of this Jaga?

Here you go.

It's since been cleaned down to a bare white blade because I wasn't happy with it. But it was a promising result.

When I try it again I'll leave it for longer.

Recipe:

Rice water - I soaked 1 part jasmine rice in 2 parts water, and agitated it so that it became cloudy. I ended up with around half a cup.

Salt - I used regular cooking salt. Don't remember how much. Maybe half a teaspoon.

Sulphur - In the form of yellow powder off ebay. I think I used 2 teaspoons.

[Jean]

My own appreciation: Quite good cleaning results, some faint traces of rust visible on the sorsoran and ganja, about equivalent of what I get with vinegar but with slightly better pamor contrast.

[jagabuwana]

Originally Posted by Jean

My own appreciation: Quite good cleaning results, some faint traces of rust visible on the sorsoran and ganja, about equivalent of what I get with vinegar but with slightly better pamor contrast.

For me, it didn't go nearly as dark just using vinegar. Though if I could retain the slight contrasts that vinegar gives the blade, I would. I quite like it.

[A. G. Maisey]

I reckon that for the type of material it is, it is a pretty good job.

Long time since I used the rice water method, but I'm pretty certain that my rice water was produced by boiling rice in too much water, then draining the water off. Also, I left the blade in the slurry of sulphur + salt + rice water for (I think) about a week, it was wrapped in plastic, the original recipe called for wrapping in a palm leaf.

The sulphur would have been bought in a hardware or garden supplier, the salt would have been from the kitchen.

This was the result.

Incidentally, this blade was stained more than 60 years ago, it has been maintained by infrequent oiling during that time, and for the last +/- 50 years by oiling + a plastic sleeve.

[jagabuwana]

That looks like a nice result. In the absence of warangan I'd be happy with it.

Just to clarify Alan, did it have any of the warangan stain on it prior to doing the rice water + sulphur + salt method?

I think I'll give this another go soon. All of a sudden got a lot more time on my hands with this pandemic lockdown situation. Hope everyone stays healthy and safe

[A. G. Maisey]

I really don't remember Jaga.

I think I was only about 17 or 18 when I did this, it was the first keris I ever stained, I did not know any other way at that time. I remember broadly what I did, but no detail.