I’ve just found some videos on warangan making and using

[David]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Let's say that it is not the way I do it, David.

The first warangan job I did was picked up from a book written by one of the old British colonials in Malaya, who had observed the process. Then I observed a man in Jogja then a number of people in Solo, then I was taught, hands on by Mpu Suparman.

The Malay method was completely different to the Javanese methods, all of which varies a little bit but are essentially the same.

Currently I use several different methods, but they are all similar.

I use warangan from Jawa when I can get stuff of decent quality, it can vary in quality a lot.

I prefer to use laboratory quality arsenic, I DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT anybody who has not been professionally trained in the handling of arsenic should consider using it.

Everybody I know uses freshly squeezed tahitian lime juice that has been strained.

Thanks Alan. I was trying to figure out from these videos what fermentation of the lime juice was supposed to do for the process. I had always read to use fresh lime juice.

[milandro]

this seems to be his latest video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgsr2MjC1UQ

[A. G. Maisey]

Entertaining.

I'll bet Harry Potter would be a real dab hand at this sort of thing.

[jagabuwana]

One of his steps is to add 100ml babon to "catalyse the reaction".
What is babon? Google isn't giving me any leads.

[milandro]

Originally Posted by jagabuwana

One of his steps is to add 100ml babon to "catalyse the reaction".
What is babon? Google isn't giving me any leads.

in the video says that Babon is aged (old?) warangan which no longer has active arsenic compounds


apparently it is possible to acquire it

https://www.bukalapak.com/p/hobi-kol...warangan-keris

[jagabuwana]

Ah I see, thanks Milandro.
This method seems very... elaborate.

[milandro]

It would be very nice that someone would make a video comparing the etching of a kris blad with the sulphur method to a warangan




I don’t have any personal experience with any method but these seem to be the only videos available in English which give any information on the process.

Since there are many questions about etching blades I thought of posting it here.

There are, probably, many ways to do this and I understand from the person whom etches my blades (not connected to the author of the video) that there are different formulations and that they are used for different metals too.

Most people's perspective would change if one may be able to compare this to more (or even less I suspect) orthodox videos in local languages

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8XHSy1JcM4&t=423s

this (without any words) seems to promote some particular product

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNyQCIeHxYM

this for example explains (apparently) how to overcome the problems from a faded warangan... unfortunately it is is incomprehensible to me