First Keris for me

kai · 24th February 2010, 12:07 AM

Quote:

I found the date of 1848 on the hilt

Isn't that 1948?

Looks like good quality carving though.

David · 24th February 2010, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kai

Isn't that 1948? Looks like good quality carving though.

It is hard to tell given the angle that the photo was taken, however, i don't believe that the date (if it is a date) can be taken as an actual date of creation in any case.
It is both an unusual and nice carving though.

schmoozer · 24th February 2010, 12:16 AM

1848, new picture.

OK, so I get it off and take the picture.
How do I reattach it?
Probably won't get to this until the wekend...

A. G. Maisey · 24th February 2010, 12:27 AM

Very often a hilt is simply a pressure fitting, where the tang is wound with thread, however, sometimes an old hilt can be difficult to remove for one reason or another, so I suggest that if the hilt will not turn off fairly easily, that you don't force it at this stage, just provide a couple of pics where we can see the shape of the gonjo on either side of the hilt. That should be sufficient.

The re-stain process can be a bit difficult, and to do it properly, you need a pretty high committment as well as access to arsenic, however, you may find that if you remove the hilt, give the blade a thorough wash with a toothbrush, hot water and detergent , then soak in ordinary household vinegar for a day or so, that you will be able to see the pamor clearly. It won't be as good as a proper restain, but it could well serve the purpose for you. Make sure to kill the vinegar by painting on a slurry of bicarbonate of soda, rinsing thoroughly and drying thoroughly, then drench with WD40 when you're finished.

Marcokeris · 24th February 2010, 12:53 AM

A very nice well made rather old and unusual handle. Without doubts a very good carver

schmoozer · 24th February 2010, 12:55 AM

got it off, some old wrapping around the tang.
Once I got it off I noticed there is a definite offset in the axis of the tang and the blade. I read that the blade was supposed to point slightly downward when held level? If that is so, I think maybe my hilt was on 180-degrees off?

That level of cleaning I am up to...

A. G. Maisey · 24th February 2010, 01:48 AM

Thanks schmoozer.

We really need to look straight down onto the top of the gonjo, because the angled shots do not always give a correct impression of the outline or the proportion.

We need to see the shape of the thick end of the gonjo (the sirah cecak), but we also need to see the outline of the top of the gonjo between the tang and thin end of the gonjo.This is important, because if there is even the slightest inward curve in the line of the gonjo here, it is not Tuban.

Can you confirm that the line along the sides of the top of the gonjo, between the mid-point of the tang, and the thin end of the gonjo does not have any curve in it?

schmoozer · 24th February 2010, 02:15 AM

new view

David · 24th February 2010, 03:43 AM

Anyone care to take a shot at what that silver material on both sides of the top of the gonjo might be? Remnants of some sort of silver "kinatah".

24th February 2010, 12:16 AM	#3
schmoozer Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Seattle, Wa. USA Posts: 12	1848, new picture. OK, so I get it off and take the picture. How do I reattach it? Probably won't get to this until the wekend... Attached Images

24th February 2010, 12:55 AM	#6
schmoozer Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Seattle, Wa. USA Posts: 12	Success got it off, some old wrapping around the tang. Once I got it off I noticed there is a definite offset in the axis of the tang and the blade. I read that the blade was supposed to point slightly downward when held level? If that is so, I think maybe my hilt was on 180-degrees off? That level of cleaning I am up to... Attached Images

24th February 2010, 02:15 AM	#8
schmoozer Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Seattle, Wa. USA Posts: 12	new view Attached Images

24th February 2010, 12:27 AM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,048	Very often a hilt is simply a pressure fitting, where the tang is wound with thread, however, sometimes an old hilt can be difficult to remove for one reason or another, so I suggest that if the hilt will not turn off fairly easily, that you don't force it at this stage, just provide a couple of pics where we can see the shape of the gonjo on either side of the hilt. That should be sufficient. The re-stain process can be a bit difficult, and to do it properly, you need a pretty high committment as well as access to arsenic, however, you may find that if you remove the hilt, give the blade a thorough wash with a toothbrush, hot water and detergent , then soak in ordinary household vinegar for a day or so, that you will be able to see the pamor clearly. It won't be as good as a proper restain, but it could well serve the purpose for you. Make sure to kill the vinegar by painting on a slurry of bicarbonate of soda, rinsing thoroughly and drying thoroughly, then drench with WD40 when you're finished.

24th February 2010, 12:53 AM	#5
Marcokeris Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Italy Posts: 928	A very nice well made rather old and unusual handle. Without doubts a very good carver

24th February 2010, 01:48 AM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,048	Thanks schmoozer. We really need to look straight down onto the top of the gonjo, because the angled shots do not always give a correct impression of the outline or the proportion. We need to see the shape of the thick end of the gonjo (the sirah cecak), but we also need to see the outline of the top of the gonjo between the tang and thin end of the gonjo.This is important, because if there is even the slightest inward curve in the line of the gonjo here, it is not Tuban. Can you confirm that the line along the sides of the top of the gonjo, between the mid-point of the tang, and the thin end of the gonjo does not have any curve in it?

24th February 2010, 03:43 AM	#9
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,229	Anyone care to take a shot at what that silver material on both sides of the top of the gonjo might be? Remnants of some sort of silver "kinatah".