Bali Keris Info & Advice Requested

A. G. Maisey · 31st March 2024, 09:53 PM

Rob, my concern with a heat gun is mostly because of the possibility of damage to a hilt or uwer, this keris does not have a hilt that needs to be preserved if it is removed. There is no possibility of affecting any heat treatment that the blade may have been subjected to, because the lower part of the blade will not have been hardened.

Removal of the hilt would only be necessary if the blade was to be stained, staining of the blade would only be necessary if the keris were to be redressed in Balinese dress.

If I use a two part epoxy adhesive I use Araldite, usually 5 minute, this has a service temperature to 100C, it will lose adhesion at 100C, there is a high temperature type that has service temp. to 400C, I believe it would be unusual to encounter this, but even so, 400C would still be OK to release with heat.

Equally, the paint has no place at all on the blade, sure, in can be hypothesized that a previous owner thought he was doing something in tune with Balinese mores, but he was wrong. If the decision is to restore, the paint must go.

If you're comfortable in using a heat gun, then use it. I have demounted more hilts than I can remember, certainly well into the hundreds, maybe more, keris & other blades. I've used candles, kerosene lamps, propane torches, & yes, heat guns, but it all comes down to one thing:- get heat up into the tang so that the adhesive lets go, there no great degree of skill required, but a strong wrist & a bench vice can help.

I see the whole matter very simply, as in an earlier post:-

If a curio collector, then leave as is, if a keris collector, redress as Bali.

31st March 2024, 09:53 PM	#11
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,729	Rob, my concern with a heat gun is mostly because of the possibility of damage to a hilt or uwer, this keris does not have a hilt that needs to be preserved if it is removed. There is no possibility of affecting any heat treatment that the blade may have been subjected to, because the lower part of the blade will not have been hardened. Removal of the hilt would only be necessary if the blade was to be stained, staining of the blade would only be necessary if the keris were to be redressed in Balinese dress. If I use a two part epoxy adhesive I use Araldite, usually 5 minute, this has a service temperature to 100C, it will lose adhesion at 100C, there is a high temperature type that has service temp. to 400C, I believe it would be unusual to encounter this, but even so, 400C would still be OK to release with heat. Equally, the paint has no place at all on the blade, sure, in can be hypothesized that a previous owner thought he was doing something in tune with Balinese mores, but he was wrong. If the decision is to restore, the paint must go. If you're comfortable in using a heat gun, then use it. I have demounted more hilts than I can remember, certainly well into the hundreds, maybe more, keris & other blades. I've used candles, kerosene lamps, propane torches, & yes, heat guns, but it all comes down to one thing:- get heat up into the tang so that the adhesive lets go, there no great degree of skill required, but a strong wrist & a bench vice can help. I see the whole matter very simply, as in an earlier post:- If a curio collector, then leave as is, if a keris collector, redress as Bali.