twist core kris for comment

[Pinoy Blade Hunter]

Hello,

i now have my very own twist core kris! hurray! hahaha

I saw it sitting in a antiques shop, all rusty, what interested me was the carving near the gangya (i dont know what it's called). it is deep, clear and precise. it also has some battle scars on the edges, like it has been to war edge to edge combat.

the handle is coming off, the scabbard does not fit. i think the ferule is silver.

can you guys please tell me more about this blade?

i tried to clean in with: wd40, then sanded 1000, then soaked quickly in vinegar to check if it was indeed twist core. and i was pleasantly surprised that it was!

i am cleaning it now, soaking in vinegar, then wipe with wd40 then sand 800,1000. there are lots more to be done, i know.

[mariusgmioc]

Beautiful blade, although I guess it is quite recent. :)

[Spunjer]

wow, congrats! those are the best, the ones that gets you by surprise.
on the contrary, mariusgmioc, this piece looks old

[Gustav]

And a rare one too, with four twisted bars.

[Pinoy Blade Hunter]

after some more sanding _800-1000-1200-1500-1500, vinegar soak for 1 hour

[F. de Luzon]

That's a wonderful blade, PBH. Congrats!

Fernando

[Pinoy Blade Hunter]

thanks everyone! i am really happy with this find. :)

do you have any idea which year or century this might have been made? or is the hilt and scabbard just as important in telling the blades origins?

what can you say about the blade alone?

thanks in advance!

[Ferguson]

What a stunning blade. Congratulations!
Steve

[CharlesS]

What a great find. Congrats! I believe it is at the latest early 19th century, but likely much older. Super piece!

[Ian]

That's an excellent find and an old style (as Charles has noted). It needs an appropriate hilt and asang asang--perhaps Battara can help you with that. ;)

Ian.

[Sajen]

Agree with the previous comments, great find! Congrats! :) 19th century for sure. ;) When you restore it or let restore it please keep us updated.

Regards,
Detlef

[kai]

Congrats, PBH! The pamor looks very nice, indeed.

Please add the specs for this kalis: length, width, max. thickness, weight of the blade. A close-up of the right side of the base would be great, too!

I agree that the hilt is a late replacement - this blade definitely deserves a better one! How many notches does the ferrule show?

The scabbard seems to be bound with fishing line? Open it up and check if you can (and need to) adjust the inside to this blade. If it doesn't fit at all, keep it for another kris...

The left side seems to have been heavily abraded at the base (probably by a stupid former owner). Am I correct that the central ridge is flattened and noticeably lower than the neighbouring gangya? I'd be inclined trying to restore the original lines as much as feasible (which would need a skilled metalworker with a feel for the traditional flow of lines).

Regards,
Kai

[Battara]

I would place this at late 1700s to very early 1800s (as Charles noted).

Also I would place the blade from the Sulu region.

What a catch! Congratulations! I agree with all that the hilt is much later and it had silver clamps on it.

[Pinoy Blade Hunter]

here are a few more pictures and measurement.

the blade is 19 inches long, weighs about a pound ( i dont have an appropriate weighing scale, i weighed it versus 1.5 pounds dumbel)

the thickest part of the blade is 1/2 inch, tapering to 1/16th

the lines running along the blade are getting faint, yeah maybe rough sanding from previous owners.

the middle part of the blade (along the length) is not deeper but thicker.

the ferule shows 1 notch

[Dayaktribe]

nice twistcore blade brother!

[ACP]

This is a very interesting blade you have acquired. Hopefully more information can be gleaned from our panel of experts. Thumbs up for your new sword

[kino]

PBR, have you found a hilt for this very fine blade?

[Bill M]

Excellent blade! Very happy for you.

[Pinoy Blade Hunter]

thanks everyone.

i have not yet found a handle for this one.

[Pinoy Blade Hunter]

i decided to have a new hilt and scabbard made for this old sword.
it was made by a tausug blacksmith artisan in zamboanga.

comparing it to my other kris with original hilt, the newer hilt is on the chunky side hahaha. but the okkir is still there, and the string binding was still traditionally done.

not blingy, not a restoration, but modern furniture on an old blade.

more pics and the whole story on my blog:
https://www.facebook.com/pinoybladehunter/posts/2158928471077002

[Battara]

Nice work! Still needs an asana-asang silver clamp.