A very short Pedang Lurus

[Rafngard]

Hello All,

I recently picked up this pedang Lurus, and I'm happy to have done so, but I'm struck by how short the blade is relative to the scabbard. Is this a sign of age (i.e. the blade has worn down over time?) or was the blade originally this small? If so, is the scabbard as long as it it for status reasons? The blade looks a bit like what I've seen called a "keris Pedang/ligan." Maybe it started life that way?

As a side note, when I was trying to polish up the silver on the scabbard, a jewelers cloth that's formulated specifically for silver, it didn't do much. A more generic one worked wonders though. I've read that the older ones of these tend to have lower quality silver, but I'm not sure that can be told from how well a jewelers cloth works on it.

Any thoughts on the length, age, etc?

Thanks,
Leif

[Sajen]

Hi Leif,
nice and interesting pedang lurus. My own example has the same size when sheated but with longer blade. Yours is better in quality by the silver fittings but my blade is now in better condition, I get it once in very sad condition.
I think that the blade from your one is maybe shortened but who knows, I've seen much shorter pedang lurus like your one.
Can't say something about the silver content of the alloy, my one darken fast after a cleaning.

Regards,
Detlef

[CharlesS]

I agree with Detlef in that I think the blade was once shortened. The spine's angle seems at the wrong place as it is...too close to the middle of the blade. Typically when I see a scabbard much longer than the blade I either assume that the blade was shortened at some point in its life, or the two were not "born together".

Still, a very nice example!

[kai]

Hello Leif,

I don't think this blade has been shortened noticeably: the base looks ok and either a longer base or a longer tip would preclude putting the blade into any traditional scabbard.

As Detlef mentioned, these come in many different shapes and sizes; especially the smaller blades can vary quite a bit! Usually the scabbards approximate blade length though.

Any hints that the silver of the hilt is different from that of the scabbard and cross-piece? If so, it may have got refitted at some point to make it look like a pedang tusuk of regular size. Of course, this might have been the intention from the very start as well...

Regards,
Kai

[Rafngard]

[QUOTE=Sajen]Yours is better in quality by the silver fittings but my blade is now in better condition, I get it once in very sad condition./QUOTE]

Hello Detlef

When I got it, the blade had more rust on it. What we see is cleaned up a bit.

Even still, I kind of want to give it a brief lime juice bath.

Thanks,
Leif!

[Rafngard]

Any hints that the silver of the hilt is different from that of the scabbard and cross-piece?

Hello Kai,

The hilt goes seem to be constructed differently from the sheath. I'm not sure about the crossguard, but it is a bit loose.

Thanks,
Leif

[satsujinken]

I disagree as this type got somewhat downward tip, this one is commonly called pedang suduk maru "maru-stabbing-sword"

I owned several specimen of this sword. Basic characteristic is the half-front sharp upper part. Pedang lurus is another type with straight blade and sharp on both side down to the very bottom (I also owned a specimen of this type), so much that European mistakenly called this type of sword as Javanese epee

this type of sword (suduk maru) got a very long history, as it was evolved from longer and broader form of ancient Hindu sword - I will post some pics of it in near future

regards
Donny