Antique Gunong

[h0ll0wman]

Sharing my very first antique gunong. The blade is restored. Maybe someone can identify the wood?

[Ian]

Hi H0ll0wman:


Very nice gunong. It's unusual to see so much lamination in a gunong blade, probably because they are seldom etched. The wood is high quality banati (bunti) with good grain definition. It's used a lot on barung and kris hilts also. The wood has a fine grain that carves and polishes well. A notable feature of polished banati is that it usually shows chatoyance or a "cat's eye" effect. I believe I can see evidence of that in your pictures.

[David]

A beautiful gunong. Congratulations on you acquisition. I would agree with Ian's comments and would add that the fittings look silver and this piece would really snap if you polished it up. Silver fittings are meant to be seen clean and polished.

[h0ll0wman]

Hi H0ll0wman:


Very nice gunong. It's unusual to see so much lamination in a gunong blade, probably because they are seldom etched. The wood is high quality banati (bunti) with good grain definition. It's used a lot on barung and kris hilts also. The wood has a fine grain that carves and polishes well. A notable feature of polished banati is that it usually shows chatoyance or a "cat's eye" effect. I believe I can see evidence of that in your pictures.

Thank you Ian!

[h0ll0wman]

A beautiful gunong. Congratulations on you acquisition. I would agree with Ian's comments and would add that the fittings look silver and this piece would really snap if you polished it up. Silver fittings are meant to be seen clean and polished.

Thank you! I will work in polishing it

[Sajen]

Very nice gunong indeed! :) Like David I think that it would benefit from a silver polish. ;) how long is it?

Regards,
Detlef

[h0ll0wman]

Very nice gunong indeed! :) Like David I think that it would benefit from a silver polish. ;) how long is it?

Regards,
Detlef

The blade without the hilt is 8.5 inches. Thank you man. Ok here it is guys. This is my best attempt in polishing the silver fittings.

[mariusgmioc]

Wow! 🤩🤩🤩

[h0ll0wman]

I noticed when I acquired this gunong the fittings on the scabbard were color yellow/gold. When I polished it, it is now color silver. I am not sure if this is the original color or I erased the gold/yellow plating when I polished it.

[h0ll0wman]

Correction. Blade length is 7 inches without the hilt.

[David]

I noticed when I acquired this gunong the fittings on the scabbard were color yellow/gold. When I polished it, it is now color silver. I am not sure if this is the original color or I erased the gold/yellow plating when I polished it.
Well, i see some yellowing in you first photos, but i looks more like dirt and possible old varnish, not gold wash or plating. I think it looks 100% better now. I assume you did the same for the fittings on the sheath?

[h0ll0wman]

Well, i see some yellowing in you first photos, but i looks more like dirt and possible old varnish, not gold wash or plating. I think it looks 100% better now. I assume you did the same for the fittings on the sheath?

yes David. I polished the fittings on the sheath as well. Here are the photos. The stand of the gunong is recycled from a modern punyal and fortunately it fits perfectly.

[Ian]

I noticed when I acquired this gunong the fittings on the scabbard were color yellow/gold. When I polished it, it is now color silver. I am not sure if this is the original color or I erased the gold/yellow plating when I polished it.Several possibilities. Sometimes the silver is a silver wash over a copper alloy (brass). The yellowing comes through when the silver is dull (i.e., oxidized)--after polishing, the bright silver reflection obscures the underlying yellow of the brass. Sometimes the silver is alloyed with copper which can also give a yellow hue when the silver is dull. Again, polishing (removing the silver oxide) enhances the light reflection from the silver and obscures the alloyed color. Protective coatings, like varnish, are more obvious causes and can be removed easily with solvents. White brass (German silver) is another white metal that can have a yellowish hue.

I would say that your example likely has a copper-silver alloy, such as coin silver (silver 90%, copper 10%), which was fairly common on gunong.

[h0ll0wman]

Several possibilities. Sometimes the silver is a silver wash over a copper alloy (brass). The yellowing comes through when the silver is dull (i.e., oxidized)--after polishing, the bright silver reflection obscures the underlying yellow of the brass. Sometimes the silver is alloyed with copper which can also give a yellow hue when the silver is dull. Again, polishing (removing the silver oxide) enhances the light reflection from the silver and obscures the alloyed color. Protective coatings, like varnish, are more obvious causes and can be removed easily with solvents. White brass (German silver) is another white metal that can have a yellowish hue.

I would say that your example likely has a copper-silver alloy, such as coin silver (silver 90%, copper 10%), which was fairly common on gunong.

Wow this is very informative. Thank you Ian!

[Sajen]

Correction. Blade length is 7 inches without the hilt.

From your pictures I've thought that it's bigger!

Really nice gunong you have here, early 20th century would be my age guess.
Now the silver looks how it should do! ;)

Regards,
Detlef

[David]

yes David. I polished the fittings on the sheath as well. Here are the photos. The stand of the gunong is recycled from a modern punyal and fortunately it fits perfectly.
There you go. Looks nicer now, yes? :)

[h0ll0wman]

From your pictures I've thought that it's bigger!

Really nice gunong you have here, early 20th century would be my age guess.
Now the silver looks how it should do! ;)

Regards,
Detlef

Thank you man. It took me a while to polish it.

[h0ll0wman]

There you go. Looks nicer now, yes? :)

Yes! haha. Good advice. Thank you. She is more beautiful now. :)

[Sajen]

Thank you man. It took me a while to polish it.

I know! :) :D

And be careful, they are addicting, see here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=19082&highlight=gunong

Regards,
Detlef

[Ferguson]

You have a fine gunong. The banati wood is as nice as I have seen. The laminations in the blade are unusually “active “. It is 100 times better than my first gunong. Congratulations!

Steve

[Rafngard]

And be careful, they are addicting


Yes, very addicting.

Have fun,
Leif