Moro kris , to clean or not to clean ?

[tom22]

I recently acquired this moro kris , I'm not sure what region it's from etc , but there is quite alot of rust , I have taken the light surface rust off with some steel wool ,but im wondering should I go further with cleaning ,or is it stripping it of its age and use ?

[Battara]

Looks like a nice3 1920s Magunindanao kris. I would clean the silver - silver was meant to shine.

Also, if you cleaned the blade, re-etch it to have the laminations come out.

[Ian]

Tom, I agree with Battara. The silver should be cleaned, as well as the white metal on the scabbard (hard to say whether this is silver, probably not--could be nickel, white brass, or tin). The blade justifies a thorough cleaning and etching as there is already a nice pattern visible.

Nice kris. As Battara noted, an early 20th C example.

[Rick]

Interesting metal tab that is attached to the ferrule ring and laying on top of the gonjo .

Suppose it ever had a baca-baca stirrup once?
Sure looks like it did.

[tom22]

Interesting metal tab that is attached to the ferrule ring and laying on top of the gonjo .

Suppose it ever had a baca-baca stirrup once?
Sure looks like it did.
Yes I wondered about this tab ,was it originally there to hold a stirrup in place , Also thanks for everyone's advice in cleaning the sword , I will do the best I can but looks like it will take alot of work , thanks

[Sajen]

Agreed with the others, clean it and try to give it a new baca-baca. ;)

I would oil and clean the wooden parts with oil (linseed, olive..) and polish the metal parts. I also would clean the blade further and like suggested by Jose and Ian etch it.

Regards,
Detlef

[tom22]

Well I've given it a good clean , the silver came up well and the scabbard, but the blade needs more work than I thought , I havnt etched the blade yet because i think it needs to be cleaner to see any pattern , I'm not sure whether to carry on with it as it will take so much work to sand it down , I wouldn't use a machine sander as I know they can distort the shape of the blade ?

[Interested Party]

Agreed with the others, clean it and try to give it a new baca-baca. ;)

I would oil and clean the wooden parts with oil (linseed, olive..) and polish the metal parts. I also would clean the blade further and like suggested by Jose and Ian etch it.

Regards,
Detlef

For really dry wood I've been experimenting with lots of almond oil. The wood just soaks it up because of its extremely low viscosity. Then after a few days to a week I add the coats of linseed oil.

[Sajen]

For really dry wood I've been experimenting with lots of almond oil. The wood just soaks it up because of its extremely low viscosity. Then after a few days to a week I add the coats of linseed oil.

Jep, almond oil is very good! :)

[Battara]

OH much nicer! :)

[tom22]

Well thanks for all you advice,
I have cleaned the scabbard,and used olive oil for the wood,
Then i have sanded the blade with a fine grit wet and dry paper , it's took quite alot of work to get it looking like this ,I'm not sure where to stop,should I carry on sanding untill it's got rid of all the light pitting ? ,in general it looks alot btter

[Interested Party]

Looks like a nice3 1920s Magunindanao kris. I would clean the silver - silver was meant to shine.

What features identify this kris as 1920s?


Tom22 your cleanup of this piece turned out very well. Did you ever etch it?

As per oils discussed I have been using heavy coats of almond oil to pre-treat very dry wood because of its low viscosity. Depending on condition I may repeat the almond oil a few times. Then 12-24 hrs. after the last coat of almond oil I add a coat of a viscous oil such raw linseed to begin to seal the wood. I let that dry for a few days to a couple weeks, then repeat the linseed oil.

[Battara]

I say 1920s due to the style of okir work at the base (ganga) of the blade, and the fact that the ganga is not separated from the rest of the blade.

Also it is from the Maguindanao tribe.

[Sajen]

I say 1920s due to the style of okir work at the base (ganga) of the blade, and the fact that the ganga is not separated from the rest of the blade.

Hi Jose,

Are you sure that the gangya is not separated from the blade? ;)

Regards,
Detlef

[Battara]

Nice catch Detlef. Yes I missed that.

I'd then maybe push it no later than the 1910s-1920s.

[Ian]

Tom,

An observation on the "arrowhead" feature of your sword. If you look at the direction the arrow is pointing, on your sword it is pointing towards the greneng side of the blade. Traditional archaic kris (and more recent revival examples) have the arrow pointing towards the gandhik side of the blade. The same is true for Malay sundang based on the examples I have seen.

This is a minor point, but I think it highlights that by the late 19th and early 20th C the skills in creating the traditional arrowhead design on these swords had degraded quite considerably, to the point that a mistake could be made in its orientation on the blade. The carving of the sogokan on this blade is also non-traditional, but of a form that seems to have emerged in the late 19th and early 20th C among both Moro and Melayu kris makers.

Attached is a pic of an archaic kris with the traditional arrowhead carving and orientation compared with your sword.
.

[tom22]

What features identify this kris as 1920s?


Tom22 your cleanup of this piece turned out very well. Did you ever etch it?

As per oils discussed I have been using heavy coats of almond oil to pre-treat very dry wood because of its low viscosity. Depending on condition I may repeat the almond oil a few times. Then 12-24 hrs. after the last coat of almond oil I add a coat of a viscous oil such raw linseed to begin to seal the wood. I let that dry for a few days to a couple weeks, then repeat the linseed oil.

Hi there , no i never etched the blade and now the sword is no longer in my keeping , i was sad to see i go

[Ian]

Hi IP,

That sounds like a good procedure. How have those efforts turned out? In particular, was there any obvious change in the wood's color or the ability to see its grain?

Regards, Ian

[Interested Party]

Ian, the efforts have turned out well. I have been using it more. I began using it on items such as sheaths that had not been properly cared for, especially wooden sheaths. They often feel dry and make a sound like dry leaves when you rub your fingers across them. The sound and dry feel go away after treatment but there is some darkening. In an object in that level of neglect, I believe the chatoyancy increases with treatment. The grain's pores are still visible unlike a tsung/linseed mix which fills the pores to the point of limited water resistance.