A Small Gunong for comment
 

Hello all,

This is my first gunong, an epray item. Seller says it was from the estate of a collecter who had "boxes full of thousands of knives." I suspect this one spent most, if not all of the time I've been on this planet (35ish years) in a box. You can see from the sellers pictures (the first ones) that the metals parts were quite tarnished when I received it. Except for the blade, the metals parts were almost entirely black. It's 8-1/4" with a 4-3/4" blade

I cleaned up the ferrule/guard a little bit, as well as the metal bands on the scabbard, but they're going to need some more love. The wood on the scabbard could use some help as well. The wood on the pomel, aside from having been munched a but by some hungary insect, is in pretty good shape, and gorgeous. Is this what would be called Banti wood?

The ferrule/guard is a single piece. I looks coppery, but I think it's possible that it's swassa, particularly because it tarnished to a black color, rather than a verd de gris. The metal bands on the scabbard, I have no idea on what they might be. Iron? Silver?

I *think*, in part due to the pomel shape, that it's an older one. I'd be happy to hear any and all thoughts on this.

Thanks,
Leif

Congratulations on this.

I will say that the ferrule looks brass and the guard looks copper to me according to the patina. However only a good cleaning and perhaps testing will verify this for sure.

The bands look to be iron. Again testing would tell for sure.

Now on the hilt, you could be onto something. I too would say a little earlier like the turn of the century to 1910s? And the wood looks to be a narra wood burl.

If you are able to polish the blade, etch it and see if a pattern comes out.

Iron would make sense, I just tested it and a magnet sticks to it. Brass and or copper would make sense, it's a rather simple piece. The guard and ferrule seem to be a single piece.

I'll work on getting out polished up and etched.

I'm accumulating a pile of things to etch.

Thank you as always for your comments Battara.

Thanks,
Leif

I agree with Battara. Looks like a nice old, simple, honest piece. Congrats! Careful, they're addictive. :)

Steve

A good piece to start with then!


So I've read, Tito gunong ;)

Have fun,
Leif

Yes I bow in Tito Gunny's presence...... :D

Hi Leif,

now I know who bid me out by this one! :D I am looking already long for a gunong with such a elongated pommel. But I've thought (or hoped) that the ferrule is dark patinated silver. Still a nice good honest piece. Congrats. :)

Regards,
Detlef

So you're the one that made me bid higher!

Actually, I could tell it wasn't silver, so I had to protect you from it.
I'm sure you'll protect me from the next one. ;)

In seriousness, thanks! I'm very happy with it.

Have fun,
Leif

Leif, personally I would clean the guard and ferrule and apply linseed oil to the pommel and scabbard. When you polish the pommel before with car polish the grain of the wood come out more nicely.

Regards,
Detlef

Car Polish. I never would have come up with that on my own.
I will follow your advice.

Thanks!
Leif

Working on cleaning it up...
 

It took a while, but, the guard and ferrule are cleaned up, iron bands are looking like iron again, and the wood on the scabbard has been oiled.

All that's left is polishing the blade (we'll see how long that takes) and giving it an etch. More pics will eventually appear!

Have fun,
Leif