Neglected antique kris restored
 

I just got this kris today. It was in bad condition. The blade was heavily rusted, the hilt is wrapped in rubber, and the scabbard has a missing metal ring. After hours of restoring this kris, here it is now with beautiful lamination patterns. The hilt and scabbard still needs to be restored.

That was fast.....

Indeed! :eek: Nice kris, please let us see it again when you have restored hilt and scabbard. How you have cleaned in short time the blade? And what you have used as etchant? Nice pattern.

Regards,
Detlef

Hi h0ll0wman,


Nice kris. I think the blade is probably Sulu in manufacture, and likely from the late 19th-early 20th C. The longitudinal insert is not twist core but has nice laminations. The hilt is atypical and similar to Visayan-influenced styles I have seen previously from Moro pieces originating in Zamboanga. The wrap-around metal (is it aluminum?) on the pommel is likely held in place with small nails and from that area I believe. The scabbard is of a Mindanao style also. Your etch looks like ferric chloride--is that what you used?

Hello Detlef. Thank you. I soaked it in vinegar first for a couple of hours. I then used sand paper for the heavy rusts. 100-400-600-1000- and finally 1500 grit. As for the etchant I used ferric chloride :)

Thank you for the information Ian. I thought it was twist core at first, but still the lamination pattern is beautiful. I am not sure if this is the original hilt and I am thinking of having it replaced. The metal on the scabbard feels and looks like aluminum. Yes you are correct that I used ferric chloride for etching.

The scabbard and blade looks Maguindanao to me, and maybe the hilt as well. But the wrap was done later and the aluminum mounts might have replaced silver mounts.

Thank you for this sir. I think I shall retain the hilt and have it wrapped in silver.

That looks really nice.