Interesting Bugis blade .
 

Hi guys i just got this keris and thaught id post some pics for comment and hopefuly expand on my limited knowledge:)It looked uniformly gray when i got it but i thaught i could just see a pamor so i washed it in lime and its shown up a treat :D
Ive seen one similar to it before in the forums but i dont think it had pamor.
Smashy.

sorry about the picture quality , ill take some more tomorow in the sunlight. :p

This isn't Bugis - its Malay. From Terengganu. Its called a keris malela due to the blade form which is characterised mainly by the deep fullering of the blade. Very unlike the "malela" of Java or even besi malela. Hard to tell with the pics but this could be fairly recently made. Judging from the wood on the hilt and pendokok though - if they are original to the piece - it could be in the +,- 50 year range but could also be considerably less than that.

What are the measurements?

Did it come with a sheath?

I'm a newb, so I'll just say "very cool knife!"

Dave is , of course, right about this being a Keris Malela. Nice looking blade and the wood on the hulu looks nice too. Your lime treatment seems to have created a variance in iron color, however, if i am not mistaken, Malela blades have no pamor pattern so this variance is just a deception that you might want to rectify to give the blade it's proper look. I will repeat an already asked question; is there a sheath?

I could be wrong (photo disclaimer again infinity! :p ), but I do not think it is correct to characterize the appearance of the surface as a deception. I think the light etch has shown layering that is really there. This layering may not be traditionally shown within the native culture. It might for some technical reason or reasons not be properly pamor. But it is not likely a trick of the acid fooling anyone; it is probably real forged layers.

Intersting Bugis blade
 

Shortly after this thread opened ownership changed and i've been meaning to
ask your opinions as to age, etc. D.A. henkel asked about size. The blade is 11.5" and width at ganja 3". I'm enclosing some shots 1741 shows pitting and perhaps a bit of age

Sure Tom, perhap deceiption was going too far. To be sure, the blade is layered and that is probably what the etch is showing. However, i would say that this blade has no pamor per se.

The sheath...and blade.
 

I agree with Dave, the blade is a Malay piece. The sheath is typical Terengganu. The hilt or hulu (in Malay) is pipit teleng form. The silver pendongkok looks new, to me. The hulu and cross-piece or sampir (in Malay) are made from ketengga wood and the batang of angsana wood (Pterocarpus indicus).:)

I have a similar looking sheath. See here.

There is another piece here with a similar blade form. (err..i think it's your blade Dave).;)

And another blade here. Just for comparison.