Solo keris for comment
 

Hello,
in beginning of January I win this keris by e-bay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=280298133338

I don't have had a keris with pamor batu lapak so I going on this one. After one month I received it now. Simple pendok bunton from low grade silver alloy, dapur tilam upih and batu lapak on sor-soran.
I changed the handle and the mendak to better ones and cleaned the front side of the warangka with steel wool and polished the the pendok. The back and mouth of the warangka I let like this to keep the patination. I only polished the wood with refresher. Later the blade shall get a warangan also.
Comments would be appreciated.

Yes, Detlef,
You've changed the handle and the mendak with the better one. Better "cecekan" (carving on the handle), better style and quality. Also the mendak, although actually it is a Yogyakartan mendak, a "bejen" model. And not a Solonese mendak.

IMHO it is VISUALLY a good old blade, but I think it is older than Surakarta (Solonese) era. (If you say, Solo -- then it dated from 19th century). The keris style is not Solonese, but Tuban. Possibly 200-300 years older than Surakarta era. (IMO). Also the warangka style, I don't think it is a Solonese type. But Banyumas "kagok". (Slightly different model with Solonese, at a glance looks similar). Also the pendhok, it is a "banyumas" (west-central Jawa) style -- a bit smaller than the normal Solonese pendhok.

GANJAWULUNG

Dear Ganja,
thank's for your very proper informations. Shall I change the mendak to a Solo style mendak?
Thank's,
Detlef

Dear Detlef,
A Banyumas mendak is better. But if you keep the Yogyakartan, is ok too. Banyumas style -- usually called by Yogyakartanese and Solonese -- as a "kagok" style, which literally means as "neither Yogyakartan, nor Surakartan". But, once in history (around 19th century), Banyumas regency is like a vassal state of Kasunanan (Sultanate) of Surakarta... The shape of warangka, is more Solonese, but the pendhok -- mainly the form of the upper part of the pendok -- usually curved-cut like Yogyakartan, and not straight-cut like Surakartan...

GANJAWULUNG

Dear Ganja,
what do you think about this variation with a plain mendak?
And terima kasih banyak for your knowledgeable help.
Detlef

Either the "bejen" form, or "plain" one -- I think they are ok for your keris. The plain one is an older form of mendak, older than your "bejen". You may see such plain mendak in old East Javanese kerises... Solonese mendak, usually used for Solonese warangka only.

Examples for comparison, I am posting for you three different models of old form mendaks, (1) Banyumas "kendhit" -- the lonely one, and (2) Mataram and Yogyakartan "bejen", (3) East Javanese "plain" mendak.

GANJAWULUNG

Thank's again for your very helpful advice.
Detlef

After all this time the blade is finally stained but the result isn't like supposed, the pamor seems to be washed out.
Here some pictures and like usual is your comment welcome.