Congratulations, Mick. You have a really fine Bali keris. It certainly portrayed Balinese smith's mastery. About the etching, well, it is properly etch. But, judging from a very limited pictures, IMHO, it hasn't reach it's best appearance, though
I wish I'm wrong.
A Balinese keris devotee (who indeed a Balinese and stay in Denpasar, Bali) told me, today average traditional Balinese would only "sangling" (polishing) their blade and leave it in metalic-white condition. Etching (marangi = to etch with warangan), considered as "re-introduced" by Javanese. I know some Surabaya/East Java peoples who opened the shop/workshop in Klungkung, and also etch and repair the blades. I do not know the Bali's court practices on keris maintenance today or in the past, though. But I have some experience on keris' etching here, in Jogjakarta.
Basically, there are 2 methods on applying warangan to the blade. The most common is immersing the blade in warangan solution, used to be practised by "profesional etcher". The second is brushing the solution onto the blade, exclusively done in Jogjakarta court. The result is considerably different.
Before etched, the blade must be cleaned from oil, rust and old etch. Traditionally, it is done by brushing the lime juice for many times, using "bubat", a traditional brush made of horse tail. Today, we may use toothbrush instead. This process called "methak" (=pethak=putih=white, to make the blade white clean), and best being done in early morning or a night before, since the sun's heat will dry the juice easily. No polishing in Jogjakarta's court tradition. Villagers may polish their blade with pulverized adobe brick. Bad "profesional etcher" would use HCl or H2SO4, which may ruin the blade. Heavily corroded blade should be immersed in ripe-coconut water, at least for a day and night.
After the blade is stainless-steel white, it is immersed or brushed in/with warangan solution, wait a minute or two, pick the blade and clean the blade with fresh water/soap. The first immersion/brushing would only make the blade slightly gray. This proces repeated for several times, until the black and white contrast appeared as the etcher think as "proper". It is VERY important to clean all traces of warangan solution, since the lime juice acidity would cause rust. Unproperly cleaned blade would show some yellowish to brown spot or has a greeny appearance, called "ngadal ijo" (=looks like green lizard). A pale black or gray with not-so-contrast pamor (caused by etching, not material used to make the blade) called "welu" (=looks like someone who just wake up from his bed). Ngadal ijo and welu might also caused by rotten/ruined/too aged warangan solution or unproper "methak" process. Some, though, caused by the iron and pamor material used, that would show a low grade blade. This blade usually made of porous iron/pamor material. Please be carefull not to mix keris blade with copper alloy/brass inlay with other plain keris. Brass/copper alloy will be dissolved to the warangan and then tainted other blade with ugly, copper-red patches. It may also ruin the warangan. Gold inlay would be OK
Properly etched blade colour in traditional Jogjakarta fashion should show some gradation/nuance/hue, from smooth bluish black on iron, black on steel, and deep gray to stainless steel white on pamor. Not a nearly pure "black-and-white" finish. It adds a lot on "living" appearrance of the blade, called "guwaya". Immersion method though, would show less hue. Just remember, the material quality used to make the blade would also play an important role here. Remember also, the etch would change it's color from time to time. For the first week, it may getting darker. Then when it "settle-down", it will keep it's color for years, approx. 4-6 years. Best one could keep it's color for 8-12 years. After that, it may discolor and became grayish. But the hue still maintained
Warangan is a Javanese traditional name for arsenic mineral, probably realgar. The best natural warangan is imported from China, which today may cost approx. 2 million rupiahs for 100g (approx. 200$). "Warangan apotik" (apotik=drugstore) is As2O3, a highly toxic material that could be use as substitute. One and a half teaspoon of warangan powder would enough for a glassful of lime juice, approx 200ml (just don't drink it ! Mr. Munir, may he rest in peace, an Indonesian Human right activist, had showed us the bad effect. His assasination cause the arsenic's price rocketed
). This solution may enough to etch 10-20 kerises in brushing technique, depend mostly on the etcher "habit" (a glass of warangan solution wouldn't enough for immersion technique). The lime juice also play important part. It is "Java lime" which is used, and the skin should be pelled of priorly.
Warangan solution should be prepared at least a day before in brushing technique. Immersion use an aged solution, so the solution should be prepared at least three days before, a week would be better. Brushing technique use mainly fresh or not-to-old solution mixed with a little aged solution. The brushing should be done under shaded sunlight, best around 10.00-12.00 under bright-sunny day. Contrary, immersion method use mainly a bucket-full of aged solution, and could be done day and night. The fresh warangan solution would look milky white if arsenic is used, or slightly pale red if realgar is used. Aged warangan look brownish to black, the older the darker and sometimes thicken slightly. Old rusty nails could be added to fresh ones to make the aging process quicken. Keep the solution away from oil, soap and copper alloy. And children, indeed
I personally etch my kerises in brushing technique with arsenic solution. Every etcher would have their own "understanding" on the process and thus may have a slightly different "favourite" technique. But it is the result, not the process, that would be appreciated (as long as no "destructive" technique used, of course). Wish I give some information here, especially for those DIY fans
Best regards,
Boedhi Adhitya