[A. G. Maisey]

The hilt is certainly worth some sympathetic attention, its main problem is severe cracking.

With cracking like this in a hilt it would be unusual for it to support a pressure fit.

If the hilt were mine I would consider two ways to go.

1) give it a good clean with furniture oil & a toothbrush, followed by hand rubbibg over time with furniture oil, then place it on a stand rather than use on a keris.

2) support the hilt in a bench vice so that the cracks come together, use old newspaper to prevent the vice damaging the hilt, using sharp drills of increasing sizes gradually enlarge & clean the tang hole in the hilt so that it will accept a close fitting inlay, a piece of dowel is suitable for the inlay.

Remove the hilt from the vice and test to see if it is possible to clean out the cracking with fine wire.

When the cracks are either clean or uncleanable, replace the hilt into the vice as it was previously, protected by newspaper, with the cracks in a position where they can be brought together, then using tinted two part epoxy resin, the slow drying/super strength type, insert the inlay, cover both the inside of the hole & the inlay with the adhesive.

When the inlay is inserted the adhesive will squeeze out of the cracks, now you bring the cracks together by gently tightening the vice.

Allow the adhesive to set. It is a good idea to smear silicon polish on the external surfaces of the hilt prior to using the adhesive, this facilitates removal of the adhesive, which is best removed at the point where it has begun to set but is not yet hard & has lost its stickyness, a sharpened bambu sate stick is a good tool for this, then wipe over with a rag that is lightly damp with mineral turpentine.

Give the adhesive time to cure well, around a week is usual, then clean the hilt with furniture oil, drill a hole for the hilt and refit to the keris.

When refitting a hilt with cracking like this it is best to use wool and restrict the pressure to the top half of the pesi.

EDIT

When the hole for the pesi is drilled it is perhaps a good idea to mark the centre of the inlay with a scribe --- make a small hole with the scribe point to guide the drill --- & then begin with a very small drill bit, say 1/8th inch & incrementally increase size, also support the hilt in vice & with newspaper protection.