[Ian]

This is one I have had for a number of years and was sold to me as a "woman's sword" from Lombok. I am not so sure about the female attribution, and even less sure about what to call it. It may be a pedang suduk. Recently another similar sword was on eBay from a dealer in Bali who called it a Cundik/Sendirung, which I cannot find in v. Zonneveld or any other reference that I have.

The sword itself is of good quality, with silver and gold mounts (yes it has been tested and found to be gold, although the percentage of gold is probably low). The handle is wood, and resembles pelet wood that we discussed recently on another thread. The precision of fit of the sword to the scabbard indicates this scabbard was made for the sword and may be original. The blade was polished when I got it, and a light etch indicates a pamor that may be ngulit semonko. The tip of the blade appears to have been reshaped a little. The blade is partially sharpened on the back edge, like many pedang.

Interested to hear what you think of this sword, and in particular how you think I should do a "traditional" etch to bring out the pamor of the blade.

Ian