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Old 14th November 2013, 06:01 PM   #3
David
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,027
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Hi Blue, welcome to the forum.
Your first keris is NOT from Bali as you suspected. The dress is indeed a ladrang (formal) Javanese style. The blade itself is fairly new (at least late 20thc or newer) and may well have come from a Madurese source. This type of keris copies a popular naga design and are aimed either towards export markets (tourists) or perhaps a local looking for a cheap keris for ceremonial (wedding?) dress purposes. If you can remove the rust locally i don't think you need to do anything else to the blade. WD-40 would be a good start. Soak it a bit, scrub with and old toothbrush, maybe use a metal pick on the tough spots.
Your second keris looks a bit older, but it's execution is even worse than your first. The file marks might have been made in an attempt to sharpen it (which never should be done with keris) or they might just be left from the original manufacture since this keris does not show much skill or craft. I would recommend soaking the blade in pineapple juice and scrubbing first with a toothbrush before getting any more aggressive with cleaning. If you search this site you will find many threads on the subject giving step-by-step.
I would also suggest that if you are seriously interested in keris that your best bet is to find a trusted dealer to buy from for the time being. Ebay does still have a few hidden gems to be plucked out there, but it certainly isn't the place for the inexperienced. Far too man junk blades, copies and outright counterfeits for the uninitiated.
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