Not receiving a single reply to my request for guidance is a bit of a disappointment, but I am still confident this website is the best place to get keris advice. (I do admit I had the fleeting suspicion that no-one is answering because the notion of a collector planning to make a scabbard himself is to venture into some keris no-go area...! Now I'm sure there's no such problem.)
I am struggling with the first steps in making my Bugis Riau keris scabbard. I have had second thoughts about using the existing antique gandar. It will be easier to fit a new home-made gandar to the home-made wrongko. Perhaps you will agree that a totally home-made wrongko, gandar and buntut is better than to try to incorporate an antique gandar into a home-made scabbard?
At this stage the wrongko is roughly cut out to shape, and the opening has been sculpted to accept the blade as perfectly as I can make it.
I have some questions, if you all will be so kind as to offer advice:
1) I have pictures of a Bugis keris scabbard, that I have used to guide me, but the finer details are not very clear. How do I engrave the wrongko? The only real feature that I see is the groove that runs up each side just off- centre. Besides those grooves, are the remainder of the sides quite flat?
2) I see most Bugis buntuts are shaped like an upside-down little hat with a rim. Will it be correct if I do the new one like that also? Or may I leave out the "rim"?
3) Lastly, do I go for woods with contrasting colour, or will it be more correct to use one kind of dark wood throughout? (The nearly completed wrongko is a dark mahogany.)
I am looking forward to hearing your kind advice! Thank you.
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