View Single Post
Old 13th November 2005, 10:29 AM   #13
simatua
Member
 
simatua's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 69
Default back to basic

In my opinion the keris has developed itself from a waepon into a more religeus and status symbol.

from this perspective You can say that the for the more older kerises the main goal is -like all other waepons (example Swords from India)-, is to make a light, strong ( not break very easy) and edged knife.
The harder the knife ...the more sharper you can make it, but will break more easy, the more flexible cannot break easy, but cannot be sharpened as wanted. A weaponsmid, like an empu try to get the best from both.
Study material about wootz/damescener steel in this forum and Pauls keris place can help a lot of our keris lovers.

How to achieve?...Not only the used materials,and the mixture but also the procedure will influence the aspects as hardness, rusting, surface etc.
The difference between a old and modern keris lies in more than one aspect.
And i think the commercial factors make the different
1. time ( the more you make the more you earn..)
2. costs !! like amount of coal used, or use diffrent kind of fire witch will be influence the the contents of the iron.
3. The pamor patern is more importent than the weapon itself, Is that why we see more more and fancy pamors?
simatua is offline   Reply With Quote