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Originally Posted by David
Frankly Gustav, i don't believe i have ever seen a anak alang with a center ridge (ada-ada) down the blade like this. To my understanding the profile of this dhapur looks more like this blade that Big G posted some time back. Note the profile, the thinner "waist" as it approaches the base of the blade, the "C" indentation in the gandik.
Whether or not peninsula blades are stained has been an unanswered debate on this forum for some time. I would love to hear something more definite about what the actual traditions are, but have yet to see anything i would call conclusive.
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Okay, Alam Shah, Blu Erf and Dave Henkel are probably to busy. Just for refreshing this thread.
Regarding the staining of Peninsular blades: there is an article of I.H. Evans, "Notes on the manufacture of damascened spear and knife blades in Malay states", an eyewitness report from 1913, about forging, tempering and etching blades in a village in Perak.
It seams to be self-evident, blades with elaborated pamor, which are occuring in Peninsula, would be stained. The question seems to be, have also the polished blades made from more homogenous material been stained?
The unique Tajong blade from Museum für Völkerkunde Basel, there from about 1920, still has a black-blue staining, which appears to be original.
About shape of blade: Panjang and Panjang-related blades with central ridge don't have a thinner "waist", it is more or less suggested with help of slightly narrowing fullers in this place. On blade in question the narrowing of fullers is pretty distinct.
There are Panjang blades without this "C" indentation (which to me seems something like overinterpreted Tikel Alis), just a plain Gandhik. The blade in question even HAS a notch at this place.
When we call Rick's blade an Anak Alang, what is the real problem with this one? When, even more, it seems to be coming in an original Saribulan Sarung, which is very appropriate for this kind of blades?
Another blade of similar size with a middle ridge (and etched) from Forum Archives: