Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Mickey the Finn · 29th June 2020, 08:37 AM

As this post is in relation primarily to the use of woods for keris handles, I post it here.
There's a great deal of "hoo-hah" in relation to the precise identity of various tree species, and their suitability as lumber for this-or-that application.
Apparently, kayu sawo is also known as sapodilla and ziricote, and is native to southern Mexico and Central America. If anyone can provide the "scientific" or Latin name of the species of tree from which kayu sawo is sourced, I'd be grateful.
A few years ago I was considering shipping some roasted curly maple lumber to Java for use as handles and warangka for golok Nabi Mulud.
Some of the properties of this wood include: brings harmony and stability to the home, extends society life, makes your enemies be at peace with you, nullifies all your opponent's pelets, and neutralizes all ilmu sihir. The presence in the home of even a small object carved from this wood (a deder, for example) gives off a pleasant and sweet fragrance which is an invincible defence and an infallible repellent to toyol, siluman, and all hantu, and prevents their entering the house. Some have said that the fragrance of this wood is intolerable and repulsive to penyihir, but opinions vary (and I myself have doubts about this particular point).
I've seen some carved works being sold out of Bali said to be of moose antler. Far as I know, moose isn't native to anywhere in the Nusantara.
Where I live, moose antler is pretty common. Even so, a simple, flat, coin-sized, undrilled disc of this stuff sold as a "button" sells for CAD $0.05 (starting price, for urbanites living "beyond Hope" [the name of a town at the edge of civilization, about 500 km. south of here]). You take the average Jogjakarta ukiran and slice it up, even a dummy should realize that it might be more profitable to ship this stuff to Java rather than saw it into buttons, or feeding them to your dog as "chew toys". I've had a casual look into Indonesian import regulations. Things just don't seem to add up.
But it's 12:33, and I must be at work in 7 hours 27 minutes.
I suspect the answer may be "Korupsi, Kolusi, Nepotismi", or something similar.

29th June 2020, 08:37 AM	#1
Mickey the Finn Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 90	Re: Kayu sawo, maple, moose antler etc. As this post is in relation primarily to the use of woods for keris handles, I post it here. There's a great deal of "hoo-hah" in relation to the precise identity of various tree species, and their suitability as lumber for this-or-that application. Apparently, kayu sawo is also known as sapodilla and ziricote, and is native to southern Mexico and Central America. If anyone can provide the "scientific" or Latin name of the species of tree from which kayu sawo is sourced, I'd be grateful. A few years ago I was considering shipping some roasted curly maple lumber to Java for use as handles and warangka for golok Nabi Mulud. Some of the properties of this wood include: brings harmony and stability to the home, extends society life, makes your enemies be at peace with you, nullifies all your opponent's pelets, and neutralizes all ilmu sihir. The presence in the home of even a small object carved from this wood (a deder, for example) gives off a pleasant and sweet fragrance which is an invincible defence and an infallible repellent to toyol, siluman, and all hantu, and prevents their entering the house. Some have said that the fragrance of this wood is intolerable and repulsive to penyihir, but opinions vary (and I myself have doubts about this particular point). I've seen some carved works being sold out of Bali said to be of moose antler. Far as I know, moose isn't native to anywhere in the Nusantara. Where I live, moose antler is pretty common. Even so, a simple, flat, coin-sized, undrilled disc of this stuff sold as a "button" sells for CAD $0.05 (starting price, for urbanites living "beyond Hope" [the name of a town at the edge of civilization, about 500 km. south of here]). You take the average Jogjakarta ukiran and slice it up, even a dummy should realize that it might be more profitable to ship this stuff to Java rather than saw it into buttons, or feeding them to your dog as "chew toys". I've had a casual look into Indonesian import regulations. Things just don't seem to add up. But it's 12:33, and I must be at work in 7 hours 27 minutes. I suspect the answer may be "Korupsi, Kolusi, Nepotismi", or something similar.