Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Wayan · 24th June 2006, 01:10 AM

This kris from the Philippines is quite different from its Indonesian counterparts. Of immediate note is that the blade maintains the same width the entire length of the blade. As the kris is predominately a stabbing weapon, that seems rather impractical and the unnecessary weight would add additional strain on the tang. Aesthetically, the handle almost appears ridiculous in concert with its blade, or way out of balance. Another noticeable difference is that there does not seem to be any pamor worked into the iron. A final observation is that the formation of the luk is not like the smooth flow seen in Indonesian kris, in fact the top of the curves almost appear to be pointed. .

This is the first I have seen a kris from the Philippines, so these are just my initial observations, and they are not intended to “knock” or criticize. Thanks for posting those photos!

24th June 2006, 01:10 AM	#7
Wayan Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Ubud, Bali, Indonesia Posts: 16	This kris from the Philippines is quite different from its Indonesian counterparts. Of immediate note is that the blade maintains the same width the entire length of the blade. As the kris is predominately a stabbing weapon, that seems rather impractical and the unnecessary weight would add additional strain on the tang. Aesthetically, the handle almost appears ridiculous in concert with its blade, or way out of balance. Another noticeable difference is that there does not seem to be any pamor worked into the iron. A final observation is that the formation of the luk is not like the smooth flow seen in Indonesian kris, in fact the top of the curves almost appear to be pointed. . This is the first I have seen a kris from the Philippines, so these are just my initial observations, and they are not intended to “knock” or criticize. Thanks for posting those photos!