Thanks to everyone who has given me a "thumbs up" on this project! It was a real challenge. My usual restorations are American and European silver, bronzes, decorative metalwork (for lack of a better catch-all term!)- in short, anything interesting and lucrative.
Ethnic weapons, in particular, are a real challenge, in that, in order to get the job "right", a certain look must be preserved, using techniques and materials that are not routinely used in my work.
The most important thing is to know exactly where you should wind up when the piece is finished. Next, a deep understanding of every type of material used. If during restoration a situation comes up where modern materials or processes are the only option, you have to be able to cover your tracks perfectly.
Nothing is worse for a collector than to open the package and see epoxy, modern string replacing hand made string or rattan, etc. we've all been there.
If I had to make a living doing kukris like this, I'd be in the poorhouse really quickly. I did this because it belonged to a good friend and for the challenge.
It was a lot of fun just to see the look on his face when I unwrapped it and pulled it out.
Now I have to try to find time to finish up some of my own blades and old guns.
I have a barung I started months ago sitting in line. The work is almost done, except for some carving on the tip of the scabbard. I am confident I can do it, but I want to develop a better "feel" for the layout I need to come up with.
European/western decorative motifs, no prob. Not growing up with an Indian, Philippine, or Sudanese sense of aesthetic design stretches the limits of my comfort zone sometime!
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