Yes, the character of the keris has change from the time it first begin until now. At different time in different place the character of keris can be different. In Jawa the Englishman Raffles tell us that when he become governor of Jawa the keris already at that time is character of something that complete the dress of a man.But in the Pararaton already the keris is call the "symbol of manhood". Raffles in Jawa maybe 1812 to maybe 1818. The Pararaton is Majapahit time. But in Majapahit time and later the keris certainly a weapon.In Jawa in 19 and 20 century the keris not really a weapon. But in Majapahit and until now the keris not only a weapon but have other character too.
The true study of the keris not simple and not easy and not just give a name to pamor and dapur and tangguh.The true study of the keris we must to study Jawa history and culture and art and society. This very difficult because Jawa now not the same as Jawa in 12 century or 16 century or 18 century. Culture and society in Jawa change all the time, but with still the foundation culture. We can not just to study the keris if we want to understand the keris. We must to study all of everything that make Jawa.
Here I talk only Jawa, but the keris also in Bali and other place. How difficult to learn about the keris with true knowledge.
To understand the material that make a keris we must to understand also how to make keris. Keris blade have a thin piece of steel in the middle that become the cutting edge and the point. On the sides of the thin piece of steel the pamor . The pamor make from different kind of iron weld together or from iron and nikel or something with nikel in it weld together. Even with old keris the steel still in the middle of the blade. But not with keris Buda.
The difference of iron and steel that steel have carbon.The carbon in steel allow the steel to become hard when heat treat. This is make the steel red hot and then to make cold very quick by push into water or into oil. But when the steel get hard it also more easy to break so if the iron and pamor not on the outside of the blade the blade maybe break . When the steel get hard the iron not get hard . The iron still can bend after the heat treat so the iron protect the steel in the middle of the blade from break if the blade bend.But because the steel already hard it can more sharp and can more sharp for longer time.
Iron:- can not get hard, easy to bend, not easy to break, easy to weld.
Steel:- can get hard from heat treat, not easy to bend, easy to break, difficult to weld.
Steel can be bend too but to allow steel to bend and not to break some of the hard of the heat treat must be take away from the steel. Some of the hard of the steel can be take away by make the steel hot but not very hot and then to push into water or oil again. Hot until if the steel already polish bright, colour like blue and yellow can be see on the steel.But in Jawa with keris the empu not do this because maybe the steel in the keris only a little bit of carbon and not so easy to break and also the iron in the pamor protect the steel from break.
But if steel not heat treat and only stay soft, that steel too easy to bend like iron. The different is the heat treat that change the structure of the material.Not just if the material steel or iron.
But everything not really so simple like that, because some iron with impurity, but impurity not carbon also can easy to break and can difficult to weld.Because some iron have this impurity the empu must to wash the iron by weld many times until no impurity. This can know because when the iron hot enough to weld no spark come from iron when hit with hammer. This many times bend the iron and weld not only remove the impurity but also give the pattern like wos wutah to the iron. If the material that the empu fold and weld very different material the wos wutah pattern easy to see.
Many thing can make a sharp edge not sharp. Yes rust can make a sharp edge dull but also to use a blade with a sharp edge the blade will dull.If to cut a rope many times with a sharp knife not very long the sharp knife not sharp any more. If to cut fruit or tomat with sharp knife the blade will dull because the acid in the fruit.
Yes there is black iron and iron of many other colours, but we only can see that colour when the iron stain with arsenic. If the iron polish all iron the same : bright and shine.
I am sorry if some of my English is not too easy to understand. Already now I must think if I want to talk English or write English. If every day I can use English it is normal and easy, but if only sometimes I must stop and think. If something that I write is not clear please tell me and I will try again to make it clear.
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