Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - A first post, and a few questions about barung restoration.

Ian · 4th July 2020, 05:47 AM

Welcome Ed.

There are many knowledgeable people here who can answer your questions. It would help if you could post some pictures of your barung now.

As far as etching the laminated patterns, there are a number of options as you have no doubt found by searching the Forums. Many etchants will oxidize the iron and create rust, which is a sign that you have left the etchant in contact with the blade too long. Warming the blade accelerates the etching process and therefore reduces the time you need to leave it in the etchant. Treating with sodium bicarbonate to halt the etching process is also recommended. In the original culture, it is common to keep the blades polished and etched.

Kalamansi juice (which has a bitter lime flavor) or pineapple juice are often used in the southern Philippines to etch blades. The effects are much like lemon juice or vinegar. Another common option in the U.S. and Europe is ferric chloride solution, which can be purchased at hardware stores where it is sold as etching solution. Professional metallurgists have a range of more potent acids that can also be used to etch blades--these can be a bit tricky to use and some are hard to purchase because they are considered dangerous (e.g., Nitrol).

There are also people here who do restoration work who can help with suggestions for the hilt and scabbard.

4th July 2020, 05:47 AM	#2
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,031	Welcome Ed. There are many knowledgeable people here who can answer your questions. It would help if you could post some pictures of your barung now. As far as etching the laminated patterns, there are a number of options as you have no doubt found by searching the Forums. Many etchants will oxidize the iron and create rust, which is a sign that you have left the etchant in contact with the blade too long. Warming the blade accelerates the etching process and therefore reduces the time you need to leave it in the etchant. Treating with sodium bicarbonate to halt the etching process is also recommended. In the original culture, it is common to keep the blades polished and etched. Kalamansi juice (which has a bitter lime flavor) or pineapple juice are often used in the southern Philippines to etch blades. The effects are much like lemon juice or vinegar. Another common option in the U.S. and Europe is ferric chloride solution, which can be purchased at hardware stores where it is sold as etching solution. Professional metallurgists have a range of more potent acids that can also be used to etch blades--these can be a bit tricky to use and some are hard to purchase because they are considered dangerous (e.g., Nitrol). There are also people here who do restoration work who can help with suggestions for the hilt and scabbard.