Today I treated both keris with clove oil, and I was noticing that the metal of the rougher keris is very pebbly, almost foamy, and seems almost porous toward the tip. Also, the keris is exhibiting the same sulphury, slightly unpleasant smell it had when I first got it. The clove oil subdued it (of course, I think the right amount would subdue the smell of a plague city), but it made me wonder if this is made of the sulphur rich iron Alan M. had mentioned. It might account for the recurring yellowy orange powder, the smell, and the weak, porous metal. Or would it? It's a very curious thing, and I would love to know more but I think once I reattach the hulu I am done with this keris. There seems to be some degeneration of the metal at the tip, and eventually I will be doing more harm than good.
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