Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Seerp Visser · 28th September 2016, 08:14 PM

Aside from the good explanation of Alain, i can only add a little comment.

The meteoritic iron of the Prambanan meteorite was very expensive. Dr. Groneman mentions 10 guilders N.I. for about 30 grams.
Further he mentions that it was difficult to obtain and it took the empu Karja di Krama a long time to get it.

Karja di Krama forged the kris for Dr. Groneman for an amount of 40 guilders N.I.

According to Dr. Groneman an everage of about 200 grams pamor material was added to a kris. In the case this should have been all meteoritic iron there should be for about 60 guilders meteoritic iron in a kris of 40 guilders.

So to my opinion, apart from the fact that it is very rare that meteoritic iron was used, the amount of meteoritic iron in an old kris is very small.
It was folded in a piece of other pamor material before welding it in the blade.

So, i think, it will be very difficult too, to feel a difference on the surface of the blade, caused by the meteoritic iron.

I hope there will be a kris in the future where it is proved by analyzing, that meteoritic iron is present. Then, if the blade is still in good condition, we might be able to feel differences in material caused by the meteoritic iron and describe them.

28th September 2016, 08:14 PM	#14
Seerp Visser Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Belgium Posts: 37	Aside from the good explanation of Alain, i can only add a little comment. The meteoritic iron of the Prambanan meteorite was very expensive. Dr. Groneman mentions 10 guilders N.I. for about 30 grams. Further he mentions that it was difficult to obtain and it took the empu Karja di Krama a long time to get it. Karja di Krama forged the kris for Dr. Groneman for an amount of 40 guilders N.I. According to Dr. Groneman an everage of about 200 grams pamor material was added to a kris. In the case this should have been all meteoritic iron there should be for about 60 guilders meteoritic iron in a kris of 40 guilders. So to my opinion, apart from the fact that it is very rare that meteoritic iron was used, the amount of meteoritic iron in an old kris is very small. It was folded in a piece of other pamor material before welding it in the blade. So, i think, it will be very difficult too, to feel a difference on the surface of the blade, caused by the meteoritic iron. I hope there will be a kris in the future where it is proved by analyzing, that meteoritic iron is present. Then, if the blade is still in good condition, we might be able to feel differences in material caused by the meteoritic iron and describe them.