ON THE KERIS FORUM YOU WILL FIND LOTS OF INFORMATION ON INDONESIAN AND MALAY KERIS DAGGERS. THE MORO PHILIPPINE AND MALAY SUDANG, SWORD FORMS OF KRIS WILL BE FOUND ON THIS FORUM. THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO BOTH IN FORM, FUNCTION AS WELL AS SPIRITUAL BELIEFS.
THE KERIS DAGGERS ARE HELD BY THE BLADE WITH THE FINGERS WITH THE HANDLE CRADLED IN THE PALM. THE HANDLE IS LEFT LOOSE SO THE BLADE CAN TURN SLIGHTLY TO FIT THE HAND BETTER AND ACCOMMODATE THE THRUST. IT IS DESIGNED FOR A STRAIGHT IN AND OUT THRUST. THE PARMOR OF THE BLADE IS ROUGH NOT SMOOTH LIKE MOST DAGGER BLADES SO A RAGGED WOUND WOULD RESULT. THE TANG IS NOT DESIGNED FOR STRENGTH SO WAS NOT MADE STRONG AS A KERIS WAS HANDLED WITH FINESSE NOT BRUTE STRENGTH. IN EARLY ENCOUNTERS ABOARD SHIPS BELAYING PINS WERE SAID TO BE EFFECTIVE AGAINST THE KERIS AS A HEAVY BLOW FROM THE SIDE OFTEN BENT OR BROKE THE PESKI (TANG) OR BLADE.
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