I live in Seattle Washington area, USA. I normally buy and sell straight razors, and sometimes knives as a hobby. I recently bought a group of razors from the previous owner's grandson. He also had a lot of interesting knives that I ended up buying, only recognizing a few, taking a gamble on the remainder.
At first I passed this off as a tourist piece, not knowing anything about the keris. Looking later I found the date of 1848 on the hilt, which pushed me over the edge into researching the keris. I sent pictures to numerous people I found on the Internet and eBay, got back some good responses. A dealer in Indonesia gave me the most detailed opinion, which I will share. (I do not know if he is a member here or not.)
Madurese Donoriko hilt, the date looks authentic.
Blade - Tuban period,
Pamor - Ngulit Semangka
Warngka - Ladrang Jawa Timuran style
The keris is 20" long with a 16" blade.
I have seen many different blade patterns and finishes but few if any similar to mine. Does mine need to be treated somehow to recover the original finish? Or is it the original finish?
He mentioned how the wrangka is replaced when needed, on the Suroan ceremony. The sheath has some missing wood but I would like to keep the hilt. Is there a location in the US where I could get this replaced in a traditional manner?
I have spent many hours poring over this site but my language barrier prevents it from sticking very well..
I appreciate any and all comments,
Regards,
Brad