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Old 24th September 2019, 05:37 AM   #1
ganjawulung
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Default SLÉWAH KERIS

SLÉWAH KERIS

We call this technique sléwah. Deliberately made completely different -- both the forging technique, and the materials. The A side, made with the forging technique that is commonly done in Madura. While the B side, made with the forging technique version of "Bab Pandameling Duwung".

The manuscript "Bab Pandameling Duwung", is a manuscript that originally written in Javanese script, published in the era of King Surakarta, Paku Buwana X in Mataram Surakarta (was reigning 1893-1939). It contained detailed instructions, how to make a standard keris making in the Surakarta Kraton version, including detailed instructions on how to fold iron, making layers, ‘ngempel’ pamor, ‘nyilak’ waja or steel, and so on. This manuscript, Thank God, was transcribed in Latin letters by the late Empu Pauzan Pusposukadgo in the 1990s.

This kris was forged by young generation of amateur keris makers, the oldest under 50 years old, in a Besalen which was only two years old established beside the Museum Pusaka (Heritage Museum), Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) in East Jakarta (2017). All forging processes, the number of layers of the technique, including the materials used, are recorded in written and some visual documentation. So far, this GuloKlopo besalen at TMII East Jakarta has made 18 kris blades - two of them are a Palembang kris and Bugis kris. The Palembang keris had been brought by a collector friend from Malaysia, while the Bugis keris was kept in the Surakarta Keris Museum, which had just been established by the Surakarta keris community (Bratasura) and was inaugurated by President Jokowi in 2017.

Slewah Technique

Side A is made of pure nickel, fabricated nickel. While the B side of the wilah (blade), the pamor is made from a used "muffler part of the Honda Grand ’93 motorcycle" made by Japanese of course, but assembled in Jakarta. (In the past, when materials for keris was difficult to obtain in Java, it was common to recycle used bicycles parts, used car parts, special part of suspensiun system of royal carriages, bicycle wheels and others. It is all written in the "Bab Pandameling Duwung" notes).

The technique used on the A side, with the pure fabricated nickel, is a common technique used in Madura. Namely the forging technique without spacing. While the B side technique, uses spacing such as the instructions in the "Bab Pandameling Duwung" manuscript.

The number of layers, is not too much. Only 864 layers. However, it is quite difficult to process the pure nickel to be combined with the pamor saton, or slorok -- to make a slewah straight patrem. Side A with dhapur of Tilamupih, and B Side, Jalak Tilamsari.


The Slorok or core of the blade? The material is from truck suspension parts. The truck brand is unknown. Purchased in used parts dealers in Jakarta. Also not easy, forging truck material which is certainly very hard.

At the A side with nickel pamor, they made Wengkon Isen motif. While the B side with used muffler pamor, Ngulit Semangka with spacing. The length of the blade, is 26.6 cm, with a pamored ganja 6.4 cm and the length of the pesi is 5.3 cm. It is the type of patrem, or small keris of course.

This is the fifth product among 18 GuloKlopo’s kerises, which have only been established for two years. Nice or not? Not the main goal. Because, the main purpose of making this besalen is to learn the technique of making a kris that was once done by the para empus in the past.... *
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Old 24th September 2019, 05:55 AM   #2
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Sléwah technique is also used in the pesi section. The left one, without spacing technique with pamor of pure nickel, the right one is with spacing technique of used muffler pamor...
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Last edited by ganjawulung; 24th September 2019 at 11:20 AM.
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Old 24th September 2019, 06:07 AM   #3
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A night photograph of GuloKlopo Besalen, Museum Pusaka TMII East Jakarta, two forgers of GuloKlopo.....
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Old 24th September 2019, 06:12 AM   #4
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British Historian, Peter Carey (middle with spectacle) "forged" an inaugural blade in the opening session of GuloKlopo Besalen, East Jakarta on November 25, 2017....
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Last edited by ganjawulung; 24th September 2019 at 11:16 AM.
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Old 24th September 2019, 09:16 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ganjawulung
SLÉWAH KERIS



The number of layers, is not too much. Only 864 layers.
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Old 24th September 2019, 11:41 AM   #6
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Cleaning all GuloKlopo's tools for forging on 1st of Suro, the first day of Javanese Calender on September 1, 2019 with water from three springs, outside the besalen.....
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Old 25th September 2019, 04:29 AM   #7
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awesome photo. Thank you
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Old 26th September 2019, 07:57 PM   #8
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Thanks for sharing, Pak Ganjawulung. Interesting to read and great to see those photos.
I love the contrast between the gonjo and the pamor on the sorsoran, especially on the A-side.
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Old 27th September 2019, 06:44 PM   #9
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864 layers ? Not likely: either 512 or 1024 !
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Old 30th September 2019, 04:14 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bjorn
Thanks for sharing, Pak Ganjawulung. Interesting to read and great to see those photos.
I love the contrast between the gonjo and the pamor on the sorsoran, especially on the A-side.
Yes, deliberately different material of pamor, different technique.... Different kind of pamor between side A and side B, that we call it.... slewah.
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