Damascene and Pamor

josh stout · 14th December 2007, 04:37 PM

I have read about how the pamor of a keris is made with folded steel over a core, but to me this seems simply a variety of pattern welding, and one that sounds extremely similar to Chinese sanmai construction. I think pamor is a general word in Bahasa for the patterns in steel as I think it refers to any patterns including those various pedeng type sabers with inserted edges. In that case the "pamor" would refer to patterns that go all the way through the body of a saber, rather than a skin over a core. Here is a modern made central Javanese pedeng with what might be called a twist core Damascus body and an inserted edge of high carbon steel.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j6...i/27012798.jpg

This one is interesting because the decorative piercing at the base of the blade allows one to see clearly that the edge plate was inserted into the twist core body rather than being forge welded on in a piled construction as is usually assumed for Chinese and Persian twist core pieces. Also, some sort of temper line is visible along the edge-plate at the base of the blade. At the back of the blade, there is no indication that the edge-plate extends all the way through forming a core.
Josh

14th December 2007, 04:37 PM	#5
josh stout Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 407	I have read about how the pamor of a keris is made with folded steel over a core, but to me this seems simply a variety of pattern welding, and one that sounds extremely similar to Chinese sanmai construction. I think pamor is a general word in Bahasa for the patterns in steel as I think it refers to any patterns including those various pedeng type sabers with inserted edges. In that case the "pamor" would refer to patterns that go all the way through the body of a saber, rather than a skin over a core. Here is a modern made central Javanese pedeng with what might be called a twist core Damascus body and an inserted edge of high carbon steel. http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j6...i/27012798.jpg This one is interesting because the decorative piercing at the base of the blade allows one to see clearly that the edge plate was inserted into the twist core body rather than being forge welded on in a piled construction as is usually assumed for Chinese and Persian twist core pieces. Also, some sort of temper line is visible along the edge-plate at the base of the blade. At the back of the blade, there is no indication that the edge-plate extends all the way through forming a core. Josh