Arsenic or realgar for Keris etching?

A. G. Maisey · 15th August 2009, 09:18 AM

Laboratory quality arsenic trioxide is most definitely not corrosive.

I have used this material on more keris than I can count over a 50 year period. Many of these keris that I have stained with this material I still have in my own collection.It has absolutely no corrosive effect on a blade.

Moreover, I do not find it quicker acting. Both arsenic trioxide and traditional warangan react differently on different blades, sometimes they will work quickly, sometimes slowly.

Look, we can tell all the yarns we like, and recount second hand stories, but I've used both traditional warangan and lab quality arsenic trioxide. Both can produce a good result. Neither is corrosive. Time taken to do the job, averaged over a number of blades is about the same. If I need to do the job when I'm in Solo, I use warangan. If I do the job at home I use arsenic. I probably prefer arsenic, but that's only because I've used it more often, plus the fact that the warangan that I can currently buy in Solo is just not all that good.

The blades shown in my post # 13 were both done with arsenic; the waved blade had previously been done with warangan but was unsatisfactory.

This shown blade below was done with traditional warangan.

All these blades have been stained for a number of years , the one below for about 25 years.

Both materials give a good result if you understand the process.

Neither material is more corrosive than the other.To claim that lab quality arsenic trioxide is corrosive is simply rubbish.

As for the soak method of staining, frankly I dislike it. It is unreliable and inconsistent, but it is cheap and not labour intensive, and the only commercially viable way to stain a blade. Of course the people who stain blades for a living will speak highly of this method, but I've seen the results produced by the very best in this field, and I still reject much of their work.

As always each of us is entitled to his own opinion, but this time I'm not stating my opinion, I'm stating demonstrable fact.

15th August 2009, 09:18 AM	#11
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,047	Laboratory quality arsenic trioxide is most definitely not corrosive. I have used this material on more keris than I can count over a 50 year period. Many of these keris that I have stained with this material I still have in my own collection.It has absolutely no corrosive effect on a blade. Moreover, I do not find it quicker acting. Both arsenic trioxide and traditional warangan react differently on different blades, sometimes they will work quickly, sometimes slowly. Look, we can tell all the yarns we like, and recount second hand stories, but I've used both traditional warangan and lab quality arsenic trioxide. Both can produce a good result. Neither is corrosive. Time taken to do the job, averaged over a number of blades is about the same. If I need to do the job when I'm in Solo, I use warangan. If I do the job at home I use arsenic. I probably prefer arsenic, but that's only because I've used it more often, plus the fact that the warangan that I can currently buy in Solo is just not all that good. The blades shown in my post # 13 were both done with arsenic; the waved blade had previously been done with warangan but was unsatisfactory. This shown blade below was done with traditional warangan. All these blades have been stained for a number of years , the one below for about 25 years. Both materials give a good result if you understand the process. Neither material is more corrosive than the other.To claim that lab quality arsenic trioxide is corrosive is simply rubbish. As for the soak method of staining, frankly I dislike it. It is unreliable and inconsistent, but it is cheap and not labour intensive, and the only commercially viable way to stain a blade. Of course the people who stain blades for a living will speak highly of this method, but I've seen the results produced by the very best in this field, and I still reject much of their work. As always each of us is entitled to his own opinion, but this time I'm not stating my opinion, I'm stating demonstrable fact. Attached Images