Allure of the Core

[Rick]

One might posit that the changes occurred during the centuries after the Spanish arrived .

As for that blade, being the guy who can hold it; IMO it's contemporary to the dress .
The blade was varnished .

Alan, why do you think the twists are laid on a plain core ?

I thought the edge was inserted .

I am no metallurgist nor smith I freely admit .

[kai]

Hello Rick,

As for that blade, being the guy who can hold it; IMO it's contemporary to the dress .

I think your kris is turn of the century (or late 19th c.) and would think that the pommel is possibly original (maybe there never was a ferrule or it went missing). Seems like a datu working piece to me - clearly showing status but not too fancy to get in the way...

Obviously, the smith tried to obtain the typical twistcore pattern but the layers appear a bit blurred and distorted; not top-notch craftmanship but certainly better than what almost all of us would be able to accomplish with traditional bladesmith equipment!

Alan, why do you think the twists are laid on a plain core ?

I thought the edge was inserted .

It doesn't make sense to insert an edge for a double-edged blade and even most/many single-edged Indonesian blades seem to be made of 3 sandwiched layers (pamor/steel core/pamor): Usually you can make out the steel core for the edge along the spine, too.

I have yet to see a laminated Moro kris blade which hasn't been done in such a sandwich (San Mai) way; same-o with traditional keris blades (noting the more recent, non-functional exceptions without any steel core).

Regards,
Kai

[A. G. Maisey]

Yeah, I did say "core", didn't I?

Rick, from the photo I can't tell if the steel edges are formed by a piece of steel running all the way through, or by edges being welded in. Both methods are used in keris construction in the Indonesian produced blades.

Where an edge is welded in, rather than provided by use of the sandwich method, the pamor material and the edge material are brought together as two "V"'s, and then welded.


Let me try to be a little more precise:-

this blade appears to have edges of steel that protrude from material that has been manipulated by twisting; I would be happy to call the manipulated material pamor.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Where an edge is welded in, rather than provided by use of the sandwich method, the pamor material and the edge material are brought together as two "V"'s, and then welded.

There is an artifact on one side of the point that suggests this; a small Y shaped cold shut .

[A. G. Maisey]

Yeah, could be indicative, but I've never been able to tell what method was used in a blade that was in good condition. When blades are in very poor condition you can sometimes tell, mostly by being able to see into the sorsoran.

[Rick]

Speaking of that Alan, do you see the suggestion of keris like features with the placement of the twists ?

I kinda thought so; but it might just be me .

[A. G. Maisey]

Not quite sure what you mean by that Rick.