A Keris for slashing...

[A. G. Maisey]

That's encouraging.

Working with arsenic is really no big deal, and provided common sense is used, it most definitely is not dangerous. The biggest problem with arsenic is getting access to it. However, I do understand the reluctance to use it.

Up until comparatively recently in Australia, arsenic was commonly used as a protective substance for timber. I think it was banned for this use about 10 years ago. I have been told by somebody in the industry that the chief reason it was banned was that people refused to heed warnings, and continued to use scrapped, treated timber as firewood, which releases the arsenic as fumes.

The people who worked with arsenic in treating the timber needed to have a periodic scan to ensure that there was no evidence of arsenic in their blood.

In an organisation that I audited there were around 200 men involved in the treatment of timber poles with arsenic. This was their work, 40 hours a week, 48 weeks a year. The reported positive results from arsenic scans over a five year period was three, and to be positive only a miniscule hint of arsenic in the result was required.

Follow safe working procedure and arsenic is not dangerous.


However, if you're not confident, don't use it.

It could well be that at the end of the cleaning process you will find that the blade pattern is sufficiently clear to satisfy your requirement. This often happens with an old blade. My guess is that it is caused by the action of the pine juice on residual arsenic.