Maranao kris?

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Robert Coleman

Hello Detlef, Very nice repair and restoration work your friend did on the scabbard. One question though, did the scabbards on any of the older pre WWII Philippine pieces have any finish on the wooden parts originally? None of the ones that I have ever been able to be lucky enough to have come with the sharp pointy items I have collected have had no protective coating on them other than ones that have had both the scabbard and the blade coated in grease or have been completely coated in lacquer by a previous collector as a protective measure. The only thing that I have ever done on the wood is to do a hand rubbed wax finish. Hopefully one of the experts can give an answer on what if any finish these items originally had when first made. Again, I would like to complement your friend for the great work that he has done.

Regards,
Robert

Hello Robert,

I am with you, I have seen protective coatings only by keris sheaths and by some few other weapons but never by this weak wood scabbards from Philippine kris. This weak wood is the reason why they are so many times are broken IMHO. Like you can see in last pic. from post # 16 and post # 22 there was done also a bigger repair at the crosspiece and the scabbard was heavily cratched (see pictures from the seller in up) so we decided to remove the old coating from grease and give it a finish with shellac. Not original anymore but kept the original scabbard in a way which will be save also for a time after my ownership. In my eyes a acceptable trade-off.
There will have been originally rattan bands to keep the two halfs of the scabbard in place.

Regards,

Detlef

[Battara]

Well, sometimes I have seen a type of lacquer on some Moro/Philippine scabbards. Now the question is was that original or added later?

Other times it is difficult to tell from glossy patina and a thin veneer of lacquer.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Battara

Well, sometimes I have seen a type of lacquer on some Moro/Philippine scabbards. Now the question is was that original or added later?

Other times it is difficult to tell from glossy patina and a thin veneer of lacquer.

Do you think it's overdone? Ask also all others for opinion.

Regards,

Detlef

[Battara]

Not really. Does not seem thick on the pictures. Besides we are custodians of fuse works of art and history. We need to preserve them for future generations.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Battara

Not really. Does not seem thick on the pictures. Besides we are custodians of fuse works of art and history. We need to preserve them for future generations.

Exactly my point of view. The only other option would have been to keep the scabbard as I have get it.

Regards,

Detlef

[Sajen]

Also this blade received an etch today, I am not really happy with the result and I think that I have to do it one day again but at some places you can see a fine hairline lamination.

[Battara]

Nice lamination! Sometimes the lamination can be very subtle and not as obvious as others. I think the more subtle pieces can be older, or at least worked by an advanced smith.