Repair

[Jason Anstey]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Jason, I've never heard of urushi lacquer, and it does sound like great stuff, but I doubt that it would be suitable for use on keris parts. The better wrongkos are finished with a french polish, or in the case of some woods, no sealant at all, just a burnished finish. This lacquer would not give a finish that would look correct.

.

French polish is probably the closest equivalent to Urushi, and can have a flat finish or the highly prized gloss that takes around 80 micro fine coates and is then polished so I am pretty sure that you would achieve exactly the finish required by using different methods.

Urushi is also used as a filler my mixing with various substance ranging from clay and charcoal to gold filings.

There is also a reed that is used for burnishing called Tokusa and is used with Deer horn powder to get a good burnished finish.

To get even more traditional Pine Resin heated and mixed with natane oil will make a glue.

In my opinion it is always good to use the tradition methods for such repairs so the Urushi may not be appropriate although I am pretty sure that it was or still is used in crafts from SE Asia but would go by another name, what that is I don't know.

Merry Christmas to you all

Jason