Keris Handle / Hilts Appreciation

[David]

Originally Posted by rasjid

Hi again Detlef,

All my hilts already have their own sheats, I just want to know the general preference which type of wood material is the best according to keris owner.

rasjid

This is understood Rasjid, but i think that Detlef raises a good point. The hilt must work as an ensemble with the wrongko so the type of wood preferable must be at least partially determined by the wood of the wrongko. I think that like the blade itself, every hilt is going to have it's own character which may well be determined by many other factors other than the type of wood used. That character must also work with the blade as well as the sheath.
When i look at this type of planar hilt i generally first look for good carving and execution. I appreciate a deep, well cut cecekan, especially when parts of the carving contain pierced through areas. I love chatoyant (nginden) woods, but it wouldn't necessarily be the determining factor for choosing the ukiran. The next hilt, for instance, might have a more interesting grain ('puser' or otherwise) or i might prefer the coloring. I think that there are just too many factors involved to simplify how any particular person would choose from a group of equally carved hilts.