Keris Handle / Hilts Appreciation

A. G. Maisey · 4th May 2011, 11:43 AM

Rasjid, we started off talking about just the material in the handle, and now we're going into factors such as balance when the handle is fitted to a keris.

I'm not so sure exactly where we're headed.

As you've already remarked, tayuman is a preferred material for handles. It is a very dense wood and will sink in water, so this throws the balance back into the hand. However, it is an absolutely lousy wood to wear in daylight, ideally it should never be kissed by the sun, or you will very possibly end up with some unsightly splits in it. Ideally, tayuman should only be worn at night.

So --- are we now going to consider all the possible factors that can apply to a Central Javanese planar hilt?

4th May 2011, 11:43 AM	#17
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	Rasjid, we started off talking about just the material in the handle, and now we're going into factors such as balance when the handle is fitted to a keris. I'm not so sure exactly where we're headed. As you've already remarked, tayuman is a preferred material for handles. It is a very dense wood and will sink in water, so this throws the balance back into the hand. However, it is an absolutely lousy wood to wear in daylight, ideally it should never be kissed by the sun, or you will very possibly end up with some unsightly splits in it. Ideally, tayuman should only be worn at night. So --- are we now going to consider all the possible factors that can apply to a Central Javanese planar hilt?