Tombak for comment

eli · 31st December 2004, 09:46 PM

henk,how many times should oil it? once a week,once a month,once a year year?

Henk · 1st January 2005, 12:39 PM

Eli,

I oil my kerisses and tombaks once a year. Using a good oil that should be enough. But depending to the climate in your country it is possible it has to be done more often. But I check them regularly and sometimes I have to oil a blade two or three times a year.

eli · 1st January 2005, 08:44 PM

here are some better pics

tom hyle · 2nd January 2005, 02:38 AM

There are basically five types of handle, any one of which might be correct. In original intent this is either a mata tombak (militia spear) or a lembing (pike; used primarily by professional soldiers). The lembing handle is long: over ten feet, as up to almost 20, tapered, with a thick, heavy butt. The militia spear handle is around 5 or 5 1/2 feet in my experience, though there is frequent talk of 7 or 8 feet. It is thickest in the middle, tapering to both ends. The modern house size handle, commonly referred to as a display handle, is shaped like a militia handle, but is much shorter; generally around 18 inches. All these will have a metal fitting at each end to contain splits. They are also traditionally hilted as daggers, with either a non"kingfisher" type k(e)ris hilt or with a symetrical dagger handle with and integral crossguard and sheath tensioner, often somewhat similar in overall outline to a khoumiya hilt, though the tensioner works as a plug, not an overlay, like the dripguard on a khoumiya. Either of these dagger styles would typically be provided with a style of sheath specific to it, while this one currently has the typical spear scabbard.

tom hyle · 2nd January 2005, 02:42 AM

Hmmmm not getting offered an editting icon for some reason. "Planar ukiran"=nonkingfisher, nonrakshasha, "typical" k(e)ris hilt.
Your pics finally came all the way up so I've just seen the blade base. There looks to have probably once been a drawn-on bolster, similar to the ganga of a kris, but round in section, now lost. This would be typical. Now the editting thing works......

eli · 2nd January 2005, 04:42 AM

[QUOTE= There looks to have probably once been a drawn-on bolster, similar to the ganga of a kris, but round in section, now lost. This would be typical. Now the editting thing works......[/QUOTE]

ya thats what i was thinking to.
so is there still a way to but a hilt on this baby

?
And by the look of my tombak would there be any hilt you would personally think would work/look the best?
and also heres some more better pics.

tom hyle · 2nd January 2005, 09:58 PM

The missing bolster would be basically a round metal bead tightly fitted over the tang between handle and blade. This could be replaced, but its absense in no way impedes putting a handle on this blade. Any of these handles can be made by a woodworker and a jeweller (for the metal fittings) from photos. A woodworker will be able to get Indonesian wood, if you want it, though the price, both financial and environmental/socio-political is something to consider. There is an individual who posts on this forum who dresses Southern Phillipino swords, and perhaps he will contact you with advice or an offer. A perfectly good militia handle can be made from a long quartering staff/bo staff from a martial arts store, and some of them are Indonesian, too. The difficulty is with the metal fittings. A competent grinder can make them from old candlesticks, tapered tubular ,m etal chair legs and hoe sockets, but if you want to hire them done, I'd advise you to hire a jeweller. Brass is traditionally typical. All three of the spear style handles are round in section. Try to get a piece of wood whos fibres run its whole length.

1st January 2005, 08:44 PM	#3
eli Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portland, Oregon US Posts: 21	here are some better pics Attached Images

2nd January 2005, 04:42 AM	#6
eli Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portland, Oregon US Posts: 21	[QUOTE= There looks to have probably once been a drawn-on bolster, similar to the ganga of a kris, but round in section, now lost. This would be typical. Now the editting thing works......[/QUOTE] ya thats what i was thinking to. so is there still a way to but a hilt on this baby ? And by the look of my tombak would there be any hilt you would personally think would work/look the best? and also heres some more better pics. Attached Images

31st December 2004, 09:46 PM	#1
eli Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portland, Oregon US Posts: 21	henk,how many times should oil it? once a week,once a month,once a year year?

1st January 2005, 12:39 PM	#2
Henk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,209	Eli, I oil my kerisses and tombaks once a year. Using a good oil that should be enough. But depending to the climate in your country it is possible it has to be done more often. But I check them regularly and sometimes I have to oil a blade two or three times a year.

2nd January 2005, 02:38 AM	#4
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	There are basically five types of handle, any one of which might be correct. In original intent this is either a mata tombak (militia spear) or a lembing (pike; used primarily by professional soldiers). The lembing handle is long: over ten feet, as up to almost 20, tapered, with a thick, heavy butt. The militia spear handle is around 5 or 5 1/2 feet in my experience, though there is frequent talk of 7 or 8 feet. It is thickest in the middle, tapering to both ends. The modern house size handle, commonly referred to as a display handle, is shaped like a militia handle, but is much shorter; generally around 18 inches. All these will have a metal fitting at each end to contain splits. They are also traditionally hilted as daggers, with either a non"kingfisher" type k(e)ris hilt or with a symetrical dagger handle with and integral crossguard and sheath tensioner, often somewhat similar in overall outline to a khoumiya hilt, though the tensioner works as a plug, not an overlay, like the dripguard on a khoumiya. Either of these dagger styles would typically be provided with a style of sheath specific to it, while this one currently has the typical spear scabbard.

2nd January 2005, 02:42 AM	#5
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Hmmmm not getting offered an editting icon for some reason. "Planar ukiran"=nonkingfisher, nonrakshasha, "typical" k(e)ris hilt. Your pics finally came all the way up so I've just seen the blade base. There looks to have probably once been a drawn-on bolster, similar to the ganga of a kris, but round in section, now lost. This would be typical. Now the editting thing works......

2nd January 2005, 09:58 PM	#7
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	The missing bolster would be basically a round metal bead tightly fitted over the tang between handle and blade. This could be replaced, but its absense in no way impedes putting a handle on this blade. Any of these handles can be made by a woodworker and a jeweller (for the metal fittings) from photos. A woodworker will be able to get Indonesian wood, if you want it, though the price, both financial and environmental/socio-political is something to consider. There is an individual who posts on this forum who dresses Southern Phillipino swords, and perhaps he will contact you with advice or an offer. A perfectly good militia handle can be made from a long quartering staff/bo staff from a martial arts store, and some of them are Indonesian, too. The difficulty is with the metal fittings. A competent grinder can make them from old candlesticks, tapered tubular ,m etal chair legs and hoe sockets, but if you want to hire them done, I'd advise you to hire a jeweller. Brass is traditionally typical. All three of the spear style handles are round in section. Try to get a piece of wood whos fibres run its whole length.