Interesting keris making video

[A. G. Maisey]

The text that flashes onto the screen is Indonesian, and that tells us that it is "biji besi" : "iron seed" that is put into the smelt, and a little later the Indonesian text again tells us that the product is "sponge iron".

[Pusaka]

Did a search for gold-nickel alloy and it confirms gold will combine with nickel to form an alloy, so it would appear there is a high possibility of the gold forming an alloy with the nickel component of the meteorite.

[A. G. Maisey]

Thanks Pusaka, that's interesting, but in respect of the video that we have seen, the presence of both gold and meteoritic material is not yet confirmed.

As I have stated, I only half understand Krama Inggil, but I have had two native speakers of Javanese look at that video, and although they can follow the general gist of what is being said, they also cannot understand word for word.

If you are a speaker of Krama Inggil, perhaps you might be able to give us a better understanding of exactly what the commentator is saying and confirm for us that meteorite and gold are both included in the material used.

[Richard Furrer]

If I could see the entire process I could tell rather closely what is likely to be occurring with the metals. Analysis of the slags and each material along the way would confirm.

The issues with binary phases is that there relevance is under idea conditions...which smelting/forging is not.
One would need to take into account trace elements and the varied oxygen content.
Iron can alloy with many metals and it may have a a greater affinity then other metals so it may form stronger bonds then other metals and lock up the other metals...or oxygen or silicon may break that bond and do away with it in the final bloom trapping it in slag.
Smelting is a rather dynamic process.

In the end I like to concept of multi metal blades, but the reality may be something less than the fantasy.

Ric

[Pusaka]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Thanks Pusaka, that's interesting, but in respect of the video that we have seen, the presence of both gold and meteoritic material is not yet confirmed.

As I have stated, I only half understand Krama Inggil, but I have had two native speakers of Javanese look at that video, and although they can follow the general gist of what is being said, they also cannot understand word for word.

If you are a speaker of Krama Inggil, perhaps you might be able to give us a better understanding of exactly what the commentator is saying and confirm for us that meteorite and gold are both included in the material used.

I cannot understand fully what is being said but at 1:56 I think he mentions meteorite and at 1:58 one of the guys is putting what looks like a gold chain into one of the pipes.

In addition I did a search for the smith (his name is Empu Basuki) and found a few articles about him which says he uses gold, Silver, and Iron extracted from volcanic sand from Mt merapi and material from Solo river depending on the order

[David]

Gold is a highly symbolic metal in most cultures. That the smith uses gold is not really an indication that the gold has any practical application in the forging process though.

[A. G. Maisey]

I do not know Bp.Basuki personally, and I have never met him.

Because of my lack of personal knowledge of this gentleman I will not make any comment in respect of the man himself nor his work. In this case, I do not believe that repeating the comments, or the reporting, of other people would be advisable in this Forum.

[Pusaka]

Originally Posted by David

Gold is a highly symbolic metal in most cultures. That the smith uses gold is not really an indication that the gold has any practical application in the forging process though.

True, most cultures symbolically see gold as a metal of the Sun because of its colour and link it with long life because it never rusts. If we think of a keris as being a talisman/amulet its all about producing a material which can receive and hold the charge

[Richard Furrer]

Originally Posted by Pusaka

True, most cultures symbolically see gold as a metal of the Sun because of its colour and link it with long life because it never rusts. If we think of a keris as being a talisman/amulet its all about producing a material which can receive and hold the charge

Good point well made.
Ric