Bugis Keris?

David · 15th May 2015, 05:51 PM

Well, it looks like this sheath had a fairly major patch job done at one time which is probably what the paint was attempting to cover up. I wouldn't exactly refer to this a "typical" wear.
I would now try using finer and finer sandpaper in stages to smooth the wood out and remove all remnants of paint and former state and then re-stain it to a good color. You may then want to put a finish on it. I like a product called Birchwood Casey Tru Oil which is generally used for finishing gun stocks, but there are many other choices as well.
You probably want to give the hilt the same treatment.

blue lander · 15th May 2015, 06:20 PM

Is that oval inlay a repair? I assumed it was a decoration. It follows the contour of the scabbard.

Sajen · 15th May 2015, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue lander

Is that oval inlay a repair? I assumed it was a decoration. It follows the contour of the scabbard.

Yes, clearly a repair. Maybe wood worms have done at this place their job. And this was the reason why the scabbard get a coat of lacquer. I would follow the advice from David.

Regards,
Detlef

blue lander · 15th May 2015, 06:49 PM

Jeesh, somebody really went to great lengths to keep this scabbard going.. I wonder if these repairs were made in Java or the west.

Okay, I'll lightly sand it down, stain it, and oil it.

A. G. Maisey · 16th May 2015, 12:15 AM

That large inlay of wood is not the sort of repair I have ever seen in Jawa or Bali. If it had been found necessary to do such an inlay there, the inlay would have been done in a contrasting material, say a very different wood, such as black ebony, or possibly mother of pearl --- I have a Balinese scabbard with MOP inlay in the gandar, which I am inclined to believe was done to conceal damage. Any inlay should be done so there is no visible gap between inlay and the base material:- it MUST be neat.

If you find other small areas of damage during restoration worm holes --- little dents, it is normal practice to fill these holes with a contrasting material and to try to make that contrast look like a natural feature. Good fill is button shellac, or a plastic putty tinted with burnt umber powder.

Before going ahead with application of the finish --- Birchwood Casey as David suggests, or if you cannot find this, ordinary Scandinavian oil does a good job --- you should steam the wood to raise the whisker and then polish the whisker off with 0000 steel wool, dust down, then apply the finish. You might have to raise the whisker a few times before it stops raising.

The finish should be applied with a rubber. A rubber is old, lint free cloth, like say, an old handkerchief, you make a little ball, about 1 inch diameter, of cotton wool, wrap this in the hanky so you have a round absorbent pad, then you apply the finish in a figure of eight pattern. With either Birchwood Casey, or Scandinavian Oil count on applying a minimum of 6 to 8 very thin coats before the job is complete. You should very lightly sand between coats with 00 steel wool, and dust off before applying the next coat. This approach means it will take you ten minutes a day for a week or more to complete the application of the finish.

If it is too glossy when complete you can cut the gloss a bit with a very light rub with 0000 steel wool.

The joint between the top of the scabbard and the down piece of the scabbard (gandar) is often damaged in an old scabbard, in Jawa and Bali this is mostly hidden with either a pendok, or just a small band of silver or some other metal.

blue lander · 18th May 2015, 02:52 PM

I don't see any worm holes anywhere else on the hilt or scabbard. Just some bumps and dings. The repair definitely doesn't fit the hole perfectly, you can see some wood filler around the edges. But they did match the contours of the scabbard pretty well, so somebody did put some effort into it.

Thanks for the steps on how to refinish the scabbard. Any advice on how to remove the paint from the blade itself? Alcohol and acetone aren't doing the trick. I'm going to try soaking it in hot soapy water next.

Edit: Hot soapy water is working ok, slowly but surely removing the paint
the steel of the blade is turning an odd shade of light green, though.

A. G. Maisey · 18th May 2015, 11:12 PM

There are various types of paint, and various ways to remove them, if you can identify the paint type, you simply use the appropriate paint remover.

However, if I was going to remove the paint, I'd use heat to blister it, then scrub off with a hard brush and mineral turps. After that I'd go over the blade carefully using magnification and a sharp pick, something like a saddlers awl, and make sure there was no paint left in the cracks. Then probably several soaks and rinses in mineral turps and a drench with WD40.

If you intend to go straight to a stain, you could use a vinegar soak after the paint was off, and omit the WD40.

18th May 2015, 02:52 PM	#6
blue lander Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 456	I don't see any worm holes anywhere else on the hilt or scabbard. Just some bumps and dings. The repair definitely doesn't fit the hole perfectly, you can see some wood filler around the edges. But they did match the contours of the scabbard pretty well, so somebody did put some effort into it. Thanks for the steps on how to refinish the scabbard. Any advice on how to remove the paint from the blade itself? Alcohol and acetone aren't doing the trick. I'm going to try soaking it in hot soapy water next. Edit: Hot soapy water is working ok, slowly but surely removing the paint the steel of the blade is turning an odd shade of light green, though. Attached Images Last edited by blue lander; 18th May 2015 at 08:41 PM.

15th May 2015, 05:51 PM	#1
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,211	Well, it looks like this sheath had a fairly major patch job done at one time which is probably what the paint was attempting to cover up. I wouldn't exactly refer to this a "typical" wear. I would now try using finer and finer sandpaper in stages to smooth the wood out and remove all remnants of paint and former state and then re-stain it to a good color. You may then want to put a finish on it. I like a product called Birchwood Casey Tru Oil which is generally used for finishing gun stocks, but there are many other choices as well. You probably want to give the hilt the same treatment.

15th May 2015, 06:20 PM	#2
blue lander Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 456	Is that oval inlay a repair? I assumed it was a decoration. It follows the contour of the scabbard.

15th May 2015, 06:49 PM	#4
blue lander Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 456	Jeesh, somebody really went to great lengths to keep this scabbard going.. I wonder if these repairs were made in Java or the west. Okay, I'll lightly sand it down, stain it, and oil it.

16th May 2015, 12:15 AM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	That large inlay of wood is not the sort of repair I have ever seen in Jawa or Bali. If it had been found necessary to do such an inlay there, the inlay would have been done in a contrasting material, say a very different wood, such as black ebony, or possibly mother of pearl --- I have a Balinese scabbard with MOP inlay in the gandar, which I am inclined to believe was done to conceal damage. Any inlay should be done so there is no visible gap between inlay and the base material:- it MUST be neat. If you find other small areas of damage during restoration worm holes --- little dents, it is normal practice to fill these holes with a contrasting material and to try to make that contrast look like a natural feature. Good fill is button shellac, or a plastic putty tinted with burnt umber powder. Before going ahead with application of the finish --- Birchwood Casey as David suggests, or if you cannot find this, ordinary Scandinavian oil does a good job --- you should steam the wood to raise the whisker and then polish the whisker off with 0000 steel wool, dust down, then apply the finish. You might have to raise the whisker a few times before it stops raising. The finish should be applied with a rubber. A rubber is old, lint free cloth, like say, an old handkerchief, you make a little ball, about 1 inch diameter, of cotton wool, wrap this in the hanky so you have a round absorbent pad, then you apply the finish in a figure of eight pattern. With either Birchwood Casey, or Scandinavian Oil count on applying a minimum of 6 to 8 very thin coats before the job is complete. You should very lightly sand between coats with 00 steel wool, and dust off before applying the next coat. This approach means it will take you ten minutes a day for a week or more to complete the application of the finish. If it is too glossy when complete you can cut the gloss a bit with a very light rub with 0000 steel wool. The joint between the top of the scabbard and the down piece of the scabbard (gandar) is often damaged in an old scabbard, in Jawa and Bali this is mostly hidden with either a pendok, or just a small band of silver or some other metal.

18th May 2015, 11:12 PM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	There are various types of paint, and various ways to remove them, if you can identify the paint type, you simply use the appropriate paint remover. However, if I was going to remove the paint, I'd use heat to blister it, then scrub off with a hard brush and mineral turps. After that I'd go over the blade carefully using magnification and a sharp pick, something like a saddlers awl, and make sure there was no paint left in the cracks. Then probably several soaks and rinses in mineral turps and a drench with WD40. If you intend to go straight to a stain, you could use a vinegar soak after the paint was off, and omit the WD40.