Mendak

S.Workman · 18th May 2015, 10:06 AM

Perhaps this is a foolish question, but what lies behind the rarity of these objects? Have they been ignored, or unremarked by collectors, until now? They don't seem all that fragile so they ought to survive, are they being sold to jewelers when the family hits dire straits? What do you say?

A. G. Maisey · 18th May 2015, 01:55 PM

The new ones are not rare, and you can buy really cheap ones for almost nothing --- good ones cost, sometimes cost big when we are talking top quality and premium materials, but the old ones seem to have been used up.

By "used up" I mean that they have broken, or been lost and the quite small existing stock has been re-distributed to existing old keris. I've often had old keris in my hands that didn't have any mendak, or had a junk modern one, or if an old mendak was fitted, it was crushed and broken.

Over a 50 year period I've simply bought every halfway decent old mendak that I've come across. That's why I have so many. Not "collection", more "accumulation".

Many old mendak were pretty fragile. The iron ones, cast bronze and cast brass were not fragile, but there were very few of those, however, the fabricated ones would in many cases have crushed and broken if the blade hit a bone when thrust. The hollow East Jawa/Madura ones you can crush between your fingers.

asomotif · 18th May 2015, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Over a 50 year period I've simply bought every halfway decent old mendak that I've come across.

And here we are, wondering why old mendak are scarce

Nive collection btw.
Allways good to bring this under the attention.
I really dislike the cheap mendak that are sometimes seen on nice old keris.

Best regards,
Willem

A. G. Maisey · 18th May 2015, 11:05 PM

But there is a reason for those cheapy mendak Willem.

A good brand new mendak can cost more than a pretty reasonable sort of keris.

A good old mendak can cost more than a decent keris.

It wasn't always like this, but it is now.

If somebody in the keris trade in Indonesia wants to sell a good keris, and by keris, I mean the keris itself, not including the dress, they limit their buyers by dressing that keris in premium component parts, so they either sell the blade bare, or use cheap, low quality dress.

This permits the new owner to dress the keris as he sees fit. However, if he wishes to use older dress on the old keris, he may take quite some time to assemble the quality parts he needs, and one of the more difficult parts is the mendak.

ariel · 19th May 2015, 12:24 AM

What kind of mendak would fit a Pathani Tajong with a Swaasa cover for the "nose"?
Are those available? How much would they cost?

David · 19th May 2015, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariel

What kind of mendak would fit a Pathani Tajong with a Swaasa cover for the "nose"?
Are those available? How much would they cost?

AFAIK most keris tajong don't really have a mendak. Some have something more similar to a selut around the base of the hilt and some closer to what i would call a pendokok or hilt cup. I also have seen many with nothing at all between the hilt and blade.
I'd prefer to keep specific discussion of the cost of things off the boards.

ariel · 20th May 2015, 12:13 AM

Alan repeatedly mentioned high prices of old mendaks.

I just asked him to elaborate on the already expressed qualitative view by adding some quantification.

Nobody here is buying or selling anything specific; we are talking about generalities. Something along the lines: a Swaasa pendokok may cost between $ 200 - 1000. Nothing more.

18th May 2015, 10:06 AM	#1
S.Workman Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 116	Perhaps this is a foolish question, but what lies behind the rarity of these objects? Have they been ignored, or unremarked by collectors, until now? They don't seem all that fragile so they ought to survive, are they being sold to jewelers when the family hits dire straits? What do you say?

18th May 2015, 01:55 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,013	The new ones are not rare, and you can buy really cheap ones for almost nothing --- good ones cost, sometimes cost big when we are talking top quality and premium materials, but the old ones seem to have been used up. By "used up" I mean that they have broken, or been lost and the quite small existing stock has been re-distributed to existing old keris. I've often had old keris in my hands that didn't have any mendak, or had a junk modern one, or if an old mendak was fitted, it was crushed and broken. Over a 50 year period I've simply bought every halfway decent old mendak that I've come across. That's why I have so many. Not "collection", more "accumulation". Many old mendak were pretty fragile. The iron ones, cast bronze and cast brass were not fragile, but there were very few of those, however, the fabricated ones would in many cases have crushed and broken if the blade hit a bone when thrust. The hollow East Jawa/Madura ones you can crush between your fingers.

18th May 2015, 11:05 PM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,013	But there is a reason for those cheapy mendak Willem. A good brand new mendak can cost more than a pretty reasonable sort of keris. A good old mendak can cost more than a decent keris. It wasn't always like this, but it is now. If somebody in the keris trade in Indonesia wants to sell a good keris, and by keris, I mean the keris itself, not including the dress, they limit their buyers by dressing that keris in premium component parts, so they either sell the blade bare, or use cheap, low quality dress. This permits the new owner to dress the keris as he sees fit. However, if he wishes to use older dress on the old keris, he may take quite some time to assemble the quality parts he needs, and one of the more difficult parts is the mendak.

19th May 2015, 12:24 AM	#5
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	What kind of mendak would fit a Pathani Tajong with a Swaasa cover for the "nose"? Are those available? How much would they cost?

20th May 2015, 12:13 AM	#7
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Alan repeatedly mentioned high prices of old mendaks. I just asked him to elaborate on the already expressed qualitative view by adding some quantification. Nobody here is buying or selling anything specific; we are talking about generalities. Something along the lines: a Swaasa pendokok may cost between $ 200 - 1000. Nothing more.