MY FIRST BARONG

Spunjer · 10th May 2006, 05:48 PM

thanks for the props, battara.

you're right, ian, in that cleaning of the gangya is a bit tedious as with the case on this kris, but there's nothing like vinegar, toothbrush, and baking soda can't do

.

flavio's barung looks as if it was polished awhile back. so the question is:
is it ethical to remove the polish even if it was done back in the early days by whoever brought it here even if the patina is starting to build up over it, or should the blade be etched as it was originally intended by the people who carried it? i prefer the latter. also, who know what lurks behind that sheen?

Oriental-Arms · 10th May 2006, 07:55 PM

Now that the source of this Barong is wide open, I feel I can add my comments:

This is a very nice and complete Barong. We had it since long time and surprisingly none of our many good customer did find it earlier. I can not remember if I polished / etched it or not. Probably not.

To the main question: To polish and etch it or leave the original patina, my opinion is very clear: We should refer to it as the original owner did. If there is a pattern expected to be found than polish and etch it to bring it out. Like other marks of quality (The eyelashes marks, the running wolf, the Assad Allah signature and others) that were copied by blade makers all over the world and at all times, the pattern, either wootz, or pattern welded or laminated is also a mark of quality and the owners were proud to show it to all. During the life time of the blade the owners had to sharpen it and by doing so he erased the pattern and had to polish the blade to bring it back. So why can’t we do the same??

In addition many times polishing and etching brings pleasant surprises. The Barong below was collected in the flea market in New York for next to nothing:

it looks very simple and nothing of particular interest. A light polish and etch brought up this:

It is one of the best laminated Barong blades I have seen.

There was a comment above about the Arabs polishing their blades to mirror polish. To the best of my knowledge it is very wrong. Arabs admire the wootz blades (Johar as they call it) and do every thing to bring it up and show it to all for exactly the same reason: Look what a good blade I have.

A word of caution: Improper polishing and etching may be a very destructive process. If you are not experienced, do not try it without good clear instructions

Battara · 11th May 2006, 07:58 PM

AMEN AND HALLELUJAH ARTZI!

katana · 15th May 2006, 02:17 PM

What an interesting thread, the laminations in the blades are excellent. I have seen a number of highly polished blades on Barongs and had assumed that they were very modern in their construction. I will now look at them with a different eye.
What is involved with the etching process ? Is vinegar used as it is a 'gentle' acid that allows more control over the etching process?

10th May 2006, 05:48 PM	#1
Spunjer Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Witness Protection Program Posts: 1,730	thanks for the props, battara. you're right, ian, in that cleaning of the gangya is a bit tedious as with the case on this kris, but there's nothing like vinegar, toothbrush, and baking soda can't do . flavio's barung looks as if it was polished awhile back. so the question is: is it ethical to remove the polish even if it was done back in the early days by whoever brought it here even if the patina is starting to build up over it, or should the blade be etched as it was originally intended by the people who carried it? i prefer the latter. also, who know what lurks behind that sheen? Attached Images

10th May 2006, 07:55 PM	#2
Oriental-Arms Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Haifa, Israel Posts: 183	Polish and etch it or not Now that the source of this Barong is wide open, I feel I can add my comments: This is a very nice and complete Barong. We had it since long time and surprisingly none of our many good customer did find it earlier. I can not remember if I polished / etched it or not. Probably not. To the main question: To polish and etch it or leave the original patina, my opinion is very clear: We should refer to it as the original owner did. If there is a pattern expected to be found than polish and etch it to bring it out. Like other marks of quality (The eyelashes marks, the running wolf, the Assad Allah signature and others) that were copied by blade makers all over the world and at all times, the pattern, either wootz, or pattern welded or laminated is also a mark of quality and the owners were proud to show it to all. During the life time of the blade the owners had to sharpen it and by doing so he erased the pattern and had to polish the blade to bring it back. So why can’t we do the same?? In addition many times polishing and etching brings pleasant surprises. The Barong below was collected in the flea market in New York for next to nothing: it looks very simple and nothing of particular interest. A light polish and etch brought up this: It is one of the best laminated Barong blades I have seen. There was a comment above about the Arabs polishing their blades to mirror polish. To the best of my knowledge it is very wrong. Arabs admire the wootz blades (Johar as they call it) and do every thing to bring it up and show it to all for exactly the same reason: Look what a good blade I have. A word of caution: Improper polishing and etching may be a very destructive process. If you are not experienced, do not try it without good clear instructions

11th May 2006, 07:58 PM	#3
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,272	AMEN AND HALLELUJAH ARTZI!

15th May 2006, 02:17 PM	#4
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	What an interesting thread, the laminations in the blades are excellent. I have seen a number of highly polished blades on Barongs and had assumed that they were very modern in their construction. I will now look at them with a different eye. What is involved with the etching process ? Is vinegar used as it is a 'gentle' acid that allows more control over the etching process?