Grandpa's Keris

Henk · 21st January 2007, 08:51 AM

Allan,

Don't take the phrase "Let the master speak" too serious. Here in Holland, and that's the difference between languages and the use of it, that we discussed before, it means: Let the one who has more knowledge about the subject tell us about it.
After all we are all students on this forum, but no one can deny that you have a great knowledge that we all enjoy. And there are certainly more members with great knowledge.
I do agree with you that the study of keris is a study for lifetime and even then how many information one has gathered, one still don't know everything.
I thought the expression was original chinese: "Who knows so much, find out that he knows so little."
I suppose we have settled this now.

I don't have the intention at the moment to stain keris blades. The arsenic stuff is too dangerous for me and as said, a job for the experts , a knowlede I like to use with great gratitude. Besides that I didn't even mention buying the stuff here in Holland. But it is a very intriging subject, that is an indissolubly part of the keris.

A. G. Maisey · 21st January 2007, 08:49 PM

I actually thought your "master" remark might have been light-hearted fun, but although it would come across OK in conversation, in print, and across many cultures, if I accepted your remark without denying it, I could be seen as the one of the greatest egotists who ever sucked air.

It is probably true of many fields of knowledge, and it is certainly true of the keris, that the more you learn, the more you realise how little you know.

Arsenic used to stain keris dangerous?

Yep. About as dangerous as a .44 magnum.

But neither will do you any harm at all if handled as they should be.

21st January 2007, 08:51 AM	#1
Henk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,209	Allan, Don't take the phrase "Let the master speak" too serious. Here in Holland, and that's the difference between languages and the use of it, that we discussed before, it means: Let the one who has more knowledge about the subject tell us about it. After all we are all students on this forum, but no one can deny that you have a great knowledge that we all enjoy. And there are certainly more members with great knowledge. I do agree with you that the study of keris is a study for lifetime and even then how many information one has gathered, one still don't know everything. I thought the expression was original chinese: "Who knows so much, find out that he knows so little." I suppose we have settled this now. I don't have the intention at the moment to stain keris blades. The arsenic stuff is too dangerous for me and as said, a job for the experts , a knowlede I like to use with great gratitude. Besides that I didn't even mention buying the stuff here in Holland. But it is a very intriging subject, that is an indissolubly part of the keris.

21st January 2007, 08:49 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,048	I actually thought your "master" remark might have been light-hearted fun, but although it would come across OK in conversation, in print, and across many cultures, if I accepted your remark without denying it, I could be seen as the one of the greatest egotists who ever sucked air. It is probably true of many fields of knowledge, and it is certainly true of the keris, that the more you learn, the more you realise how little you know. Arsenic used to stain keris dangerous? Yep. About as dangerous as a .44 magnum. But neither will do you any harm at all if handled as they should be.