Question about preserving a keris

[Rick]

I have always wondered how two keris may be mounted on this board .
There are four holes ..

[Newsteel]

Hi Rick,

The trick is to make a loop (from a good strong string, about 1-2mm thickness). The string entering one of the holes passing through the next closest hole. And another string for another loop. There, you're able to get 2 loops to hang 2 kerises on the board. The loop must not be big or else you will not able to hang your keris securely. The loop must be adequately small so that it can hang by the wrangka.

[Newsteel]

Rick, I've use your blawong for example. See the edited picture - with string attached.

[Rick]

Thank you Newsteel .

Rick

[Jussi M.]

classic display/store 1?

[shadejoy]

I would love to revive this thread with more relevant questions on how to best preserving Keris if you don't mind. If I may..

It's Balinese Keris.
I take on point of view where I see Keris as exceptional piece of art rich with philosophical and cultural values. I am not a spiritual person. Therefore I tend to take a more practical approach on Keris but still acknowledging its esoteric aspects where they fit.

Condition of the Keris: is in great shape with golden kinatah and ruby on the lion's mouth. No rust, with notable pamor shown on the wilah.
Condition of the Warangka: It is a contemporary warangka with intricate carvings. It's made from kayu arang and in good shape with a few mild 'woodish brown' spots which I'm totally unsure of if they're just dirt or scuffs or something else.
Condition of Selut: Silver selut, in great condition.
Condition of Hilt: It's also from kayu arang with gold and silver. The silver and gold have lost their luster and looking dull.

My questions are
For wilah: Is gun oil a good rust prevention for Keris; if it is, can I lather it on the kinatah as well?
Most if not all Keris owners in Indonesia use some type of floral oils. Is that the same as 100% pure essential oils? Some of the oils are reddish in color, so I wonder, is it not going to stain the wilah or its pamor?
There is also a suggestion to drench the wilah in WD40 prior to oiling, is that practice ok as well with keris with kinatah, and will it remove the warangan thus affecting the contrast of the pamor?

For warangka: What should I use to protect the kayu arang and preserve the carvings, any suggestions for its silver pendak as well?

For hilt: This piece is so detailed. How do I bring back the luster without compromising the kayu arang?

I appreciate your suggestions and the discussions!

[shadejoy]

Originally Posted by shadejoy

I would love to revive this thread with more relevant questions on how to best preserving Keris if you don't mind. If I may..

It's Balinese Keris.
I take on point of view where I see Keris as exceptional piece of art rich with philosophical and cultural values. I am not a spiritual person. Therefore I tend to take a more practical approach on Keris but still acknowledging its esoteric aspects where they fit.

Condition of the Keris: is in great shape with golden kinatah and ruby on the lion's mouth. No rust, with notable pamor shown on the wilah.
Condition of the Warangka: It is a contemporary warangka with intricate carvings. It's made from kayu arang and in good shape with a few mild 'woodish brown' spots which I'm totally unsure of if they're just dirt or scuffs or something else.
Condition of Selut: Silver selut, in great condition.
Condition of Hilt: It's also from kayu arang with gold and silver. The silver and gold have lost their luster and looking dull.

My questions are
For wilah: Is gun oil a good rust prevention for Keris; if it is, can I lather it on the kinatah as well?
Most if not all Keris owners in Indonesia use some type of floral oils. Is that the same as 100% pure essential oils? Some of the oils are reddish in color, so I wonder, is it not going to stain the wilah or its pamor?
There is also a suggestion to drench the wilah in WD40 prior to oiling, is that practice ok as well with keris with kinatah, and will it remove the warangan thus affecting the contrast of the pamor?

For warangka: What should I use to protect the kayu arang and preserve the carvings, any suggestions for its silver pendak as well?

For hilt: This piece is so detailed. How do I bring back the luster without compromising the kayu arang?

I appreciate your suggestions and the discussions!

Should perhaps this post be moved to http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=27622 ?

[A. G. Maisey]

A keris of this type can be quite difficult to maintain.

The number one, essential to observe is that it should not be kept in an unprotected situation.

It must be protected as much as possible from dust, fly spots, temperature and humidity variation. In a normal home environment this can be pretty challenging.

Do not keep the keris in its scabbard.The blade should be lightly oiled and kept in a plastic sleeve. Gun oil is a very good protective agent, but depending on how that kinatah work was applied it could loosen it. My approach would be to use medicinal paraffin or Singer sewing machine oil lightly applied to the bare ferric material only, with an artist's paint brush, I like to add sandalwood oil to the oil. I would store the oiled and plastic sleeve protected blade in a horizontal position in a drawer or cupboard.


Kayu arang can be very subject to cracking unless treated with care. It must never be exposed to direct sunlight. I use a good quality furniture oil, worked into the wood with a toothbrush, only use a very small quantity of oil, the pendok might be held in place with adhesive, try not to let the oil penetrate behind the pendok if adhesive has been used. You don't need to use the oil very often, maybe once every 6 or 12 months, but you do need to keep the wrongko in a soft cloth cover, and stored without the blade in it, and in a protected situation, as with the blade.

This type of hilt uses adhesive to hold the metal enhancements in place. I would not use oil on this hilt, possibly a smear of good quality furniture wax applied with a finger tip or cotton bud to only the bare wood. Again, the hilt should be kept in a protected situation.

Most people want to have their keris out on display, so all the above advice is quite likely not to be followed. However, if it is followed your keris can be kept as it is now virtually forever.

In the past I have kept keris & other weapons on display, it was not kind to what I had out, and it was very time consuming to keep the keris & other things in good condition.

Protected environment is paramount:- blade out of scabbard, oiled + plastic sleeve, store flat; wrongko never sees the sun & is kept as protected as possible from dust, flies, heat & humidity variation; hilt is treated as with the wrongko.

Oil should be used sparingly.

[Anthony G.]

Originally Posted by shadejoy

I would love to revive this thread with more relevant questions on how to best preserving Keris if you don't mind. If I may..

It's Balinese Keris.
I take on point of view where I see Keris as exceptional piece of art rich with philosophical and cultural values. I am not a spiritual person. Therefore I tend to take a more practical approach on Keris but still acknowledging its esoteric aspects where they fit.

Condition of the Keris: is in great shape with golden kinatah and ruby on the lion's mouth. No rust, with notable pamor shown on the wilah.
Condition of the Warangka: It is a contemporary warangka with intricate carvings. It's made from kayu arang and in good shape with a few mild 'woodish brown' spots which I'm totally unsure of if they're just dirt or scuffs or something else.
Condition of Selut: Silver selut, in great condition.
Condition of Hilt: It's also from kayu arang with gold and silver. The silver and gold have lost their luster and looking dull.

My questions are
For wilah: Is gun oil a good rust prevention for Keris; if it is, can I lather it on the kinatah as well?
Most if not all Keris owners in Indonesia use some type of floral oils. Is that the same as 100% pure essential oils? Some of the oils are reddish in color, so I wonder, is it not going to stain the wilah or its pamor?
There is also a suggestion to drench the wilah in WD40 prior to oiling, is that practice ok as well with keris with kinatah, and will it remove the warangan thus affecting the contrast of the pamor?

For warangka: What should I use to protect the kayu arang and preserve the carvings, any suggestions for its silver pendak as well?

For hilt: This piece is so detailed. How do I bring back the luster without compromising the kayu arang?

I appreciate your suggestions and the discussions!

Interesting pamor pattern. Balinese keris pamor seems not to have this type.