Malay keris in WW II service?

[David]

Hi Greybeard, and a belated welcome to the forum.
Can you upload some photos of this keris? It's had to make any useful comments based just on a description.
I would also be a bit skeptical about the story that the keris was used for executions. I would also question that it was made during the WWII era for AFAIK there was not much keris production going on during that period.

[Alam Shah]

Hi Greybeard.. let's see pictures of the piece, please.. interesting story, though. .

[Greybeard]

Hello David and Alam Shah,

Many thanks for your interest. I know that pictures are much more helpful than even an accurate description as one picture says more than 1000 words ... Unfortunately, at the moment I cannot post pictures because I have a very old computer that is just good for writing threads.

This keris looks old, even older than -- let`s say -- 70 years. But this might be the result of artificial aging, of course.

I am indeed very skeptical about the "execution knife story", and I didn`t buy the keris for this story. I`m just interested if any kerises might have been used -- in this way or another -- in WW II.

Best regards,

Greybeard

[Rick]

I would doubt that any regular army issued the keris in S.E.Asia during WWII .
A keris would not make much of a utility knife and multiple uses would have been important . <opinion>

However, their Malay cousins in the Philippines plied their kris sundang in guerilla action I'm sure .

[David]

Well Greybeard, i am afraid that no matter how accurate your worded description it's not really possible to give you any useful feedback without detailed images. Even then we are limited as holding a keris in hand can reveal aspects of it that photos do not, but at least with photos we can get an idea of what we are talking about. Perhaps you have a friend with a better computer that would allow you to upload.
What do you mean exactly when you ask if it is possible that the keris was "used" during WWII? Do you mean as a weapon of war? If so i would think that highly doubtful. By this time the keris didn't see too much use as a physical weapon anymore. As for the execution story, the keris panjang is generally consider to be an execution keris, though it was much more a matter of status than a blade used for regular executions. In other words, if you carried such a keris it generally meant that you had the authority to perform execution, not you you actually did it. It has a very long, slender, usually straight blade. The exection done with these keris was performed by driving the blade downward through the top of the shoulder into the heart while the arms of the condemned were held out-stretched. I do not know when this type of execution was last performed or if it is possible that such exections took place as late as WWII. Perhaps someone else has more information. It does seem from your description that your keris is not a keris panjang.

[BluErf]

Hi Greybeard,

I think its not possible to answer your question on how kerises might have been used during WWII. I guess it really depends on how the owner wants to use it. I heard in recent times, some guy tried to use a keris to open a lidded tin, and snapped the tip of the keris.

But from the description you have made, I doubt it is a Malay blade at all. Even corrosion is a sign of artificial aging. Nagas - hmm... we've seen lots of new made kerises with nagas carved into them. And the claim that it is an execution keris - well, I guess if it can cut, it can kill. But seriously, execution by keris is usually done using keris panjang (a form of long keris), and reserved for high status people.