Akar Bahar Hilts

[asomotif]

This one was Akar Bahar :

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=bahar

Best regards,
Willem

[Rick]

Thanks Willem .
No one else ..................... ?!?

No other comments ?

[Battara]

I saw a rencong hilt once made of this stuff. It is fascinating material. Very rare.

[Amuk Murugul]

Originally Posted by Rick

....
No one else ..................... ?!?

No other comments ?

Hullo Rick,

Since you asked so nicely....

Oerang Soenda warriors traditionally use Akar Bahar arm-bands. Here is one of mine.(Apologies for the bad pic; it was a snap decision )

Best,

[A. G. Maisey]

This sort of bracelet/armband was very popular and prolific in Bali from the early 1970's on. You still see a few in the tourist traps, but quality now is not as good as it used to be.

[A. G. Maisey]

Here are a couple of examples of the same material, but different colours.

Black speckled and red; both made as conventional type knife hilts, fittings silver, the stone set in the pommel of the speckled one is a black star.

I've got damascus blades made for these but haven't yet had time to heat treat them.

Actually, when I throw my mind back, these were not made for conventional knives, they were made for those little Bali ceremonial axes, but I decided I'd like to use them as damascus handles.

[BluErf]

I have seen a Terengganu pipit teleng hilt made from black coral. It's a good sized hilt, beautifully carved, and almost all black with minimal specks and sand pits. It was brightly polished and reflects light like polished black marble.

Unfortunately, it was not for sale.

This material is devilishly hard to carve and polish. Sorry, no pictures to share...

Dave has a good sized kerdas hilt on a Bugis naga keris.

[BluErf]

Also, I hear that there is so much salt in these hilts that the peksi will corrode very quickly if it is not protected. So some people place a copper pipe over the peksi before attaching the hilt.

[Rick]

Thank you all .
I hope to see more examples .

Amuk, I think I have seen these bracelets/armbands originating from Jamaica also , now that you have shown an example .

Kai Wee, it is indeed the very devil to carve ; files seem to work best on it 'cause it tends to chip easily .
Polishes like a dream though .

I was unaware that this stuff could be bent into armbands .
Fascinating how it grows with rings like a tree .

[Marcokeris]

Some pics about this kind of hits.
(only one, Ganesha hit, is really very well made)

[kulbuntet]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Here are a couple of examples of the same material, but different colours.

Black speckled and red; both made as conventional type knife hilts, fittings silver, the stone set in the pommel of the speckled one is a black star.

I've got damascus blades made for these but haven't yet had time to heat treat them.

Actually, when I throw my mind back, these were not made for conventional knives, they were made for those little Bali ceremonial axes, but I decided I'd like to use them as damascus handles.

Alan,

The ceremonial Axes you mean are the sort of Balinese Wedung?





As you can see, the grip is a bit like yours. But missing the top and bottom mounts. Anny idea for resaurations appriciated! Also missing a propper sheath.

[Greybeard]

Thank you, Detlef. In this case I can leave the tridacna hilt on my keris (a very nice old 13-luk Mataram Senopaten blade, by the way) without risking corrosion of the pesi. Actually, I intended to replace the tridacna hilt with a common wooden planar hilt and put the tridacna hilt on display ...

Best regards,

Heinz