My Newly Restored Moro Kris Swassa/Silver

Battara · 2nd October 2023, 02:30 AM

Greetings again folks,

Here is a kris that was many years in the making.

First I got the blade from Spunger (salamat Ron). So I took rust off the blade and restored the silver inlays. Afterwards I etched the blade. In one of the pictures you can see almost a Tibetan hairpin turn lamination at the tip. The center of the blade has many laminations.

Second, I purchased a pommel from eBay in very bad shape. I restored it, but had to use an old Moro form of repair by covering over destroyed parts with swassa covered brass.

Third, the hilt also came a few years later from Spunger. I used the silver woven bands but I made the swassa on brass bands. The bands are in Maguindanao okir and based on those of my original hilt made of the same stuff (but this original kris was stolen years ago).

Finally I made the baka-baka clamp from silver.

Once a week I work on my own stuff. So enjoy!

Battara · 2nd October 2023, 02:33 AM

Here are pictures of the blade.

Changdao · 2nd October 2023, 09:38 AM

It looks amazing!

werecow · 2nd October 2023, 12:45 PM

Do you have any pictures of the components before restoration? I'm curious to see the difference.

JeffS · 2nd October 2023, 01:22 PM

Stunning work, thank you for sharing!

Rafngard · 2nd October 2023, 04:57 PM

My jaw just dropped.

Excellent work.

kino · 2nd October 2023, 05:30 PM

Excellent work!

“I made the swassa on brass bands”, it’s gold plated?

Battara · 2nd October 2023, 11:53 PM

Thank you folks.

Werecow - Here are pictures of how I got the pieces (except the pommel).

You can see missing silver from empty grooves in the blade, and not much on the hilt except the woven silver bands. At the top of the hilt is a piece of kamagong/makassar ebony.

Battara · 2nd October 2023, 11:56 PM

Kumusta Albert!

Yes the okir bands are 14k rose gold filled (thicker than plating) bonded to brass beneath.

werecow · 3rd October 2023, 11:12 AM

Very nice!

Sajen · 3rd October 2023, 01:33 PM

Nicely done, congrats Jose! Can I assume that both crests of the ivory pommel are damaged?

Regards,
Detlef

Battara · 4th October 2023, 02:00 AM

Hi Detlef - yes both beak and tail are damaged. So in accordance to Moro tradition, I covered the damage with gold plated metal with okir design.

2nd October 2023, 02:30 AM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	My Newly Restored Moro Kris Swassa/Silver Greetings again folks, Here is a kris that was many years in the making. First I got the blade from Spunger (salamat Ron). So I took rust off the blade and restored the silver inlays. Afterwards I etched the blade. In one of the pictures you can see almost a Tibetan hairpin turn lamination at the tip. The center of the blade has many laminations. Second, I purchased a pommel from eBay in very bad shape. I restored it, but had to use an old Moro form of repair by covering over destroyed parts with swassa covered brass. Third, the hilt also came a few years later from Spunger. I used the silver woven bands but I made the swassa on brass bands. The bands are in Maguindanao okir and based on those of my original hilt made of the same stuff (but this original kris was stolen years ago). Finally I made the baka-baka clamp from silver. Once a week I work on my own stuff. So enjoy! Attached Images

2nd October 2023, 02:33 AM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	Here are pictures of the blade. Attached Images

2nd October 2023, 11:53 PM	#8
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	Thank you folks. Werecow - Here are pictures of how I got the pieces (except the pommel). You can see missing silver from empty grooves in the blade, and not much on the hilt except the woven silver bands. At the top of the hilt is a piece of kamagong/makassar ebony. Attached Images

2nd October 2023, 09:38 AM	#3
Changdao Member Join Date: Jan 2023 Location: Spain Posts: 21	It looks amazing!

2nd October 2023, 12:45 PM	#4
werecow Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Leiden, NL Posts: 433	Do you have any pictures of the components before restoration? I'm curious to see the difference.

2nd October 2023, 01:22 PM	#5
JeffS Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 308	Stunning work, thank you for sharing!

2nd October 2023, 04:57 PM	#6
Rafngard Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Minneapolis,MN Posts: 324	My jaw just dropped. Excellent work.

2nd October 2023, 05:30 PM	#7
kino Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 973	Excellent work! “I made the swassa on brass bands”, it’s gold plated?

2nd October 2023, 11:56 PM	#9
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	Kumusta Albert! Yes the okir bands are 14k rose gold filled (thicker than plating) bonded to brass beneath.

3rd October 2023, 11:12 AM	#10
werecow Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Leiden, NL Posts: 433	Very nice!

3rd October 2023, 01:33 PM	#11
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,491	Nicely done, congrats Jose! Can I assume that both crests of the ivory pommel are damaged? Regards, Detlef

4th October 2023, 02:00 AM	#12
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	Hi Detlef - yes both beak and tail are damaged. So in accordance to Moro tradition, I covered the damage with gold plated metal with okir design.