Modern keris bethok

[jagabuwana]

The pamor goes all the way to the edges. I'm not sure if this means there is no core or if there is a core but it hasn't been exposed. How can I tell?

[Gustav]

From what I see in the picture, it has a core.

[David]

There is a wood known as Kamagong which is sometimes called "Philippine Macassar Ebony". I can't say for sure if this is that wood or not. Examples i have seen seen to have more veins of darker coloured wood running throughout and i believe it is these darker areas of the wood that leads people to liken it to ebony.

[A. G. Maisey]

What we are looking at here in your example David is a log that has been milled to use both sapwood and heartwood;- the sapwood is light coloured and the heartwood is dark coloured.

Only the heartwood of any of the ebony trees is valuable, if we see only the sapwood, it is very difficult to know exactly what we are looking at.

[David]

Yes Alan. That’s why I wrote “I can’t be sure if this is that wood or not.”

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, understood.

[milandro]

I too have purchased a modern bethok.

The shape really appeals to me and I came across one which was not consumed by acids to pretend age and simply showed a nicely made (in my opinion) kris with a simple pamor which I believe could be called Pulo Tirto.