Tombak for comment

[wolviex]

Hello!
This is next piece from National Museum.
As for me it looks like tombak with sheath... and this is the end of my knowledge The question is, can you tell me how old is it, and where came it from (Java?)

Measurements:
lenght: 40 cm (15,7'')
lenght of the blade: 23 cm (9'')
width at the base: 2,4 cm (0,9'')
lenght of the sheath: 34,5 cm (13,5'')

It's not complete. There is no handle, sheath needs restore becouse of many scratches. Is there a notch at the beginning of the sheath, or it's just one of the damages ?
So what do you think about it?

Best regards

PS. Larger photos are here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...x/DSCF3465.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...x/DSCF3470.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...x/DSCF3473.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...x/DSCF3479.jpg

[Henk]

Wolviex,

I'm quite sure that this is a javanese tombak with a very nice and old scabbard. Why should you restore this scabbard? it is showing his age in a great way. If you want to restore it I would start with arsenic on the blade to bring up the pamor. It's very hard to give the blade a date but maybe one of the other members can tell us more about this beauty.

[Rick]

A mounted one with a very similar shape .

[wolviex]

Henk, you're right, I shouldn't restore it, I admit, I gone to far with plans, fortunately I don't make decisions about restorating only by my self in this museum , but with few experts, real masters in what are they doing.
About dating it, it's not younger then end of the 19th century. Could it be older, what do you think ?

After seeing few tombaks I found their scabbards are often carved, this one from Museum is very simple.

[Henk]

Wolviex,

It is always pleasant to have some experts around you to decide and to discuss. The only restoring I would like to do on such a piece is the traditional etching with warangan to get up the pamor. It can be smashing such a result. I brought some rusty kerisses to a friend of my who can do the washing. When you see the keris without rust completely white metal and then the warangan doing its job and the complete unexpected pamor coming up, that's exitement.

The one Rick is showing us is mounted as a dagger. The mounting is probably maduran. Yours was mounted as a spear. Considering the patina of the scabbard it is certainly not younger than late 19th century. There are carved examples of these scabbards known but this scabbard is the most usual one. At the top and at the bottom it had a cord with a knot like you see on european military sabres. The blade could be older because the mountings where often replaced. The wooden parts where rotting away in your hands as they use to say. You can see at the edges and the blade itself that this washing with warangan was frequently done. The surface of Rick's tombak is smoother. Rick's one is younger but is also dated.

Nice tomback too, Rick!!

[wolviex]

Thank you Henk for your comments. I'll ask experts of metal conservation, what are their possibilities about getting up pamor.

By the way, did you noticed red paint at the end of the scabbard ?

Best regards