“Fishtail”
kris, 24” length. The blade and guard
are scaled from a 27”
antique
which is missing the original handle.
Being visible even when
sheathed,
the handles often denoted status or wealth, and so were often
elaborately
made with precious metals and stones.
Over the years these
have
been taken by treasure hunters, who would leave the less valuable
blades
behind. Thus most antique blades will
have cheap replacements
with poor alignment. My blades are well balanced.
Note the rich color, clean angles and woodgrain pattern in the material.
These are often assumed to be wood, even after being told they are not!
Two
krisses from the same template. Lower
one was cut thinner and lighter,
more
like an Indonesian kris than a Filipino one.
Note the superb grain
captured
in this photo of the lighter sword, brought out by multiple buffing wheels.