Aye this keris looks like a cultural object than a practical weapon ones. It's not always wavt and yes it could tell from where the keris came from but there is also keris that is straight. There is also keris that is more thicker and robust at least compared to this one and most historian believes it's the thicker ones that's more common to be used in war. But yeah cool stuff you got there
You have the handle turned 90 degrees. I think a lot of people do that, either because they don't know, or because it's easier to ship that way. The blade should be held horizontally and pinched between the thumb and second knuckle of the index finger, and then the handle curves down into your fingers, sort of like like a pistol grip. Also, notice that the blade is not in line with the tang. This is deliberate. If you are right handed the gajah (the elephant), or what you referred to as a hook should be on the left side so that the blade slants inward toward your opponent's torso. Here's a video of my teacher, Maul Mornie, explaining how to hold a keris, and how it was used in combat. You'll probably be surprised to learn that you have two weapons there, the blade, and the scabbard. th-cam.com/video/jOA7CCzVEi8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=L2oM3zxTHhIXU3UC
Thank you very much for this info! As you can probably tell, my knowledge of the keris is rather superficial at the moment, so I'm very happy to be corrected and educated on the topic. Now that you mention it, I do remember reading something about the handle orientation at some point, but the vast majority of kerises I see have the blade and handle aligned incorrectly, so I ended up just remounting it like that. I will fix that right away!
@@Rapiersdelight I completely agree, I'd say at least 80% of the photos I see have the handle aligned. I even have a practice keris made from plastic, and the handle is molded in the wrong orientation. But when you hold one with the handle perpendicular to the blade, it's immediately obvious that it makes more sense from an ergonomic standpoint. I think the problem stems from the fact that the keris has become an ornamental weapon at this point. Grooms wear them at weddings in Southeast Asia, and you'll find them hanging on the wall in houses for good luck, but its original functionality is starting to be forgotten. I will say that I've seen some very large, side sword, and even long sword sized keris with the handle aligned with the blade, and in the case where you're able to wrap your entire hand around the blade, this makes more sense. It's more like the handle of a golok.
Aye this keris looks like a cultural object than a practical weapon ones. It's not always wavt and yes it could tell from where the keris came from but there is also keris that is straight. There is also keris that is more thicker and robust at least compared to this one and most historian believes it's the thicker ones that's more common to be used in war. But yeah cool stuff you got there
You have the handle turned 90 degrees. I think a lot of people do that, either because they don't know, or because it's easier to ship that way. The blade should be held horizontally and pinched between the thumb and second knuckle of the index finger, and then the handle curves down into your fingers, sort of like like a pistol grip. Also, notice that the blade is not in line with the tang. This is deliberate. If you are right handed the gajah (the elephant), or what you referred to as a hook should be on the left side so that the blade slants inward toward your opponent's torso. Here's a video of my teacher, Maul Mornie, explaining how to hold a keris, and how it was used in combat. You'll probably be surprised to learn that you have two weapons there, the blade, and the scabbard. th-cam.com/video/jOA7CCzVEi8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=L2oM3zxTHhIXU3UC
Thank you very much for this info! As you can probably tell, my knowledge of the keris is rather superficial at the moment, so I'm very happy to be corrected and educated on the topic.
Now that you mention it, I do remember reading something about the handle orientation at some point, but the vast majority of kerises I see have the blade and handle aligned incorrectly, so I ended up just remounting it like that. I will fix that right away!
@@Rapiersdelight I completely agree, I'd say at least 80% of the photos I see have the handle aligned. I even have a practice keris made from plastic, and the handle is molded in the wrong orientation. But when you hold one with the handle perpendicular to the blade, it's immediately obvious that it makes more sense from an ergonomic standpoint. I think the problem stems from the fact that the keris has become an ornamental weapon at this point. Grooms wear them at weddings in Southeast Asia, and you'll find them hanging on the wall in houses for good luck, but its original functionality is starting to be forgotten. I will say that I've seen some very large, side sword, and even long sword sized keris with the handle aligned with the blade, and in the case where you're able to wrap your entire hand around the blade, this makes more sense. It's more like the handle of a golok.