goingplacesmagazine.com
|
57
| August 2019
Keris (^) | WARISAN
Kehalusan hasil pertukangan keris Pak Mazin cukup terkenal sehingga sering menjadi pilihan kerabat diraja
Pak Mazin is well-known for his keris craftsmanship, even among members of royalty
Destinasi Bukit Chandan yang ingin
ditujui itu bagaikan satu perjalanan ke alam
fantasi. Pemandangan Istana Kuala Kangsar,
masjid, muzium dan beberapa menara yang
masih elok menemani kami di sepanjang
perjalanan ini. Setibanya kami di sebuah lorong
menghala ke Kampung Padang Changkat,
bunyi-bunyi bising yang kuat mulai kedengaran.
Bunyi kedengkang dan mesin beroperasi yang
nyaring adalah petanda bahawa kami telah
tiba di destinasinya – kediaman pembuat keris
terkemuka di Perak.
Kehadiran kami disambut oleh Abdul Aziz Abdul
Jamil atau lebih mesra dipanggil Pak Mazin
yang membawa kami ke bengkelnya. Di sinilah,
timbunan kayu, besi dan sedikit serpihan kayu
dilihat bersepah-sepah di atas lantai. Di tengah-
tengah bengkel pula kelihatan sebuah relau dan
andas lama.
Pak Mazin yang merupakan generasi keempat
penggiat seni pertukangan keris dalam
keluarganya dan mula meminati bidang ini
sejak berusia 10 tahun. “Datuk dan bapa saya
mewarisi kemahiran ini daripada moyang kami.
Saya pula mula mempelajarinya ketika berada
di bangku sekolah lagi sekitar tahun 1960-
an. Semasa berusia 16 tahun, saya dah boleh
membuat aneka benda. Misalnya, pisau mata
lebar, parang dan juga keris,” ujarnya.
Kehalusan hasil pertukangan keris Pak Mazin
cukup terkenal sehingga sering menjadi pilihan
kerabat diraja dan pihak istana termasuk Yang
di-Pertuan Agung.
As Kuala Kangsar’s royal palace, mosque,
museum and well-preserved buildings tower
over us, entering Bukit Chandan feels like a
journey into a fantasy world. As we drive down
a trail to Kampung Padang Changkat, we can
tell from the cacophony of metal clanging and
machinery at work that this is it. We are at the
home of Perak’s famous keris ma ste r.
Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Jamil, better known as
Pak Mazin, leads us into his workshop. There
are stacks of metal pieces and wooden planks,
along with bits of shavings strewn across the
floor. The centrepiece is an old furnace and
an anvil.
Pak Mazin, who is the fourth generation in
his family to practise this craft, shares that he
took an interest in blacksmithing at the age of
- “This was passed down from my ancestors,
to my grandfather, then my father. I started in
the sixties. At that time, I was still in school.
When I was 16, I could make other things, from
cleavers and machetes to keris.”
He is so well-known for his keris craftsmanship
that Pak Mazin has been commissioned to make
the dagger for members of royalty, including
the King.
Forged In Fire & Magic
As he explains the keris-making process, it
becomes evident that there is more to the
dagger than just a weapon. The blade must
be forged with seven metals beginning with
the Arabic letter pa – paku, pahar (pedestal
_Aug 2019_Warisan.indd 57 18/07/2019 10:37 AM