Malay Magic _ Being an introduction to the - Walter William Skeat

5. Another way of measuring, to see how many thumbs’-breadths there are in the
   length of the blade, is as follows. It is not considered of much importance:—Lay
   the right thumb across the foot of the blade near the hilt, and the thumb of the
   left hand also on the blade immediately above the other; continue placing the
   thumbs alternately one in front of the other until the point is reached, repeating
   for the first thumb’s-breadth the word gunong (mountain), for the second runtoh
   (fall), for the third madu (honey), for the fourth sĕgara (ocean), after which
   recommence with gunong, and so on. If gunong or madu brings the thumb to the
   point the blade is a good one, but not if it is runtoh or sĕgara.


6. Another measurement is thus described:—Put the tip of the right thumb upon
   the spot where the hilt joins the blade, with the back of the first joint against the
   blade; next to this put the left thumb horizontally across the blade, and continue
   to alternate the first joint of the right thumb with the breadth of the left till the
   point of the k’ris is reached, repeating as follows:—

For the length  of  the first   joint   of  the right   thumbbĕrjong.

For the breadth of  the left    thumb bĕrkapal.

And so  on  alternately sampan  tunda.

ta’ bĕrtali.

bĕrubong.

bĕrtampal.

makan.

ta’ tĕrchahari.

The only good blades are those in which this method of measurement gives
bĕrjong or bĕrkapal at the point.