Pande: The Blacksmiths of Balinese Craft
Balinese blacksmiths: what pande make and what visitors can see
Pande is the Balinese term for a metalworker, but it does not describe one identical job in every village. Pande besi work iron, including blades and practical tools; pande mas specialise in gold and silver; and pande gong make metal instruments for gamelan. The word therefore points to a family of specialist crafts. For a visitor, the clearest way to understand it is to distinguish the object being made, the metal and the skill involved, then observe only where a workshop welcomes visitors.
Iron smithing joins heat, repeated hammering and careful finishing. A kris gives the work a ceremonial dimension, while a farming blade or household implement shows its practical side. In Tihingan, Klungkung, metalworking is especially visible through gamelan making, so the village is relevant to the wider pande tradition without being presented as Bali’s only blacksmithing centre. If you want to see the craft, ask about access before arriving, stay outside the working area and treat blades set aside for ritual use as objects to look at only with permission.
What the name pande means in Bali
Pande is both an occupational word and a name associated with metalworking lineages. Craft knowledge has been transmitted within families, historically and today, though this does not mean that every person called Pande follows the same specialism or works in a forge. The work ranges across iron, bronze, brass, gold and silver; the material and intended object determine the tools, sequence and expertise required.
A pande besi shapes iron and steel into objects such as blades, agricultural implements and other tools. A pande mas works precious metals into fine objects, including jewellery. Gamelan makers use bronze or other suitable metals to create instruments, and the making of a gong is distinct from forging a knife even though both depend on heat and metalworking knowledge. Treating all of these makers as interchangeable “blacksmiths” obscures the decisions that define each craft.
In Bali, smithing also carries a sacred association. Fire and metalwork appear in traditions about the Pande community, and objects made for ritual purposes may be blessed or reserved for particular uses. This is not a claim that every metal object is sacred. A work blade used in a kitchen, a ceremonial kris and a gamelan instrument have different roles; the maker or household context helps explain which one you are looking at.
Iron smithing, from hot stock to a working edge
An iron blade begins with material that must be heated until it can be shaped. The smith controls the fire, removes the hot metal with tongs and strikes it against an anvil or other firm surface. Each heat allows another stage of shaping. The repeated cycle matters: a blow delivered while the metal is too cool can fail to move it cleanly, while a heated piece must be handled and returned to the forge before it loses the condition needed for the next operation.
The outline is established before the final edge. A smith works the body of the blade towards its intended length, width and thickness, then refines the transition between the spine and cutting edge. The hammer does more than make the metal thinner: the direction and placement of blows affect the shape. The smith checks the work visually and by feel, correcting an uneven line while there is still enough material to move. The process is skilled physical work around hot metal, not a single dramatic strike that produces a finished knife.
After forging, grinding and filing bring the profile closer to its final form. Sharpening removes material from the edge, so it follows shaping rather than replacing it. A coarse surface can be refined and polished in stages, and the finished tool may need a handle or other fitting.
That distinction helps visitors read what is happening in a workshop. If the smith is repeatedly heating and hammering a plain bar, the work may be at an early shaping stage. If a blade is being ground, the outline is already established and the task is to refine surfaces or the edge. A finished object on a shelf does not necessarily show the complete process, and a short visit may reveal one stage only.
The kris brings metal skill into ceremonial life
The kris is a dagger with a straight or wavy blade, a hilt and a sheath. Its making is among the most respected forms of smithing because the blade combines demanding metalwork with cultural meaning. Some kris are kept as heirlooms or in shrines, and others appear in ceremonies or performances. Their role depends on the particular object and setting, so it is better to ask what a blade is for than to assume every kris is a weapon intended for use.
On a kris, the number of curves, or luk, is one visible feature. Blade form and named designs can carry traditional interpretations, but meanings are not a universal code that can be applied mechanically to every example. A visitor can notice whether a blade is straight or waved and appreciate how the curves were shaped, while leaving a specific symbolic reading to someone who knows that blade’s tradition and history.
Some blades display pamor, a contrasting pattern produced through the joining and forging of different metals. The pattern is part of the blade’s material structure rather than paint laid on its surface. In broad terms, layers are heated and worked together, then the surface is finished so that the pattern becomes visible. Details differ by maker and tradition; claims about a pattern’s meaning should be presented as interpretations rather than fixed rules. For a fuller guide to the object itself, see the Balinese kris and its forms.
A kris may also be used in a dance or other performance, where its role belongs to the choreography and story. That performance context does not make every blade on display safe to handle. Ask before photographing or touching a kris, and accept a refusal without pressing for an explanation.
Tihingan is known for gamelan making, not only iron blades
Tihingan is a village in Banjarangkan district, Klungkung regency, recognised for its pande gong and the making of Balinese gamelan instruments. The village has a continuing craft tradition. This is a useful distinction for planning: a visit to Tihingan may show metal instrument making rather than the forging of a kris or farm blade.
Gamelan work involves making an instrument that must sound as well as look right. In a gong-making sequence, metal is heated and hammered repeatedly to spread and shape it; the centre and rim take form through controlled blows and turning. For keyed instruments, forming and tuning are linked but separate kinds of expertise. A maker shapes the metal, while a specialist tuner listens and adjusts the instrument so its pitch fits the intended ensemble. This is why a finished instrument cannot be understood only as a piece of hammered metal: its sound is part of the craft result.
The village’s specialisation does not establish that all metalworkers there make the same instruments, or that a workshop is open for casual drop-ins. Some production takes place in household or work compounds. The useful approach is to arrange access with a local contact or guide and confirm what kind of work can be observed. If your particular interest is a kris, ask specifically about iron-blade smithing rather than assuming that a gamelan workshop will demonstrate it.
Other locations also have smithing histories. This spread matters because Bali’s metal craft is not confined to one showcase village.
Why metal objects are honoured at Tumpek Landep
Tumpek Landep is a Balinese Hindu observance associated with metal objects and tools. The calendar observance falls on Saniscara Kliwon wuku Landep in the 210-day Pawukon cycle. Households and communities may present offerings and prayers in connection with objects made of metal; the focus is not simply a celebration of weapons. The observance connects useful things to reflection on how people use their abilities and tools.
For pande families, the relationship between the forge, metal and ritual is especially close. A smith’s work can produce a useful implement, a ceremonial object or an heirloom, and these are not interchangeable categories. Tumpek Landep provides context for why metalworking may be treated with reverence, but it does not mean visitors should expect a public demonstration on the day or enter a household ceremony. The details belong to the family or community observing it.
If you are planning around the festival, make it a cultural question rather than a spectacle to schedule. A workshop may be occupied with its own observance, and a family may prefer privacy. The guide to Tumpek Landep and its place in Balinese ritual life explains the occasion separately from the smithing process.
How to observe a working forge respectfully
A working forge is a place of heat, moving tools and concentrated attention. If a workshop agrees to a visit, remain where the maker directs you and do not step behind or beside someone handling hot stock. Closed shoes are sensible around a working area, but they do not make it safe to approach the forge. Children should stay with an adult and well clear of the smith’s path between the fire and the work surface.
Ask before taking photographs, especially when a kris or another object intended for ritual use is present. Do not pick up a blade to inspect its weight, test its sharpness or pose with it. Even an object that resembles a souvenir may have been commissioned for a particular household or purpose. If the smith offers an explanation or shows a tool, listen first and handle only what is explicitly offered.
Observe the maker’s sequence rather than asking for a performance to be repeated. A smith may be timing work around the heat of the metal; an interruption at the wrong moment can affect the process or draw attention from a safety-critical task. Wait for a natural pause before asking how a stage works. Questions about the object’s use, how the maker learned a specialism, or what distinguishes one tool from another are more useful than asking someone to demonstrate a dangerous action for a photograph.
Remember that a family workshop is also a workplace and may be part of a home compound. Not every workshop displays a sign, sells directly to visitors or accepts unscheduled arrivals. Treat a closed gate or a request not to photograph as a clear boundary. To place a craft visit alongside other forms of material culture, the guide to Balinese stone carving covers a different medium and the skills used to work it.
Questions visitors ask about pande
Are pande and blacksmiths the same thing?
Blacksmith is a useful English term for a pande besi who works iron, but pande also refers to other metalworking specialisms, including goldsmithing and gamelan making. Ask what a particular maker produces instead of assuming every pande works at an iron forge.
Can visitors watch a kris being made?
Access depends on the individual workshop and the work under way. Do not assume a public demonstration is available. Ask in advance, follow the maker’s instructions, and never touch a blade unless it is explicitly offered for handling.
Is Tihingan a blacksmith village?
Tihingan is particularly associated with pande gong and gamelan production. It is part of Bali’s wider metalworking landscape, but a visitor seeking iron blades should confirm that the activity they want to see is actually available there.
What should I look for in a finished kris?
You can observe the blade’s overall form, whether it is straight or wavy, and any visible pamor pattern. Those features do not provide enough information to assign a definite symbolic meaning. Treat an interpretation as specific to the object and its tradition.
Choose the right craft visit for your interest
If your main interest is blade making, focus your questions on pande besi and kris work. If you want to understand how metal becomes music, Tihingan’s gamelan tradition is the more directly relevant subject. A visit is most informative when the maker can explain the object’s purpose and the stage you are seeing; even a short look at heating, shaping or tuning makes more sense once you know whether the craft is producing a tool, a ceremonial blade or an instrument.
Use the broader Balinese crafts guide to compare metalwork with other village specialisms, then choose one subject to explore in depth. The best outcome is not a photograph beside a forge; it is leaving with a clearer sense of how material, skilled work and use meet in a particular Balinese object.
Related guides: nyoman lempad, sekaa teruna, The Ubud Painting Style.