Yes Dave, of course it is better to keep the piece in original condition. That's for all antique items and certainly for weapons. Every authority on antique says so. But keris is a bit different. To keep the blade in its good condition the blade should be cleaned from time to time. If the blade is in good condition preserve it by oiling otherwise it should be stained with warangan. There is enough to read about it on the forum.
For the dress you should realise that in the malay climate especially the wooden parts disapear under your hands. So it is well known that the wooden parts of a keris where changed regularly. Mostly the dress of a keris is much younger than the keris itself. Besides that it was custom if you had the possability to upgrade your keris or to reward the keris, you changed the dress in a more fancier and more expensive dress.
But for us collectors, we try to preserve the original dress of the keris as good as possible and when the blade is rusty we try to give it a proper stain.
Read the threads on the forum and you will find out.
Best, Henk
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