Wayne, if you want to hear the keris speak, try putting it under your pillow at night.
As i mentioned before, we have seen these composite sheath and hilts before and had a thread about them. I believe that originally they are being presented with newly made keris as tourist items. I don't believe the original intention of this dress was to deceive or hold your 19thC blade. The ones i have seen previously were also Sumatran dress and it may very well be a Sumatran product. Of course, the Chinese are very good at using this composite stuff and the work might be imported for an Indonesian market.
It seems neither ironic nor by chance that someone would place an old Sumatran blade in this dress if their intention was to fool an unwary buyer. As for the "good blade"/"bad blade" issue, i couldn't agree with you more. Very few of us have either the money or opportunity to collect really high end pieces. And while the keris culture was certainly dictated from the top of the hierachal food chain (i.e.the kraton) it certain permeated the entire culture, from the poorest farmer to the highest courtesan. All keris are worthy in my book, even the simplest of village pieces.They are all cultural artifacts with a history and a story. Of course, that doesn't mean i don't try to collect well made keris, but if a piece appeals to me the quality might at times be secondary.