I've been watching this thread progress from the start, but only now have something to add. firstly let me say that personally i think this is a stunning kris which you are indeed fortunate to possess. As to the questions raised, this looks to me to be a true pamor. I was looking through my copy of Keris and Other Malay Weapons (the MBRAS collection, not Gardner's work) and found a strikingly similar kris in Wooley's article,The Malay Keris: It's Origins and Development on page 123. Now granted, this is merely a pen and ink drawing, but i think it is clearly the same type of arrangement. Since this article was copy written in 1947 that would imply that keris given this type of treatment have been around for at least more than half a century.