Hugh, I was buying keris from Indonesia long before the keris revival of the 1970's began. It began in Central Jawa and the Boys From Madura did not join the modern market until the early 1980's.
I was in Jawa & Madura when all this was getting off the ground.
Its called "experience".
I cannot give you reliable and actionable guidelines on how to appraise a keris from internet pictures, even face to face & with the keris in our hands it would take repeated instruction over a relatively lengthy period to train you.
I have had several experienced collectors visit me from USA & Europe, they have spent a week or so with me, one gentleman from Canada spent three weeks with me. None of these people have learnt much more than how to identify a Madura keris & a Surakarta keris. None have been unintelligent, all have been experienced in Western World collector knowledge.
Its like anything else Hugh, it takes time to gain knowledge, there are no shortcuts.
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