20th century keris?

[A. G. Maisey]

Kai, I'm with David on this:- I do think you're being just a whisker too rough with Calvin. As David points out:- it is very difficult to learn the keris. When I encounter a newly interested person, or even somebody who has had an interest for a long time, but has not had the advantages that I have had, I do try to keep in mind that my first contact with keris was over 70 years ago, and I have been actively trying to learn the keris for 62 years. I'm still learning, and still have a long way to go.

I've been corresponding with Calvin privately for maybe a couple of months, and I can assure you, I would not have given him the time I have if I did not believe that he wants to learn.

There is another problem too:- because of what each of us uses to look at photos of keris, we don't all see the same thing. This is a big problem for me when I try to sell something. Many people these days look at the photos on a phone, and in less than ideal lighting conditions, they simply cannot see what they are trying to see. This problem, coupled with lack of knowledge and experience can cause somebody to become very confused.