Well Antonio, i am sorry to see that you are choosing to leave what could be a very good discussion. I do think that you have misinterpreted a few of my statement however, so i will respond even if you choose not to.
Firstly i never meant to imply that you were seeking applause. Though i do find it interesting that your first two responses to comments here was just to say "nuff said" as if you weren't interested in hearing any more commentary in this direction.
Secondly, i clearly stated that i am not opposed to hybrids as a rule, it is just that i would like to see them as a logical evolution, not just the whim of the maker to create something new for art's sake only. I think your agrument on the richness of mixed cultures misses the point. When cultures mix, either by immigration or forced diaspora, the resulting cultural fusion and the artifacts which are created by it are part of an organic evolution created by time, place and necessity. Enslaved Africans mix with Spanish culture in Cuba and Rhumba, Son and eventually Latin Jazz are created as expression of a newly formed cultural hybrid. This is not what has happened in the creation of your tanto/kris. For me it is a forced hybrid with no cultural imperative. This doesn't mean it isn't "art", but as a member of the comedy troupe Monty Python once remarked, "I may not know art, but i know what i like".
BTW, I do enjoy much Classical, Jazz and Rock and Roll music and also many of the fusions the exist in between.
Lastly, i also enjoy a good discussion. I am also well aware that many of our favorite weapons are the products of cultural fusions and evolution. These evolutions are generally logical and organic in nature. They don't develop because some local smith wakes up one morning and says hey, what would happen if i combined a scimitar with a kukhri.
As for the evolution of the kris and the keris, my feelings are mixed. It is still possible that the Indonesian keris could be determined to be a still living and therefore evolving blade form. Certainly they do not hold the place in the culture that they once did, but they still serve as family pusaka for many, they are held in esteem in royal regalia, they still serve ceremonial function as in weddings, etc. If you pay attention to the new blades that are being made in Madura and Jawa you will sometimes see new features which could be seen as an evolution in the form. The Moro kris seems more a blade of the past to me. This doesn't mean that it is not still held in some high esteem culturally, but it doesn't seem to still be in high end production like it's Indonesian cousin is. It doesn't seem that there is any need for it to evolve as a blade form.
The bottom line is that you are welcome to find all the inspiration you can in ethnographic weapons and create all the hybrids that seem fit. In fact i encourage you in this. But you must keep in mind that i do not collect ethnographic weapons specifically for a love of metallurgy. It is the culture and history, the myth and the magick of the keris and kris that drive me to collect these wonderful weapons. I have very little interest in custom knife making as a modern art form. Most custom knives do very little for me. I think that this might also be the case for many others involved in ethnographic weapons. So i think that it might be better if you could accept this as a different approach to edged weapons than your own. It doesn't mean i am ignorant of the roots ethnographic sword, nor of Jazz or cultural diversity. I am not trying to discourage you from your journey Antonio. I just have very little interest in it.
