Hello Alan,
~ 8" or 21 cm is no short blade compared to a modern army dagger, which is not longer than 6-7" (Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife).
One reason could be, that a short 8" Keris is very much faster together with more control in a duel, than a long Keris with a 15" blade.
Every blade with a blade length of more than 3.2" (~8cm) is potentially deadly, long enough to penetrate the heart or throat.
Roland
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