Hello Bill,
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We know the "18thC" started out with round tangs & was for stabbing.
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Ethnic Malay keris sundang also (often?) have a round pesi, even the large examples AFAIK.
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I think the earliest "kris" was a "18C", if so, who made it. I'll stick with the Bugis as the most likely suspects. Just can't believe the "18thC" was a "starter" edition.
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I've seen worse starter editions, for sure!
While it is tempting to single out the Bugis which certainly had a lot of contact with the Tausug (for better or worse
), I'm a bit weary with this hypothesis due to the lack of actual keris sundang (archaic, old and even not so old exmples...) with sound provenance from that region (or even from all over Sulawesi)!
For example, I think it will be hard to completely diss the northern link: Malaya - Brunei - Sulu. We also have to keep in mind that extensive trade contacts had been established for millennia throughout SE Asia. I think there are early sources that at least the Tausug were very active seafarers from early on. So, regardless wether the rulers happened to be in good terms or were enemies, it seems safe to assume that the Moro had close contact with about any other major player in the region and beyond.
Regards,
Kai