Dominique Buttin has an interesting page regarding the Makara on his site :
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/taman.sari/utilities/naga.htm
Here's a nifty little Sumatran knife with a vegetal (to me they look like opening flowers) form hilt and scabbard.
And a head on shot of my pedang hilt ; the bird form is easier to see from this angle .