Hi Antonio,
There are models other than the Living Treasures and national foundations. For instance:
I'd point to a phenomenon that has revived interest in the essentially dead western martial arts, and which has given birth to a large sword-making industry: the reenactment movement. Groups like the Society for Creative Anachronisms, Living History, etc. (including Civial War reenactors) have created multiple industries feeding their needs for accurate replicas, and for the materials to make them.
In places with an emergent middle class (parts of Thailand, Indonesia, PI, etc), encouraging reenactors might be a good way of encouraging people to get back into weapons making. This could be in the context of the Thai-Burmese wars (take your pick), the many conflicts within Indonesia, or PI, etc. Getting people interested in arming themselves as their ancestors did and restaging critical battles might not be entirely bad, especially if they keep the blades dull and the guns fire blanks
...
After all, if Americans can start the SCA from books (reviving an extinct martial tradition with some success) then it might be a lot easier in a place where the traditions are simply moribund.
I'd also point to the Himalayn Imports model (paying native smiths to make traditional blades for a largely foreign market) as another way to go.
My 0.02 cents,
Fearn