1) To answer Alan's Q about the correct spelling first... I am not sure which is the right spelling Coteng/Choteng cenok/chenok... modern spelling has done away with 'h' but the pronounciation is exactly the same for both version... just like jogjakarta/yogjakarta etc...
2)with regards to the uploading the pics here, I did consider that but went for the later option of uploading many pics on flickr, so that people who are new to keris will have a much better overall feel about the variety of the keris shown...
3)to upload that number here would be v tedious as i need to resize etc...
4) if i were to choose a few examples, the problem is which ones and what aspect to highlight,...there are too many points of discussion... rusty blades, mismatch blades/hilt/scabbard, particularly good examples?..etc...
5) for many of the collectors in this region they prefer to keep blades in rusty condition rather than overcleaning and abused of blades like what most of westerners seem to prefer... overcleaning is considered a big no no and devalue the item greatly.
From my limited experience and observation, they'd rather keep the blades un-cleaned and some even prefer it that way, though this sound a bit perverse... and even if they do the cleaning, it'd mostly be light cleaning with coconut water and/or lime with soft scraping with tooth brush followed by rinsing and drying with cloth.And some do an additional process of drying over smoke of incense...
6) funny thing about the don't touch sign... by the late afternoon of the first day when everybody kinda familiar with each other many people seem to ignore the sign and handle the blades like their own... another nice easy going style of eastern people behaviour i guess...
