dear Gonjo,
I prefer to keep my kerises and top spears as they are. As your guessing, perhaps, I represent Yogyakarta classic style. Or just simply, I do not dare to do it because I grew in the environment of spiritual believers. Even, I justify to myself not a believer, it does not switch my position to be a challenger. However, if I have an opportunity to commision kerises again, I am going to consider to have kinatahs (classic style, modern style, arabic inscription and talisman sign such as kalacakra). So, the kerises will have kinatahs since they are born.
According to Nugroho (alias Sarju?) and Yanto, I dont know them. However, once I knew Nugroho's working. At that time, an acquintance showed me a good keris blade (but) without gonjo. One month later, he showed me that keris with gonjo kinatah in "perfect" condition. He said that Nugroho did it. IMHO, it was excellent. I would not distinguish that gonjo was "susulan/unoriginal" if I didnt know the strory behind.
According to kinatah motive of Gajah-Singo, I love it. I have been trying to find one of them, the original one. In my believe, a keris with gajah-singo ornament was used by whom involved in Pati War during Pragolopati the Second era. At that time, Mataram defeated sucessfully Pati (but sorrowfully and painfully). As a tribute to heroes, Sultanate allowed them involved in Pati War II ornamenting their kerises with gajah-singo motive. So, it is quite common there are kerises which expected older than Mataram period having kinatah gajah-singo. However, imho, it is anachronism if there is younger keris with kinatah gajah-singo. Furthermore. most of gajah-singo holders became true heroes afterwards. They were assassinated in the other Mataram expeditions. Why? Cursing? None knows. Logical sequence thought, too many wars made bigger opportunity to be killed. But, since when, did Javaneses take more logical than sipritual aspects as a consideration?!
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