Thank you Keith! It appears we are among the handful left standing here so I cannot thank you enough for posting.
The blade is most likely Styrian, though that denomination is a bit difficult as the several centers in Styrian (Austrian) regions are not as much recorded as the huge enterprise in Solingen. Ostrowski (1979) suggests that the blade production in Hungary must have been very small (if any at all), so the attribution of blades to Hungary seems to be simply to the swords they are mounted in, not the actual known place of production.
It is suggested that imported blades were prevalent in the Caucusus in the years prior to c. 1860, however blade producing became more notable then with blades copying European forms. While the shashka form was of course known earlier into the 18th century, there are few attributable examples known in the west, and most examples we see are mid 19th into early 20th century.
It is a great question and I'll try to find more detailed answers.I know there are others out there with expertise but chances of appearing here are slim.
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