Thanks Maurice! Yes, I've seen the brass on only a few examples so far. It ads a nice touch and unlike with all of my other blades from the area it seems to have kept the horn from cracking (at least where I can see - although the brass itself seems to have cracks on both sides).
Also, I just came across your explanation of the blade shape differences in
this post. That clears it up even more.
Are the grips on these sword types interchangeable or are they also diagnostic?