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Originally Posted by Shakethetrees
Nope. If you look closely you can see the granular texture of cast brass.
The inclusion could have some stray iron from filings or some other source giving you the red powder you mention.
The process of covering an iron blade with brass is time consuming and counterproductive, and the visual evidence clearly shows its a casting.
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Shakethetrees:
Thank you again for adding to your comments. I have received confirmation of your opinions via email from two experts, one an academic metallurgist, and the other a noted expert on SE Asian art and a sword maker himself.
The metallurgist confirmed that this is an example of a non-metallic inclusion within a copper alloy (bronze/brass) casting, leading to fracturing of the casting at the point of the inclusion. Testing with a magnet shows that none of the material is attracted to the magnet and therefore there is little or no iron in it.
The second person noted that the piece is a recently made copy of an old Khmer ritual knife. Such copies are common in Thailand and are passed off as genuine antiques (in other words, they are fakes). I was aware, of course, of the fake trade in these knives but was hoping that this one might be older--the price was not outrageous and I thought it was worth the risk.
I was wrong, but the damage that resulted during shipping means that I will not be out of pocket because of my mistake, and I have learned a bit more about copper alloy casting and the structure of these items.
Thanks again to all who responded. Live and learn!
Ian.