WSalaam all, thank you all for the information and links. Buying an authentic shamahir is looking to be a fine art in itself. Hopefully I'll come across some in my travels. The shape of the authentic shamahirs seem to be longer and "thinner" from what I see in the pictures. The weight and balance is also important. Is there a way to tell if one has true wootz steel? Patterning and seeing the folds is one way I presume, although it probably takes a bit of experience as well.
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