strange sword

[Ian]

Originally Posted by SidJ

This came up at auction in the UK recently. I had doubts about it myself as I could not place it so stayed away

Hi Sid and Tim. I'm not sure we should jump to this item being an attempt to be something it's not or to deceive a prospective buyer. It does appear to be an "odd ball," as Detlef notes. The guard, at least, appears to have been mated to the blade for a long time judging from the junction of the guard with the blade. The hilt could be more recent, and if the pommel is a synthetic material then that raises a question about the age of the grip as well.

Direct inspection means a great deal when trying to ascertain age and authenticity, and if you had doubts about this one from such an inspection then that is important information too.