These do come in a wide range of quality.

Yes that is sort of my point. The construction is the same on all of the last three examples. I suspect that the time period of all three is similar, not knowing the history of how they were stored. I do wonder how much call there was for people in not the most wealthy rural villages to fight a medieval type of day or more long battle with swords clashing against sword. Tribal tactics are often a little different.

Examples
 

It is always a good thread when it makes you think.

Below are two examples of the pressure fit variety that Mark talked about and show the difference in quality of two very similiar swords that Tim and Andrew were discussing. I picked up both of these hoping one day to renovate them, but as they are now they help illustrate the discussion. The one with the silver binding around the guard is much better quality though I would guess them to be close to the same age and while the brass ferrule is missing from the other you can note that it is of the same construction As ABravefan11's but the brass used is thicker. Both the blades are hardened and quite frankly better than the dress they wear, but I believe the dress to be original. Both the blades have come loose, but as I look at them again and the thickness of the brass and silver used I can easy see these being fighters when they were new, the blades definately were made well enough ( which makes me question my earlier comment). That being said I have to go with Puff that I think ABravefans was made for show. I have one in Thailand that matches it exactly to blade profile, handle construction and scabbard and it was bought new as a gift to her father in the late 1960s or early 1970s.

On a seperate note in case some of you noted it, yes those are Chinese characters stamped into the silver of the one guard.

Khun Deng