Yeah I was not planning to do anything to it, it was an idea, but once I thought about it not a great one. This is a fighing shamshir, the pretty ones are known as hunting swords ( shamshir e shekaari). This is very well made blade, I have seen lots and lots of blades around here and nothing like this. The quality and feel/weight of this blade is the same as some really nice Japanese foot soldier katanas I had handled when I was in Japan. As far as thinking that the covering is shagreen, the Turks used that on thier fighting swords as well, obviously not stingrey hide, but shagreen made of horse or donkey ass hide to give more grip. But then again it could be leather as I originally stated
