I think the scabbard mounts are iron or steel underneath all that brown rust. They may have been painted black at some time, although it almost looks like forge scale or maybe it's just corrosion.
Thank you for your reassurances. I'm pleased to hear the blade is most likely made of spring steel. I have several modern khukris/goloks/parangs made from such and they're all exceptionally tough blades. The edge towards the tip is sharp enough to catch on my fingernail, and I will admit I swung it at a cardboard box and it sliced right through. I promise I won't do that again.
Do you think the hilt was once covered in leather? It looks like it was painted black so I wonder if it was always exposed. Is it typical for the crossguard to be stuffed with yarn or fabric?
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