I have only the one Takouba, and I would say it is the fairly common and of typical style. The blade on this one is well tempered, 'springy' (a technical term
, and still fairly sharp even though it has not been sharpened recently. The blade also has the usual 'crescent moon' (2 either side).
The handle and guard, usually are leather covered, and the pommel shape and design is quite common. Here is a pic of my 'common' one below,but I really like the fact that its been 'used'.
Tim, Jim, and others are very knowledgeable about these swords, I am sure you will find their opinions very informative.
..... Ah, one more thing, you're right the Takouba in the Forums banner is something else.