Another outstanding sword, Jens. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Jim's comments above remind me of a katar you posted on the old forum with similar scenes. For some reason, I was unable to find it. Could you post photos of it for comparison? That is, if my memory is accurate.
Can you estimate an age on this sword? How common is this handle form? It is certainly seen, as Jim notes, on khanjars, but I've really not seen it on older swords. Many contemporary weapons feature it, however.
Thanks again!