Hey Spiral,
Good to hear from ya!
You're right, Nepal is quite the shopping mart for all kinds of 'collectibles' , and if you know the right people you can find the real deal. China has really advanced in thier production lines of uh, 'antiques' (anything older than 24 hours
.
I think anyone serious about Tibetan arms & armour should get a copy of Mr.LaRocca's fantastic book, "Warriors of the Himalayas: Rediscovering the Arms and Armor of Tibet" .
All the best,
Jim