This is such a cool sword, I really do hope you can dig up some photos of the blade, Radu!
The Japanese connection is apparant to me in the
tsuba-like guard and the cosmetic "
seppa" and "
habaki" at the forte. These features do, as Mark has illustrated, appear on some SEA weapons, likely the result of Japanese or, perhaps, Chinese influence.
Some questions: is the handle round in cross-section? It appears to be, albeit flaring towards the pommel. Conical?
Does the blade have a ridge-line, like a
shinogi, or is it a wedge cross-section? If a ridge-line is present, the Japanese connection gets ever stronger, and if a wedge, with that flat spine, I'm leaning more and more toward's Mark's theory.
The tip geometry, and blade construction may well decide matters as to influence and/or origin of the blade. Tom's note about the tang may be impossible to ever learn, but would also be very edifying.
Please keep us posted, Radu.
