Presentation, and a sword for your appreciation

[Yvain]

Hello everyone !

After lurking for some times, I decided to register to this goldmine of informations !

I'm a general old weapons enthousiast since I was 13 or 14, now 23 and doing a master in medieval history. Since I don't have a job (yet) my finances are somewhat limited and most pieces in my collection are either lucky finds or weird things.

I decided some times ago to take a more "scientific" approach to this hobby and that's how I found this forum.

I apologise in advance if my english is somewhat flimsy, as I'm French.


Now, for the sword part, here is one in my collection that I was enable to identify, looks somewhat vietnamese or Thai, but I'm surely wrong.

The construction is pretty sturdy, the spine of the blade is very thick, it's full tang, the scales are of unidentified wood and the guard seems to be made out of aluminium. There's a fuller on only one side of the blade. It's a somewhat short sword but I can't mesure it right now (I study in Paris and I leave my weapons at my parents' house).

Does anyone here happens to know what this is and/or when it was made ?

I also plan on cleaning it a bit, and to get ridd of that ugly varnish.

Thanks in advance !