Muslem knife for ID please

[Ian]

This knife is owned by a friend who asked that I post it here for ID. It was a present from his wife for his 60th birthday.

The knife and sheath are all metal and quite weighty. OAL in sheath is 18.75 inches, blade 11.5 inches, hilt 5.5 inches, OAL out of sheath 17.0 inches.

Decorations on the hilt and sheath look Persian to me. The sheath has a brass terminus, and two sets of three grooves running lengthwise on each side. A floral pattern covers the intervening panels and continues to the hilt, which has similar grooves and floral decoration. The end of the pommel has a fine wire grid pattern.

It has an attractive "bird's eye" pattern-welded blade with a yellow metal inlay on the obverse side.

It looks a classy, recently modern piece and the only blemishes are the crudely cut grooves on the sheath and hilt.

My thoughts are that it is Persian or Syrian in manufacture, and from the second half of the 20th C. However, I'm no expert on Islamic arms and my friend wants a "more informed" opinion. Your thoughts are very welcome.

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