Yannis, before I forget, I believe the type of suspension cord arrangement that you are referring to is called a "baldric".
That's very interesting information on the Syrian/Egyptian blades, with my first impulse being Ottoman with the stacked fullers being very similar to those found on knives and daggers from Surmene, in Turkey.
Reference the epoxy putty, it's readily available, of all places, in most pet shops that carry coral and marine fish and invertebrates, as it's a two part compound that is mixed up and used to secure live coral pieces to a larger piece of base rock to create artificial reefs ....it's actually safe enough that it is used with even very fragile live corals and yet will cure underwater, with seawater being one of the most corrosive environments known.
Another beautiful sword!
Mike
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