Strange Short Sword - Identification Please

[user24]

Hello! I've been advised that you people may have some more insight on a short sword I have. I'm pretty convinced it's a cheap tourist item but I'd like to know at least where it may have come from;

cross-posted from bladeforums.com but I've re-posted it below:

take a look at the photos here:


I can tell you nothing at all about its origin, beyond that it wasn't expensive.
If anyone's got any info about it I'd appreciate it.

Sorry about the terrible quality of the photos, but I don't have the sword with me here, so I had to patch together what I had.

The blade is thin (<3mm), not sharp (but may have been), and has many scratch marks. The leather hilt and scabbard do not look mass produced to me; on the back the scabbard is sewn up with thonging. As you can see, the blade and leather are both stamped with a design, the leather more intricately so.
The scabbard is (as far as I can tell) 100% leather. The hilt I'm not so sure about. The stamping is on both sides of the blade, only one side of the scabbard.

The iron ring on the hilt confuses the hell out of me, and may have been added later (but may not).

The blade is about 1.5 - 2 feet long by about 4 inches at widest point, and the whole thing is 2 - 2.5 feet. Scabbard is about 1 inch deep.

It's probably a tourist item, but I'd like to know at least which country it comes from, so if you can tell me anything about it at all, I'd really appreciate it!

thanks,
-h.