Two recent purchases

[kisak]

Thanks for the replies. The pattern welding is hard to tell, there are some lengthwise sections of steel with different hues, basically warmer and colder colouration respectively (the edge being the warmer colour). It's rather discrete though. Due to all the dried-in dirt on it when I got it I've been wondering if the differences in colour might not just be staining from that, with the scabbard "scratching" off the dirt in a few places as the sword is drawn/sheated. The picture attached shows the two before any cleaning. I've only washed off the blade though, perhaps a light touch up with some very fine grit wet sanding paper could help reveal any pattern welding? A light etching as well perhaps?

it looks like it might be double ended.

Its single edged, if that's what you mean.

The red bands on the grip are said to be indicative of an official

Interesting, though the bands here doesn't seem to ever have been coloured red, just naturally coloured string, with some patination.

If anyone is interested in measurements, then for the Bhutanese sword we cave a total lengths of 77cm, grip 10cm, 790g, center of mass 20cm from the base of the blade (the "collar"). The blade itself is 62cm long, 36mm wide, and the spine goes from about 6mm to maybe 2mm just before the tip grind begins. Pretty stiff and sturdy.

The golok would be 51cm total, 490g, center of mass 11cm from the grip. Blade 39cm long, 35mm wide at the widest, spine tapering from 12mm to 3mm, with most of the taper in the first half, it's about 4mm thick in the middle.

I've also tried some brass polish on the scabbard of the golok, which worked much better than the silver cleaner.