thank you guys! and yes maurice, it's all about TLC
it was a fixer upper, to say the least, so i got it for cheap. as you can see, the blade was manhandled, strap for the baka2x was coming off, and when i finally got it, the pommel was hanging on one nail, and it was practically hanging (the pommel.i had to disassemble the whole thing so i can work on it individually. it took pretty much a good part of the day trying to remove the tarnish (which i think it was a mixture of cosmoline and tarnish actually). then i took it to work trying to figure out how to fastened the pommel securely. luckily, a guy i work with who's into revolutionary war and lifestyle suggested he can fashion a nail from a brass wire. so off to the shop we go. i drilled a guide hole using a 1/16" drill bit right under the pommel's beak, then with the nail he made carefully peened it thru the hole. it's the bigger brass nail...