Hi Glen,
Sorry for the late reply.
My main area of collecting is ethnographic ....where decorative elements are often symbolic or talismatic. These decorative features often aid dating, origins etc and subtle differences can equate to a difference of many years or origins a thousand mile apart.
The hilt with the 'disc' shaped sections of the knucklebow and the other with the elongated 'bead' with a ball at either end, which you mentioned are not even subtly different to the usual 5 'balled' or 'beaded' decoration that I am refering to.....so agreed 'odd'.
My question was about the decorative (or symbolic) grouped 'beaded' design, usually 5 in a row .....either with beads of equal size or those which graduate in size ie smaller at the ends, increasing in size to the middle. This design seems to have travelled to a number of countries....some of which were enemies. To my mind this suggests some symbolic, talismatic or religious meaning.
Kind Regards David