This looks far too irregular for industrial cable; hand-wound, and I, too think, probably Turk-related. The form seems Spanish/Euro-Mediterranean?.....Forging flaws, imperfect welds, etc. are not good, of course, but are far from being any sign of modernity (indeed some modern smiths will argue the opposite).
Damascene usually refers to an applied surface pattern; properly one with either inlays and/or overlays. The term is often confused with damascus. It's a can of worms: Due to various confusions the term Damascus steel which certainly refered to wootz/bulat had come in N America to refer to almost any interestingly structured steel, and particularly to what this blade is; pattern-welded steel (a blade from industrial cable would still qualify in this category, but would just be less hand made).
At a guess a Turkish/E Med. Moslem interpretation of a Spainish/Itallian/etc. dagger?..............This may play in with the grip covering/other nonmatching details; not perhaps "wrong" because of time disparityk but geographoic distance?............guesses and thoughts.
Interesting dagger.
Phone wall thing no phnone still
Tea house tapioca jooint place
