There are a number of manufacturers (some in China, US etc) producing quality, functional Chinese swords with folded blades with heat treatment. Many of these quality repo's sell for $500- $1800, I thought it could be one of these examples. But there was something about the blade that worried me....and I couldn't put 'my finger on it'. Josh's comment on there being no signs of heat treatment ...made me realise 'that's why it didn't look right'.
http://www.angelsword.com/chinese/chinese_home.php
I would like to have a few examples of Chinese swords in my collection....but with so many fakes etc. I had resided myself to the fact a quality functional repo. may have been the way to go