Well, I am afraid the antique fixing shops in my country are more than just one, but they exist in all countries all over the world. EBay, a great help to collectors on a budget such as myself, has provided a huge boost to crooks from everywhere. Those in Bulgaria are also taking advantage of the situation, but generally, the proportion of dishonest dealers in Bulgaria is not by the least bit larger than that in Russia, Turkey, or the US for example. I would not blame the bladesmith, who fixed the yataghan and revived an old blade, but the intermediaries, who exported the piece outside of Bulgaria in violation of Bulgarian laws (interestingly, all these items dug/found in Bulgaria and offered on eBay are located in either Vegas or Germany or both at the same time) and then marketed it on eBay as an authentic piece.
Joe (I saw your name from SFI), it will be interesting to see what the inscription on the blade means. Once you get the yataghan you will be able tot ake better pics of it, and someone should be able to translate it.
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