Thanks for the kind words. This one is typical of what Scott Rodell has termed a "militia jian". It has a 24-inch blade but weighs 1K so it maneuvers like a longer but lighter jian. It is probably late 19th c., and is typical of village manufacture with a Chinese elmwood handle and a heavy iron pommel and guard. In this case the pommel is somewhat unusual in that it was coated in brass to imitate high-class jian.
Josh
http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j6...current=00.jpg
http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j6...rrent=01-1.jpg