This is a new sword of course, it is advertized as such, but it is not necessarily Chinese. A number of Thai firms and craftsmen are producing new dha and other swords, ranging from poor to quite good quality.
Fearn, the HI khukuri don't have habaki per se, just much larger bolsters. Traditional khukri were constructed in the same manner but with smaller bolsters/ferrules. These serve to reinforce the hilt-blade connection.
The habaki serves only as a locking mechanism for the blade to sit in the scabbard without touching the scabbard's inner surfaces.
I think in the dha above the habaki is there purely as a stylistic feature, mimicking in a way the more popular nihonto.
Emanuel
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