I'm in agreement with you both. The problem with these one-off creations is, unless you have a history, a smith's name or some sort of provenance, it will always be a mystery sword. Jim's excellent point of having a crossguard excludes a tool (tobacco knife, fascine knife, etc), not to mention the crossguard is rather involved, folded over and welded metal. The aging/patina on the piece could make it pre-1900 perhaps, so hard to tell. Other crazy possibilities? Confederate side knife? Caribbean side knife, etc, etc. Well made 'mystery' sword-
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