In pic 5 above, you get a great view of the spiral iron shaft of the main body. You can also see the side seam, indicating it was cast???
Knowing nothing of the art of blacksmithing other then what I get to see on 'Forged in Fire' (a great show, BTW!), I was wondering if perhaps this isn't rebar at all but so called twist core iron? Any smiths out there?
At the end of the 18th/early 19th century, so called 'ribbed iron' hilts were the craze on Brit/Amer cutlasses of the period. Were these type hilts cast? I believe they were, so...