Thanks for the questions.. Essentially The man with more books than you can even imagine is Jim McDougall who has what amounts to a great big mobile bookmobile full of such publications and Im sure he would be delighted to give you some ideas. I tend to focus on the Forum Library and web which is filled with excellent papers and posts on such subjects See
http://auctionsimperial.com/om-the-p...f-assad-allah/ for an idea on Persian master sword makers and the apparent system of placing the makers name on high quality blades as a kind of trade mark or quality marker down the centuries … This also happened on European weapons with the name Andrea Ferrera and others …
The site owner, Lee, has a very important document on your blade with note as I recall of the Bedou or magic square format with a letter in each square and this is Talisman by nature … I tried digging it up but although I know its in there I cannot find it... Im sure it will pop up...
The reference I have given is also important as it gives another Ladder formation in a picture...on the site... The author; Oliver Pinchot, is about as expert as you can get on this weapon form and more like it.. and sets down a brilliant treatise.