Unusual Chinese sword
Hello guys, it's been a while!
I wanted to share with you guys a recent acquisition. It follows the format of regular Chinese hudiedao, with D-shaped knucklebrow and a hook at the back of the blade, and is also of roughly the same size.
The major departure from the standard design of such swords is the symmetrical, leaf-shaped, fully double edged blade on this one where a wedge-shaped single-edge blade is the norm. Other interesting differences from Chinese hudiedao include a slightly forward curving handle, chiseled decoration on the blade, and the hook being shaped like a little dragon head.
It is most likely of tribal origin, loosely based on equipment by the Han Chinese. That's pretty much everything I know about it, I haven't seen anything similar.
Perhaps the decoration could give away which culture produced it. Anyone?
(See pictures attached. In recent polish by Philip Tom, showing some of the laminations in the steel.)
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