Thank you both for the insights; I shall have to look in to our records (such as they are) to see where we got our caption information. Unfortunately, the records of the 4th DG are sparse (as indeed are all of our records); a fire at their barracks circa 1920 destroyed a great many records going back to the regiment's foundation in 1685, and over the years yet more records have been lost owing to neglect, mishandling, wartime damage (the 5th Dragoon Guards placed their records into safe storage for the Second World War, only for said safe storage facility to be bombed flat by the Luftwaffe - argh!) the sheer ignorance of the squaddies on the importance of such documents (with no offence at all meant; it's not their job to be archivists, it's their job to be good soldiers, and so long as they do that I can forgive them most anything, however frustrating it might be for us down the line), and the habit of QMs to regard these enormous boxes of paper as so much useless encumbrance. I'm told by my boss (an ex-soldier himself) that on many occasions quartermasters would simply detail some luckless corporal and a private (or trooper, in our case) to go through the records and destroy any that weren't absolutely vital - or indeed, just to burn the lot as long as they weren't in use. It makes one bang one's head on the wall nowadays, but one can't really blame them.
Regardless, however, we must try. I happen to feel it's my duty to do so, and it's good to see that people appreciate that. Makes one feel quite humbled, really. Aw, shucks!
In any event, on with the show. Our final kaskara is much like our second specimen; it's in good condition (for ours, anyway), with its blade largely free from active rust and cleaned up; with that removed a good coating of oil (I cannot recommend Young's "303" enough, since it comes in a spray can and provides a good, durable coating - but am I right?) and some treatment applied, however belatedly, to its leather bindings and pommel should see it through, though I still dislike the unsightly black blotches of inactive corrosion. Once again it has a single, broad fuller, and is fairly sharp though less flexible than any other of the blades, at least to my feeling.
The blade also has a design etched into its base, just forward of the top of the langet, on both sides; after numerous unsuccessful attempts to make a rubbing of the wretched thing I decided to draw it instead, so I'm afraid that'll have to do until I can make a proper rubbing of the design, which seems to be carved fairly shallowly into the metal. Though the leather bindings are intact (just), they have begun to come away from the wood and, having I suspect been untreated for some years, are very frail. I've begun applying leather cream to all the leather parts on our swords (and everything else, too, in time) with the aim of trying to restore some of their natural strength and prevent them from disintegrating entirely.
Length overall: 39.375in (100cm)
Length blade: 34.5in (87.5cm)
Length grip: 4.5in (11.5cm)
Length fullers: 8.5in (21.5cm)
Width: 2in (5cm) at base of blade, tapering to 1.5in (3.8cm) just prior to tip.
Tip: Spatulate (?)/"spear-point".
Width of cross-guard: 6.895in (16.8cm)
Overall views:
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/6070/img0429b.jpg
http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/7523/img0430j.jpg
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/5227/img0431r.jpg
Bottom of sword, grip, pommel and cross-guard, prior to treatment:
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/9813/img0441qp.jpg
http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/8207/img0428pa.jpg
Detail of design on blade base (probably not much good - sorry about that):
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9839/img0432am.jpg
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/9115/img0434yf.jpg
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/3359/img0436hq.jpg
Langets, cross-guard and bottom of edge:
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/5250/img0438mx.jpg
Pommel (and my shirt - admire its stripiness):
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/3375/img0439ru.jpg
Fuller, base of blade and cross guard:
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/2504/img0440n.jpg
Reproduction of design on blade - approximately:
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/403/img0465q.jpg