Good point Ariel. I currently have two sabers here with Mamluk inspired blade decor, chiseled in relief from the forte. Both have a long inscription on the longer, upper part.
As for the habaki (鎺) / tunkou (吞口, literally "swallowing mouth"), I agree with Philip that they are most likely of different origin. They are both solutions to the same problem but were developed independently.
The earliest form of habaki I've been able to find so far is on a Japananese sword now held in the Metropolitan Museum, accession number 32.13.2a, b. It is attributed by the museum to the 6th century A.D., however Japanese sources don't mention this type, called kabutsuchi until the early 8th century. (See Markus Sesko; Koshirae) Either way, it seems to far predate the tunkou and there has been no instance in Japan that the shape of this piece had any protrusion going up the blade.
The antique record hasn't left much for us from China, and those pieces that are found are hard to access and often not cataloged well. But, such tunkou are also seen on Chinese statues of the 8th century, suggesting that like the art of forging swords, this particular piece also originated in China and reached Japan directly or through Korea.
See picture for the Met's example.
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