Hello Roy,
Quote:
the holes in the guard would likely have had a large iron staple, possibly with a lot of folds like a potato masher,
<snip>
edited - added a grip example. not all had a potato masher tho, but the holes suggest yours did. they usually wrapped the grips too.
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I agree with Wayne that there was an iron guard present in your example (and that some rattan braiding would complement the grip). Actually, if I read the wear correctly, I believe it once had a guard on both sides!
The attachment of these iron staples varies quite a bit (as does the bending of the guard); however, holes going all the way through the (usually but not exclusively) wooden crosspiece are the norm - even with pieces that have only a single guard.
Regards,
Kai