Sfenoid and Jim, thank you for your comments. I agree that the hilt is very likely a replacement and of course, there is very little doubt the scabbard is. It is quite possible that originally the yataghan had silver mountings (or tin guilt with silver).
As for flyssas, I do think the shorter versions that are closer to yataghans in shape and size were most certainly intended to be functional weapons. They just were not as well made. Part of it was the skill level of the Kabyle smiths, and the other part was the attempt to make the flyssa into a cut and thrust weapon, sacrificing the excellent chopping characteristics of yataghans for the addition of a pointed tip and a more rigid blade.
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