Hey guys,
I could be wrong about this, but the wood doesn't look to be "charred" nearly as much as it does in the picture. The difference in color appears to me to be the result of a person's grip on the sword and scabbard. The handle and scabbard are a very dark brown and a bit rough. Exactly where your hand would go on the handle though, the wood is smooth and much lighter. Maybe it was charred, and the "charring" was simply worn off by someone's hand.
I'm attaching two additional pictures of some details that may be of interest. The first is of some sort of symbols/characters on the scabbard, which also allows you to see the color variation. The second is of a "butt" or plate which looks to be nailed to the bottom of the handle.
David
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