Yep, one and the same Ed. Also you may like the three papers I wrote on Kaskara available on the Forum's Geographical Index under Africa.
http://vikingsword.com/ethsword/
Yes, the weld seam as you show. The flat pre-form is explained in the papers on cross guards.
Any kind of "leather food" with lanolin will work on the scabbard.
The metal piece at the top of the scabbard is likely aluminum. The one at the bottom is a replacement.
Regards,
Ed