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					Originally Posted by tom hyle
					
				 
				Rivetted scales get loose all the time; the main culprits are trauma and warping/expanding/shrinking of the fibrous organnic grip material from moisture exchange (mostly with the air).  This type of sword tends to have a short (ie not full length) flat tang that may or may not be full width, rivetted to a plate that is soldered to the tangband.  An arrangement like this seems more liable to wiggling than a true flat tang.  If you don't want to tighten the rivets (and the holes may be wallowed out; one sure looks it, which complicates this) I suppose you might explore if you can do any good with wedges, shims, or injected adhesive/filler of some sort. 
M Carter; what kind of pitch do you start with, and where do you get it, please      To the side, I have seen the pitch inside a tulwar handle be stabilized re-bar style with a matrix of wiggly copper wire. 
Is a false edge that is not "dropped" (ie widened) a yelman?  I have always heard and read the term yelman in association with the dropped edge.  
			
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 Well thats certainly interesting! 

  Ive never handled a sword with a riveted hilt that was loose (except for crossguards). I get my pitch from an industrial area over here in kuwait. Its black, oily and very smelly I must say.