Bone Grip Mahdist short sword:

[kronckew]

The dark bit at the tip is a separate 'chape' piece over the end. a bit thicker & less smooth than the rest on one side. The sewn seam is on the side, inside the curve, (along the spine). No seam on the edge side, so the main bit was all one piece. The croc skin is on both sides. That lighter main part could well be 'belly skin'. The chape part has what appears to be a ridge like I'd expect over a spine near one sewn edge. Skin is very dry, bit shrunken. Looks like it was put on wet as a tube & slid over the inner leather bit.

Any Ideas on what could be used to treat it to prevent cracking? the blade tip pokes out the end, close to a centimeter, so the chape bit could use a chape.