kris for comment

[David]

Originally Posted by kai

The usual metal strips connecting the hilt to the asang-asang also appear to missing - maybe these got damaged/lost in a cleaning attempt and the hilt happened to be put on upside down afterwards?

Might i suggest that these a sang-asang were never attached to this hilt. The position of the back one seems too far away and how would these be attached with the MOP anyway. Given the fragility of the MOP i can't imagine the attachment bands running up under the MOP. I believe these a sang-asang are leftover from the previous hilting as i do not believe this is the original hilt for this blade.