[Shaun Harper]

Hi, sorry if this is in the wrong section. Would appreciate any information on a sword found while clearing out my Granddads house. Story goes from the family (not sure how accurate) that he found it in the middle east during WW2 and bought it back home after. Thanks.

http://img691.imageshack.us/i/rimg0351.jpg/

http://img85.imageshack.us/i/rimg0350.jpg/

http://img704.imageshack.us/i/rimg0352.jpg/

http://img353.imageshack.us/i/rimg0349m.jpg/

http://img28.imageshack.us/i/rimg0348.jpg/

[Werner Stiegler]

The scabbard looks chinese. You'd usually see that style of mountings on a chinese scabbard anyway.

[Anders Backlund]

It does look like Chinese dao - a yanmaodao/good quill saber? Not sure. Definitely a Chinese-inspired asian design, though.

Interesting find.

[Timo Nieminen]

It's Chinese (or at least Chinese-style).

Would most likely have had a round guard, wooden grip (possibly wrapped in cord, possibly fishskin),with a tubuluar rivet through the hole in the tang (or possibly just a hole through the grip at this point - this is to attach a cord or tassel), with the end of the tang peened at the pommel. The two suspension points on the scabbard are used to suspend the scabbard at the left side. A military carry was often with the grip to the rear, to avoid getting in the way of the bow and bowcase.

Could be 19th c., possibly Qing military. Could be a more recent tourist replica. If it's a good blade - good edge geometry, hard steel, distal taper - then it isn't likely to be a cheap tourist piece (or a crappy military sword). There were good early 20th century replicas as well as cheap nasty ones. Since this has plain steel fittings, it's likely a functional piece if it has a good blade.

The family story could easily be true, if the Middle East is taken to extend to Burma. From the photos, it's old enough.