Thank you for that information, it largely confirms what I suspected. As you mention, it does appear to have been artificially aged. Perhaps if I again encounter the dealer who stated it was of the Imperial Era, I should sell it to him?
I remain curious about a few things. Would the blade have been modified from a wartime military blade? Or is this whole thing new-made from scratch? What narrows it down to 20 years vs. 40-50-60 years ago? Is that (20 years) when they first started being encountered on the market?
The workmanship can hardly be described as first-cabin, but it does seem better made than what one might expect from China or Pakistan. I do not know what these cost (this one came from the surviving son of a fellow hunter) but the amount of time and effort put forth to make this seems not to leave much room for profit.
I have to wonder whether some of these were made to fulfill a post-war need, during the 1950s and 1960s as civilian hunters were once again allowed to possess firearms and the various Jagdverein began to reestablish themselves. Certainly the originals - not plentiful to begin with - became increasingly scarce following two world wars, confiscation and looting by occupation forces, and purchase by various souvenir seekers.
