Civil War Cavalry Officer saber.

[lboos]

I don't know...I think it's just a really mistreated blade. Don't think anything's been faked. A repro might make sense if you're making it beautiful, but there isn't anything left here in good shape. I doubt the guard would be good enough to pilfer from this old brute.

By the way, where have you found reproduction replacement guards?

You can find repo. swords of all kinds on the internet for less then $100, some look good and some look really bad, some are used just for parts, repo. antique guns the same thing, I see them sometimes at antique gun shows.
aging these parts is not hard at all.
I may be wrong on that hand guard , It's just my opinion from what I see in the pic's.
if I am wrong, Then I apologize to Tudorp .