[Iain Norman]

Well I think that's a more than satisfactory explination. Thanks for the excellent answers and clearling up my mind on this one. This otherwise would have continued to bug me everytime I saw the dang thing.

[Iain Norman]

Just ran across another rather odd sword that fits what we were talking about in this thread. Image originally posted over at SFI. Sword on the right has a curved blade but straight hilt. Since the sword that this thread was originally about had a curved blade as well as the bent tang, I wonder if the hilt curve was intentional since the one attached below seems to collaborate it?

[Jesse Frank]

It's hard to say, but sometimes backsword type blades curve forward in the quench.