That's some good info right there! I'm always on the look out for old leather stuff, it would not have occurred to me to look for the darker spots for rubbing or handling to show some age. I also buy antique knives. Had a guy a few years back try to sell me a genuine ww2 Japanese commando dagger for only two hundred dollars! I told him that I didn't think the word Japan would have been stamped on the blade in English. This guy was good tho, told me the used combat dagger from ww2 was made for the export business. I told I was pretty sure that during ww2 we weren't buying anything from Emperor Hirohito during that time. He did not get my money.