Wondering if there are any suggestions on how to determine if scabbard paint is original, or a post war repaint?
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scabbard repaint
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This might sound silly, but you can usually smell a repaint if it's relatively new. New paints will give off a particular smell that is, I believe, a result of particulate evaporation of some of the chemicals in modern paints. Of course, this won't help you spot older repaints. You can also inspect the area around the scabbard fittings. Often, repainted scabbards can be spotted by globby-paint that bunches up adjacent to scabbard fittings. Finally, if you see paint chips that reveal metal that has not aged and rusted, that is a bad sign. Of course, such evidence is easily masked by clever restoration fraudsters. The best way to tell repaints, though, is to become familiar with period paintjobs. The more you handle, the more obvious the repaints become.
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Regarding wear, don't be afraid of a paintjob that is seemingly too perfect - just be sure the rest of the piece is consistent with respect to condition - perfect paint should find perfect blades, wood, etc. It is very difficult, in summary, to spot an old "post-war" repaint - only recent ones stick out, and then, only if they are not done well.
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Another thing that works (that I have used in the past) is to go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy some of those "disposable lead paint testers" for your house. WWII era paint should contain lead and its lack of lead could indicate that it has been repainted in the last 10 years. Just a suggestion.
Ben
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