The hilt (quillion?), is, I believe shaped in its "teardrop" fashion, to facilitate the fighting grip, with forefinger over the hilt. We do know for a fact that Lt. Zacharias' last journal entry came one week before his Battalion set sail, and it's easy to think all of the Lt's orders would be delivered appearing similar to each other. Certainly an important time in the development of the APFK, with room for much more learning, investigating, and hopefully, more discovery.