"Jeffy" always spoke of himself (to me) as being "just a salesman".
Being from good ol' Carolina he once had a good and pure heart, but somehow got sidetracked in the "windy city".
28-5/8 = 72.7 cm !
What is the measured distance from the handle end of the shaft to the near end of the mortise, less the nipple?
If 15 mm or less:
It is my recommendation that you should have it cleaned, restored, and re-polished by a professional archetier.
What type of person would you classify as an "unwilling" expert?
Does anyone you know of, or have dealt with professionally, actually fit into such a category?
Sure you do.