Thread: Samurai Sword

I just Found this exact sword on eBay it's 100% identical down to the color/ weathering of the shoe lace and green lacquered sheath, but doesn't have the rust on the blade, the folded steel is closer to the links you sent. Or at least to my untrained eye. They might be improving their technique.

Just a shorter duration in the acid bath.

Hey the Honjo Masamune (google it) is still out there somewhere!! That's a billion dollar item that could be rusting away on some war-widows mantle...

I will come out and say that I was fooled, I am just a very clueless knife lover who knows nothing about swords other than a few times in life I googled. I guess the china fakers count on people like me seeing it at the antique store and putting all these fine details into th sword that I would be fooled. Honestly when I posted this thread I thought one of you would say, hey jump on it. Your missing out on a good deal. Now that I have had time to read and research all that you guys posted I know more now. And won't be fooled again. But I can see where people will be. And that's why they do it....

I hope someone else learns from this thread and does not jump like I almost did.

Sid. There are plenty of good sites out there full of both eye candy & good info. The Kashima sisters site that Mike linked you is one of my favourites & newly made tanto are not a super exe item to consider compared to sword length pieces . You may even have a local Nihonto appreciation society close by where you can see some in the flesh.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Sid. There are plenty of good sites out there full of both eye candy & good info. The Kashima sisters site that Mike linked you is one of my favourites & newly made tanto are not a super exe item to consider compared to sword length pieces . You may even have a local Nihonto appreciation society close by where you can see some in the flesh.

Ha, I live in BFE okie land nothing like that exists here. Thanks for the post though and effort of your thoughts. But I know my small town in the middle of nowhere. The Internet is my only source of info other than how to rope a cow or make a meth lab.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Apart from the shoestring ito The steel looks like it's modern. Pattern welded from 2 fairly different steels giving such a stark contrast in the grain. The grain itself does not ring a bell for me. Japanese styles are pretty formalised & tamahagane is far more subtle.

This.

Tamahagane looks for more subtle.
Additionally, real tamahagane swords often has visible folding scars. This is simply a pattern welded modern sword. Depending on what you want with it, it might even be a good sword.
But it is not a traditional katana.

Additionally, the saya and tsuka should not look like a jewelry box vomited all over them, covering them in cheap gaudy gooey.

Normally come here for razor info and just started picking away at other parts of this forum,thought it was kind of interesting to find this here.I haver a 30 year background in Japanese swords,study and restoration.By no means makes me an expert but it makes qualifies me in a certain"niche"in the sword world.I was trained to look at steel,workmanship(finish),and shape.These show up regularly on Nihonto Message Board • Index page "the Nihonto Message Board",probably some of the most knowledgeable group around for the study of "Nihonto".They also show up at gun and antique shows where the dealers think think they are getting a good deal,find out they got nailed,and try to dump them on the unsuspecting new collector.Alot of these swords appear to be a bastardized verion of the "Gunto"which can have anything from a piece of heat treated,ground to shape tool steel,oil quenched-selectivly heat treated(hamon)barstock,oil quenched-forged and folded,non traditional steel,water quenched-folded,non traditional steel,to Gendaito-modern traditional,tamahagane or approved steel,or an ancestral blade.Bottom line--for most of you that want to buy your first Japanese sword,do your homework first,buy a book.But I also may take excepion to these being good swords,they are made to deceive,as such it would be questionable whether you can cut with these swords or not.Some have been known to have rat-tail tangs(nakago) and will snap off at the tsuka if even swung through the air(althogh most of these newer ones have the full"nakago" and most that post on the forum want them translated,which turns out to be some jibberish)Even with the full tang,the heat treat comes into question,which if not properly done can make the sword snap or fail if it strikes an object.
Again,if you want a real Japanese sword,go to the link provided,and expect to pay a considerably bit more money for a real sword.
Greg

Try this website... good resource for swords of all stripes...Hanwei Practical XL Katana Review

Drive down to my place & you can have one quite similar to that one...yes, have it. I got suckered 6-8 years ago myself. I do have a couple of waki's you can look at that are the real deal though for eye candy. I've also got a set of Practical Elites from Hanwei, nice set if you are looking at getting into cutting some mats...