gunto expert in los angeles

hello everyone;

I was wondering if anyone knows a person who can take a look at my gunto blade and tell me some information about it and whether it can be restored in some way. From what I've learned in this forum, its not traditionally made but that's about all I can say about it. Also, I'd be interested in knowing at what time period it would have been made.

Unfortunately I cannot take pictures for this forum since the unexpected demise of my digital camera.

Thank you very much,

Brandon

Dear Brandon.

Quickest and probably easiest to borrow a camera and post here as you will; have access to a broad range of expertise. However you might contact these guys; http://www.ricecracker.com/ BAsed in San Pedro, any use to you?

Cheers.

thank you for your reply geraint. I contacted them last week but they also wanted to see pictures. I tried borrowing a camera but haven't been able to get one. So here are some pictures taken on my cell phone.

Here is the link to the pictures, they are all with the title IMAG.

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=2B8A565B4B799E1D!3919&authkey=!AMLeXU6m_pIYHcg

thanks again,

Brandon

Sorry Brandon but I am afraid this blade is a fake Chinese copy.

But, there are people here far more experienced so I would let them have their say too.

KM

Fake.

Brandon, read carefully this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=16947

thank you all for your replies. This is very disheartening news but I appreciate the input. Unfortunately in haste, these things happen.

Thanks again,

Brandon

For what it's worth, I don't see anything that points to a fake, except possibly the way the hole for the mekugi (peg hole) is on one side, but Ive seen such damage done when someone tried to remove a peg to see if their sword was signed. (true story, at a very small local gun show I was walking down one of the aisles and saw a two people take out a full sized hammer and a phillips head screw driver, to remove the peg, and they were pushing it out from the wrong side! This was around 15 years ago, I hope people know better now.)

To me it looks like a real World War 2, made in 1930s-1940's unsigned machine made bade, basically Showato. Real , but no merit as an art sword, any value would be as a historic piece to a militaria collector or sentimental-heirloom value to a relative if brought home by a veteran.

Polishing costs would probably cost 4 or 5 times what it would be worth even after restoration, and there wouldn't be any grain or hamon to bring out with a polish anyway, better off leaving it as is.

If you're buying swords, Jean's link is a good/great way to go, especially if you're after a real antique historic/art sword.

Regards,

Lance

looks like any other gunto....to many early to call fake....showto id say....lets slow down guys. we dont want to get a newb to comit seppuku on us.

The mounts are legit. The blade is questionable but tough to tell. The mekugi-Ana looks drilled and I'm not fond of the end of the nakago, but who knows.

I am still not convinced it is real.

1. Crudely cast tsuba.

2. fairly generic habaki

3. strange seppa

4. clearly painted and crudely cast kabutogane

5. Nakago with very strange centerline

7. No file marks whatsoever, patina looks applied with a brush.

8. Sword openings do not look like kizu would look but entire blade (to me) looks cast iron or pressed.

The openings look like air bubbles and are even seen in the nakago.

9. Nakago ana looks drilled and very crude.

Hamon line looks etched or engraved.

If it is at all WWII it is Ersatz material, late war. Machine made blade. And that is a distinct possibility.

Looks fake to me too Henk-Jan. I would add to your list that the shinogi is not crisp at all. Sometimes one sees this when a sword is put on a buffing wheel, so it is not a perfect indicator. It also does not seem to have much of a hamachi or munemachi.

I don't agree basing the real/fake argument on the mounts - as I believe the mounts are genuine (maybe pieced together by an entrepreneurial Chinese gentleman). Here is an example of a gendai sword I owned that had even poorer mounts. The sword was genuine, but if I judged based strictly on mounts, it would be a fake (which it obviously isn't)... http://yakiba.com/Kat_Masamitsu.htm

I think this is all based on the blade - which may or may not be "real" showato.

Whatever it is, it is not a true nihonto and if it is a non traditional one, its one of the crudest I have seen. There are no yasurime, the shinogi is sinewy, the temper line is for the least curious, does not even seem oil tempered but drawn, the blade is all over shiny hamon included which is not even the case on plated one, not mentioning the mekugi ana .....

Now with such pictures, to be sure, just bring it to a specialized dealer.

Thought when I viewed the pics, I would be able to add something to the debate. But umm...yeah. Looking at the pics, I have to just agree with what others said.

Gut feel is the mounts are real and late war. But the blade....horrible. Bears signs of a fake (like nakago jiri, yasurime etc as mentioned) but it has that slim possibility of being some late war rush job. Maybe theater made?

Anyways, this is one with no definitive answer. You would need to get it to someone in hand.

Brian

Late war.

thank you for all these interesting comments, it would probably be best to err on the side of caution and call this a postwar production (there are probably 10 newbie mistakes for every genuine piece).

However if anyone is in the LA area and would like to see it please feel free to let me know.

thanks again,

Brandon