BenVK

A good friend of mine suggested this would be a good sword to start with. I bought it from a collector on the WAF forum who lives in Singapore. I just got it yesterday although it's been in the UK for a week. Waiting for UK customs to clear it didn't do my blood pressure any good! No duty to pay though in the end, don't know why but I'm not complaining!.. What's the verdict?

Understood Fred, thanks. I'll leave you guys alone now and see you again in about 5 years when I've learn't some of the basics! :lol:

Thank you gentlemen, the amount of information to take in is a bit overwhelming but very welcome. Prehaps the first sword that I posted photos of is not a good example to try and identify as a learning tool? For example, I'm really struggling to see anything of note about the Kissaki. I can see no Yokote of Boshi. (Photos on page 1) Is it possible the blade has been shortened?

Thanks again Gabriel. I probably came across as an impatient, annoying newbie. If so, I apologise. I totaly realise this is going to take years of study and there are no short cuts. I'd like to ask one last question about the sword I posted then I promise to shut up about it! The mei have been identified as gimei but the blade as original. Is it possible to tell me a little more? What era, hand or machine made, good or average quality? Many thanks.

It's really no problem at all. I too get tired of explaining what to look for regarding TR militaria but it's a pretty simple job compared with Nihonto! What I tried to do though was put some questions out there that showed that I'd done some research first rather just ask "original or not, value?"

I am so grateful to you Gabriel for taking the time to explain rather than just express you opinion.

I really appreciate all the answers. Can I ask what makes the mei fake please? I don't doubt what you guys are saying but if anyone of you had posted an SS visor cap that you thought was genuine but I knew was fake, I would tell you exactlly what it was that made it fake. So far,I have been told it's a fake mei but a real sword but not why so I've learn't exactly nothing.

Please can you explain your answers...

Please guys, there is nothing worse than one line answers then silence.

Sorry, gimei means fake? If so, can you explain please?

Thanks Brian. I'm starting to see the light. When you say that the value is in the quality, can you just tell that a blade is quality whether polished or not?

In regards to old un-polished swords, I spotted this one for sale. http://www.thelanesarmoury.co.uk/shop/v ... 04&phqu=10 The description is either meant to fool new guys like me or it is a true bargain for such an old sword. Knowing British dealers like I do when it comes to my area, Third Reich items, a"bargain" usually means crap. Thoughts? A Nice Signed Ancient Battle Katana, Koto Era, Just in And a Real Bargain By Bizen kuni ju Osafune Tadamitsu, Circa 1530, Almost 500 years old. We have around 15 swords awaiting polishing and cleaning so this early sword we are selling 'as is' is. It is what is refered to as a 'sleeper', likely left untouched [sleeping] for nigh on 200 years, the blade is nice with a stunning hamon, and showing natural ageing and wear so therefore it is being sold really low at a relative bargain price, for just a nominal return, especially for such an early sword by a good and revered smith. This sword was made around the time King Henry the VIIIth was about to marry Anne Boleyn, and Suleiman the Magnificent was capturing Belgrade from the Hungarian Empire, occupying Transylvania and battling the Knights of Rhodes. In Japan it was made during the great warring period, when wars, conflicts and battles were so commonplace as to be near innumerable, and this sword would have been used constantly until around 70 years later when at the Battle of Sekigahara when the Japanese clans was conquered and placed under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogun for the next 250 years. After this period Japan was more relatively peaceful, but still ravaged, throughout the islands, by internecine conflicts and rival clan warfare

I don't know if this makes sense but when comparing this blade to polished blades, it just looks "soft" if you know what I mean. Does the polishing process remove so much metal that it actualy re-shapes the blade?

I'll post 2 pics at a time, hope that's ok?

Hello eveyone, a few fellow members of the Wehrmacht Awards forum suggested that I drop in here to learn about Nihonto and they weren't wrong, great forum! I'm thinking about starting a Japanese sword collection. Actualy, it's my girlfriends idea because she's fascinated by swords, already has an antique British cavalry sabre that I bought her but has always really wanted a "Samurai" sword. She also takes fencing lessons so it's best not to argue with her! Anyway, a recent situation has sparked my interest as well. A mate on the WA forum recently posted a sword for sale. He's not an expert either and described it as a WWII Officers sword. It came out of an auction and was apparently bought home to the UK from Burma. Price was about £650 and I told him I'd take but was just a bit too late and it went to a buyer in Canada. I'd like to post some pics of it anyway because it relates to the questions I have as a newbie plus I can pass on the information to the buyer as well because he's a nice bloke. When I first looked at the sword, I recognised that it does have WWII "Shin Gunto" mounts. The blade however looked a lot older than that to me, just gut instinct though. On WA, the Mei was translated as Bizen Osafune-ju Sukekane, that would make it mid 19th century, correct? I did some research on that era of signed blades, the examples I found were mostly on dealer websites and they had blades that the hamon could be clearly seen and in general, were in much better condition. More research revealed that most had been polished, some broken or damaged koshirae had been repaired or replaced and it got me thinking and I have some questions: 1. Why is it acceptable to find untouched swords straight out the woodwork and then polish them and change bits and pieces to improve the condition? Is this common practice? In my area of collecting, WWII hats and uniforms, that is huge mistake and greatly reduces the value. 2. I'm assuming therefore that looking for a hamon on an old blade is a mistake because it won't be there in most cases unless it has been recently polished? 3. Machine made blades of WWII vintage won't have a hamon anyway? Anyway, here are the pics of the "Sukekane" sword. I'm pretty sure I missed out on a bargain here but that's no problem. I just want to learn. Cheers fellas. Ben