Lowenly

Douglas, that antiques show has definitely piqued my interest, and I'll certainly consider it. Thanks for bringing it up! Just popped over to the nihonto board and realized how completely out of my depth I am on the antique sword front. I think I'm going to have to sit down before I hurt myself... and my wallet. -Jonathan

Thank you all for such a quick response! Even though it turned out to be nothing, it's nice to know for sure from an expert's mouth, so I really do appreciate it. Perhaps I need to resign myself to the fact that a real gunto is going to cost REAL money... And it seems that at least Bob got some more enlightenment in the world of fakes; never hurts to learn more about "the enemy". -Jonathan

Hello there. I am a rather casual sword collector, and have been recently been looking into purchasing a gunto or nihonto of some kind. I'm trying to shop smart, but also not break the bank, and I realize that this puts me in the crosshairs for scammers and fakes to sucker me into a bad purchase with an inauthentic item. I know the basics of how to spot an obvious stainless steel wall-hanger or modern replica, but beyond that I'm out of my depth, and could use a hand. I encountered this possible shin gunto online recently from an antiques dealer who "is not a sword expert" (red flag thrown up instantly). The sword seems rather poorly made, which leads me to suspect it's just an old Chinese fake, but it's in pretty rough shape overall so perhaps that's just age and improper handling; I'm not skilled enough to tell. The tang in particular seems very bizarre to me with its chips and rough perimeter, and I'm not sure what to make of it. I personally don't mind the rust and damage since I think it gives it character, but if this isn't a real gunto I'd rather not bother. Would anyone care to give me their two cents? Thanks in advance! Pictures attached.