PNSSHOGUN

Absolutely fake.

Sloughs is the current bible.

I don't know about massive, I have a Type 94 with a bend so great it nearly has a Kanbun Sori sideways.

I think you may be on a massive Schnapps bender, my friend! No bends that I can see.

I hadn't read the date so 1943 would mean they aren't the early type of mountings, they just look like it due to wear. The could be older mounts that aren't matched to the blade, overall nothing suspicious with it at all.

They are early Type 94 fittings.

Interesting, I'm glad it wasn't a straight pass.

My instant reaction was it could be "Trench Art" by a handy soldier.

The Saya leather is certainly new, within the last few decades, the end leather chape is original WW2 leather though. I think it's original, doesn't make sense to put that much effort and expense into a Koshirae like this post war. The fittings are all of the better quality type and the Itomaki is top notch. I'll get some more photos later.

There's enough wrong with it to make it worrying but enough right about it to make it puzzling.

That's what it looks like to me as well, perhaps an ex stage piece or Dojo sword.

Would they have done the same with the aluminium sayas?

By nature the Shinsa team wouldn't have much experience with Chinese made swords, combined with the heavy workload of the show mistakes can happen.

Variation of Sanbonsugi seems about right then, the blade has Kanbun Sugata which ties in. Thank you everyone. Did anyone have a reference for a sword with a similar variation?

I'm trying to figure out the style of this Hamon, the closest I have seen is Koshi-No-Hiraita but I have found very few examples to compare. Anyone with examples or which schools/smiths are known for this Hamon would be greatly appreciated.

It not only went to Shinsa, it passed???

Don't think this can be improved upon, great sword.

Looks like that was a "below the belt" hit....

Are those lines in the edge of the tang deep and V shaped?

No need to get a new polish on this one IMO.

Ah, of course. Well there you go, hopefully any astute buyer does some research and is aware of our concerns. Personally I generally have had good luck on ebay simply due to doing research and knowing alot of Nihonto are on there for the reasons we see here.

The R&D, time, resources and skill that would be required to fool a Shinsa team of a new sword as a Koto period sword would be ludicrous. Smiths have been trying to recreate the Koto masters work for hundreds of years and still cannot do it. How can you recreate such age, such quality and so many polishes and usage? The only market these will affect is the low end Nihonto/high end Chinese one, which is already heavy with much poorer fakes, recreations and tired swords than these. I think Neil is correct in that people will be educated fast and the more discussions and threads we have identifying such swords the less likely buyers will be swindled.

What's the issue?

I think this is a European sword knot rather than a specific Japanese style. However the Japanese used mostly European regalia and often Officers were trained in Europe so it isn't out of the question a Japanese officer had it.

I don't see anything to firmly indicate Muromachi period at all, especially on the Nakago. More research is always good, you'll start to see what we notice. Koto wakizashi tend to have a finer, smaller shape and larger sori with short Nakago. The patination can be darker too and the Hada will be looser and more prominent after multiple polishes. Look up Koto era Wakizashi online and compare yours, you will see what we mean.