Greetings gentlemen (and women?),
I am brand new to this forum so I spent a couple days reading and browsing throughout before posting, I hope to avoid any breaches in board etiquette.
A couple weeks ago I purchased an "unknown brand sword," on an online auction site (not ebay) after much research and soul-searching. I paid for the sword with Paypal, so I am not too worried about its authenticity, due to their fraud protection feature. Upon receiving the item and doing even more research, I've come to believe what I bought was an authentic WWII sword (or a good copy) but I would love to get your collective input. My purchase came on the heels of your recent convention in Chicago, which is just 100 miles north of me, so I couldn't get the blade authenticated there. I found a flyer from the show in Chicago and emailed Mark Jones of Asian Art and Antiques of Maumee, OH, and he replied with a link to the board and Brian's name. I appreciate the time and devotion you all have for these amazing pieces of history and hope to learn much from my time spent here.
Anyway, here are a few pictures: This is the condition the sword was in when I received it; I have not attempted to clean anything, I only removed the tsuka, and only after research and careful coaxing. Thank you all for your help in advance.
Troy H. http://s228.photobucket.com/user/troyez/library/Nihonto?sort=3&page=1
For reference - the sword is 35 inches overall, and the cutting edge is 24 inches (not including the habaki).