ChrisW

You can see the grain of the metal curving as it goes into the stand. I think there was originally a rim but then for some reason, it was removed and the remainder bent into being the anchor for the piece.

This. Exactly. Every time I make an acquisition.

Sue me for answering seriously I guess! I approach my hobby of collecting swords as an investment for retirement, seeing as I cannot take them with me when I do go someday. So I nearly always buy swords from the perspective of "I can immediately turn this for a profit if I must," with only a few exceptions. As for what do non-collectors have that collectors do not? Eh.. probably depends on how poorly they spend their money. You wouldn't catch me spending money on worthless Apple crap like the latest iPhone... though I definitely could use a better camera!

I've heard this 'man with many names' mentioned before and I think it sounds like he should be shunned from all groups. It sounds like he's just out to make a buck for himself and doesn't care whose reputation he has to trash to do it. Just my two cents.

That's true. I forgot about that! Have to agree with Grey though, that polish is meh.

If there is a mizukage, that'd be the dead giveaway.

Expect delays, the postal service here and internationally is bogged down in spots.

I thought the blade was proportioned much smaller! I have to agree with Ray here, this looks like a showato.

Nagasa length? Nakago length?

Could we get some measurements for this blade? And a picture of aforementioned shirasay?

Katana-like proportions but small? Perhaps a shichi-go-san sword or other sword made for the child of a wealthy individual/samurai?

The lettering on the inside of the tsuka is probably part of the set of assembly numbers used in the factory to track what parts went together.

I've had experience with old Russian cosmoline on my M44 Mosin Carbine; bought it straight from the Tula arsenal crate it was packed in. Nasty stuff to clean off and it takes time to remove it entirely but it is doable!

Okay! Well, I am not an expert in any capacity. I shall defer to those who have far more expertise.

A quick search of Kowloon reveals it is a neighborhood that exists as part of Hong Kong; renown for its corruption, poverty, and control by the triad. A large portion was bulldozed by the Chinese government in the 1990's and rebuilt. I also second what Dave just said; those pictures will help judge the veracity of the blade itself.

You said it was obtained in Kowloon in 1945? That explains quite a lot. Legitimate Japanese blades coming out of China are almost unheard of and they are infamous for the fake Japanese sword industry there that persists to this day. A bit surprising to know it was still happening during WWII. No offense, but in all likelihood, this is a fake that was made at the end of WWII and sold to your grandfather on the pretense it was a real Japanese sword. It happened A LOT. I can't speak for the blade itself, but the mountings are definitely not of Japanese origin in their entirety. Some parts look okay such as the kabutogane.

I am not convinced that this is legitimate, but more experienced members will be able to tell you more. The things that tell me this are: the red ito (never seen such a thing on a gunto, and never this new-looking), the black leather saya cover (another thing that screams new), the poor quality cast of the tsuba.

Welcome to the board! Please make sure to put your name in your signature line so we know how to address you!

Keeping it in its shirasaya is also the preferred method for long-term storage. A very handsome blade by the way!

Absolutely amazing! Thank you for showing us.

I am afraid that at that price level, its going to be near-impossible to achieve. Good gendaito tend to run about twice that.

Ah. So just a run of the mill sukashi probably?

Hey everyone, Happy Easter! I have a tsuba here which I was told is possibly Heianjo (I thought Sukashi). Looking for opinions if you all don't mind! I know it looks somewhat off-center but that is due to my photography skills more than not. It has a diameter of 3 1/8" or thereabouts with a nakago ana of 1 1/4 by 5/16". It appears to have some age on it.

Maybe they were pre-made en masse and then fitted once they were ready?

Thank you again Moriyama-san! Much appreciated!