Fake blade, etched pattern
The post is edited to discuss the koshirae only.
Dear All,
Greetings from Canada! I am new and all my limited information about Nihonto are from internet.
Please share your thoughts , knowledge and comment.
The koshirae looks elegant and concise. All fittings have a lot of Chinese characteristics. Red colored rayskin scabbard with 9 bats means "hong fu shou qi tian" ,"洪福壽齊天"in Chinese. The bat is not a simple bat, it has a longevity head, and a hidden monkey face, combines auspicious meanings.
The tusba has a "Lou han" who tames the tiger without a fight. Maybe the highest honor for a warrior. Please note the philosophy here.
Both ends use horn material. The handle end has a white though line, means the blade is a sharp one,you can cut through your enemy.The scabbard end has a short white line, means the opponent can not cut you through. There are willow strips decorated on the outside of the handle and the scabbard, which are rare to me.
The menuki on the handle also has a nice meaning: triple dragon courage,"三聯龍膽" in Chinese.
So, the blade is fake, the red rayskin koshirae seems pretty good, but a real koshirae can not protect a fake blade.
Again, please share your thoughts , knowledge and comment.
Thanks in advance.