Lareon

I really love the hamon on this too. Double peaks with another small section of tobiyaki above

Got mine out to have a look again and took some decent photos of the mounts and saya

Bit of better lighti managed to get the hamon to come out a little. Looks to change between choji and gunome in places.

Picked up this damaged unsigned O-suriage blade. It's quite heavily oxidised and was difficult to photo the hamon or see any detail in the metal. Looks to be gunome hamon and a Kiri yasurime maybe The red rusty colour is from the lighting not the blade and I couldn't be bothered to steam or iron the backdrop (apologies for the wrinkles)

Ah cheers, i've never seen the disc version just the standard variations just never a perfect circle!

yes it was very poor, as soon as you get beneath the koshirae everything is awful. as soon as i saw the kabutogane at the first inspection i had my doubts as that small circular pin seemed so off. I wondered if it was some kind of mount for a mon or similar. the habaki though.... oh dear. after a brief inspection of the blade the hamon is brushed on, the steel is poor and then when you get to the nakago, oh my. nothing redeeming. luckily UK protection laws for counterfeit goods are strong so you can always get a refund on a counterfeit product. Next time!

One of the risks of buying them this way I guess! Disappointed of course but I am playing a dangerous game doing this haha! Well sorry guys it turned out to be a dud! The next time will hopefully be better!

Oh dear....

Ok so mekugi out, one piece fuchi Seppa looks poorly cut.

Chinese copy? Not sure yet. Not feeling it!

Very wide Notare hamon. Quite a lot of pitting here and there, looks a bit like stainless steel also almost looks cast.

The habaki looks odd. Modern and doesnt fit.

The rest of the fittings look fairly normal. Some damage to the saya

The fuchi has no button but the tsuka has a slot for the clip and the tsuba and seppa are pierced.

Strange kabutogane pin? Would this be what pins a mon

"you're about to go through a tragic breakup in the near future"

At the end of last year I posted up a topic on a gunto unboxing for one I had bought unseen. The time has come again and On Wednesday (UK time) I should be getting another. I've seen the the mounts but not the Sword itself so who knows (most likely nothing but that's the fun!) On wednesday I'll update this thread with the first pictures when i've got it in hand

Lovely...

I'm sure this is just lost in translation?

I also would like to know if that plain wood saya on there should have a leather cover? i've never seen the plain wood beneath the leather cover just the black lacquer ones

This is a much older blade in mounts that looks a little put together that I saw a while ago. it has a pierced tsuba and a wooden saya but no leather cover over it, no idea what's going on with it but it has a few interesting bits and pieces

Here are a few of my early naval mounts

Parcelforce as soon as available you can call and pay the invoice but only after its released by customs. Or you have to wait a few days after for the letter. I usually see it on tracking and call. If you use the 9706.00.00.00 there's no need to put replica sword down for UK purposes as it is perfectly legal to import. This also gives you the 5% duty rate. A replica blade made after 1954 would be illegal to import and if it is not 100 years old would be 20% vat anyway. simply putting replica blade is something I'd avoid to put on the import declaration. A curious border force inspection may ask why the replica is an antique over 100 years old and ask for more paperwork. I have on multiple times had to email supporting information on the age of an item held in customs. See below an email I received from the clearance bureau ---+ Hello, Thank you for your email. Can you please provide an invoice for what you have purchased, and provide the year of manufacture for this as well. Kind Regards, -- name redacted -- Customs Clearance Bureau Parcelforce Worldwide ----

Would be vary wary of this tactic. Technically it should not have passed customs as only traditionally made swords and swords before 1954 are allowed when the blade is longer than 50cm. You can import for event based purposes but will need to prove membership to such an event or club to customs to that's the only way a replica would be allowed in legally