Nigel

I have to say thank you all so much for your help , feel a lot happier about it now , i did think there could be issues with it and its been in the back of my head since i collected it the auction house called me back i explained what you had told me and they agreed to a complete refund ,so now i am on the lookout for a another (not fake) Shin-Gunto if you see any good ones available point me in the right directions and this time before i buy i will try and upload some pics 1st to see what you guys think Regards Nigel

Hi John, as it looks like a stainless steel blade (other than the lack of any rust how can you tell ) do stainless steel blades also have marks on Tang ? sorry just learning about this at the moment , the rust on the tang seemed to come from a separate thin bit that looked like it was there to keep the handle fit well , do you think its stainless ? and is that also a sign that all is not right with the sword ? trying to gather info before the auction house call me back i appreciate all your help everyone Nigel

thanks for your help i have removed the handle see pics below i have called the auction house and emailed they are getting someone to call me back Nigel

Hi John, thanks for your reply , very sad to hear that ! it was listed as genuine WW2 era sword could you give me more details as to why (see pics for fittings detail ) this is in the T&C from the auction: return of the lot to enable it to be submitted to an agreed expert or expert committee. NOTE: The onus of proving a lot to be not genuine, or incorrectly described, is on the purchaser. The inability of a recognised expert or an expert committee to express a definite opinion shall serve to discharge the onus on the purchaser and shall be a ground for rejecting the lot concerned. anyone know of an expert in the UK i can use ? Nigel

Hi All, I am new to the Forum and Shin-Gunto , I came across this sword in an online auction and bought it on an impulse buy as I have always loved history It a real Shin-Gunto ? hoping its not a fake or put together !! I have been looking through your Forum and there are some strange things about it , the fittings are Army but the wrap (Ray ?)is Black like they seem to do on some Navy swords , and I think the blade must be Stainless-steel , which I guess would also be a Navy thing to stop them from rusting It’s a shame about the state of the scabbard it has lost all pain /leather , and the blade is not very Sharpe it does look like the edge is bevelled (I have a practical plus Katana and the edge looks very different) is there anything I can do safely to sharpen a little ? also would like to take it apart but it has a screw in pin and then end on one side is blocked (see pic) i assume i need a special tool to undo it ?