Avolow

Yes, studying up on the subject is definitely key, I have been reading the posts on this website, and looking at swords from web dealers that are listed as reputable on "Richard Stein's Japanese Sword Guide" at http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/nihonto.htm. Part of the learning process is asking people that are in the know. I do have a few books on Japanese blades but none with the detail level that the "An Oshigata Book of Modern Japanese Swordsmiths" This is the next book to get. I was 90% sure that the fittings on this sword were fake The only thing that had me in any doubt about them was the signature on the tsuba. Since I had seen authentic military blades mounted with cheep Chinese junk in the past I did not want to pass this blade up with out a little more research on it. After talking to this forum this I am glad that I passed on it when I first found it and did a little homework. I do have three authentic swords that I bought between 15 and 20 years ago. One is a end of war blade, very poor quality fittings and has what looks like a "L" on the tang depending on what side of the character is the top. One sword collector told me jokingly that it stood for "last chance" When I found it the hilt was completely rotted and it still had what was left of the mailing label that was placed on it when it was sent home in WWII. The fitting were plain unfinished looking brass and the saya wrapped in a red stained poor quality leather. There is a picture on the above web site that shows a sword exactly like mine but the server went down so I am unable to post the pic and I don't have a pic of mine yet, but I will soon. The other I believe is called a type 95 NCO Katana, it has the metal saya and the cast painted aluminum hilt with matching #s. The last I acquired was a sword that my friends dad had since the 70's. It is in very good condition and has beautiful fittings. This is the one I am studying at the moment and I will be posting some pictures as soon as I get them so that I can learn a little more about the fitting as and if they have any particular meanings. The signature on the blade of this one translates to Mitsunaga Saku. Using the web I have found a swordsmith for WWII by that name and one from the 1500s. I have no delusion about the age of this blade and would like to find out more about the blades of the WWII Mitsunaga. I will post all of that this weekend though so it is in its own post. Thank you again. Avolow.

Hello again, Thank you all with the help and and saving my brother and I from a fake blade. It is much appreciated. That blade is long gone and forgotten. hopefully the next person that is looking at it is not conned into paying more than it is worth. I do have another request, could some of you explain how it was that you identified the blade itself as fake? I am interested in searching my town and the surrounding areas to find other possibilities, and have an interest in learning more about the hobby so I can better avoid fakes in the future. I used to have a decent eye, but this was cultivated in a day when the fakes were as easy to spot as the "440 Stainless Steel" stamped in the side of the blade or the chrome plating missing from the sharpened edges. I still kick myself for not picking up several swords I had access to twenty years ago, but live and learn. Thanks again. Avolow.

Thank you all for the help with this blade. My brother and I were both a little anxious about this sword and the time frame that we were given to make a choice in did not help maters any. It is nice to know that it is a fake and not worth anything as an authentic collectors piece. The asking price was only $200.00 but for a stay at home dad that could be a big chunk of change. If it was a real blade it would have been worth the investment, but the internet is full of better looking fakes that are cheaper if that was what I was after. I cant say how much I love that we found this site and I will be posting again later in the week to try and learn a little more about the other swords that I have in my collection. Have a wonderful day and thank you again. Avolow.

Hello, First what a wonderful site you have here, I have been a sword collector and admirer for close to 20 years. For some time I have been out of the game for a while after I married and had children. Now I happen to come across a sword at a local pawn shop and possibly have only until tomorrow morning before it is out of my reach. I only wish I found this site earlier. My brother and I were able to translate only a couple of the characters on the blade, unfortunately I only have access to a picture of one side of the tang, the other side of the tang does have three characters on it but the pawns web site only had pics of one. I was able to view this sword in person and was able to make the following observation. The saya is not is great shape, it is splitting and the Kurikata has broke free, it feels quite heavy for its size. The sepa seems to have been rough cut to allow the kozuka to pass by it, but it does not fit through the hole in the tsuba. The tsuba had cast lines on the side and has a signature near the hole for the tang. I think that the fittings are not original to the blade, though they seem to match well and the cast line makes me thing fake, but the signature on the tsuba has thrown me. I can not translate those at all and honestly did not try to hard. The blade on the other hand has the roughest looking tang I have ever seen but has the signature on one side and the what I believe is the province/date/info on the other side. I am not sure of its originality considering the rest of the fittings but again the signature has me thrown. We have been able to translate the second character from the top as either Gi or Waza, meaning skill, and the fifth character as Tai, meaning thick. We cant find the rest of the characters and are wondering if this is going to be a good sword to grab or if it is indeed a fake. My personal opinion is that this is at most maybe a WWII blade some one has tried to change the look of. I have seen known military blades put in dime store fittings to make look like older swords before (none of mine mind you) so would not put this past some one that would then try to pawn a sword. I have been out of the collecting hobby for a while as far as real blades go, and still have the three military swords that I bought before I became a family man. I feel that I am more knowledgeable than most on this subject but I also know that I know very little when it comes to the translations. Any help would be greatly appreciated, I have until about 2 or 3PM tomorrow to make up my mind or they ship it off to a different store out of town. Thank You in advance, Avolow.