Fake Type 95 Nco Swords

[Bruce Pennington]

Welcome Svein!  The Gifu and Kokura stamps looks correct.  Haven't seen the fakers imitate the Gifu correctly, yet.  The Na on the blade is shaped correctly, but haven't seen one that deep and clear before on a blade.  To my eye, the tsuba seems fat.  Overall, I'd say legit, but word from @Shamsy and @Stegel would clear up my concerns.

[APINorway]

2 hours ago, APINorway said:

 

[vajo]

The nanako of the tsuka looks correct too.

It seems to be a nice sword.

 

If you have any doubt i would take it. 

 

What you see here.

The stamps are perfect

The coloring is perfect

The niage patination of the fuchi is perfect

The nanako is positive not inverse - perfect

 

The etched hamon looks very nice.

The numbers are correct. 

The stamp is correct.

 

Btw you made excellent pictures by light and sharpness.

Thanks for asking and showing it.

[APINorway]

Vajo and Bruce, thanks alot for information and confirm. I’m looking forward reading and looking at all this great site. 
all the best

Svein K.

[Shamsy]

On 11/15/2022 at 11:50 PM, APINorway said:

Hi all, i’m a newbi here. And I hope I can get some help on this Type 95 NCO sword.

was told is original , but ?

 Pretty much what the others have already told you. Lovely sword, well worth getting if the serial numbers match.

[IAMAWIZARD]

Hi there!  

I also found one I´d say is fake. What do you think?

 

 

 

[vajo]

Looks like one of those fake swords we see the last time.

The most looks new, but this was faked too in a garage or wet cellar or stored in bad conditions.

 

 

btw the old dog collar is nice 

 

Ah i found it.

Its egun.

Gunto NCO Katana Type 98 - eGun

353 EUR, 28 bids, 3days left.

 

 

[Shamsy]

Just looking at that belt-sander bohi should be enough to make anyone shy away. The tsuba is really thin too. Guess price inflation of brass is hitting the repro market hard.

[vajo]

They cost $50 more than bevor the ukraine crisis.

Those came from india.

 

Made by universal swords. You can choose the altered grade.

 

[Bridges]

https://www.therupturedduck.com/collections/edged-blades/products/Japanese-samurai-sword-still-available-1?variant=40339782172745

 

I did not think type 98s had bo-hi?

[BANGBANGSAN]

1 hour ago, Bridges said:

https://www.therupturedduck.com/collections/edged-blades/products/Japanese-samurai-sword-still-available-1?variant=40339782172745

 

I did not think type 98s had bo-hi?

It maybe a 造兵刀 Zohei-to。

http://ohmura-study.net/206.html

[Bridges]

@BANGBANGSANthats identical HOWEVER, when they mass forged it, there was no temper line….so this sword was either privately made which is a possibility as outlined by Ohmura or, it’s a Chinese fake. But I will note, ruptured duck is selling this blade and I have heard much praise about them

[Bruce Pennington]

4 hours ago, Bridges said:

https://www.therupturedduck.com/collections/edged-blades/products/Japanese-samurai-sword-still-available-1?variant=40339782172745

 

I did not think type 98s had bo-hi?

Many officer swords had bohi.  Many.  Some were family blades, and some were made during the war for private purchase.

[Bridges]

@Bruce PenningtonDo you think this one is real?

[Bruce Pennington]

From the 3 photos, which is hardly enough, everything looks legit to me.

[coach361]

So here is a sword I cant seem to tell if it is a fake or not. The scabbard has to be fake. no serial on it at all top or bottom. its beat up pretty good and has a split near the top. some guy dropped it off at my grandmas museum in 2003 when i was 13 along with an arisaka type 38 bayonet. I have married the bayonet to a rifle. 

 

I can provide more pics if needed. 

[John C]

Andrew:

From these pictures it looks like a legit type 95 NCO. The handle, scabbard latch, and stamps look fine. How thick is the tsuba? Early versions were 11mm; later versions 9mm. The back of the bohi (groove) looks right, however the front is not very visible. The scabbard looks okay from these pics as well. Look on the throat (where the blade goes into the scabbard) for the serial number. It may or may not match the blade. Colors look correct as well. 

IMHO, I think it is a good example. But I am not an expert, just a collector. 

John C.

[vajo]

Andrew thats a nice version of a legit NCO Type95. Only the etched "hamon" is a little shiny on your pictures.

But overall a nice sword.

[coach361]

9 hours ago, John C said:

The scabbard looks okay from these pics as well. Look on the throat (where the blade goes into the scabbard) for the serial number. It may or may not match the blade. Colors look correct as well. 

 

So there is no serial on the scabbard at all, that is why I think the scabbard is fake. I checked the throat numerous times. but either way im ecstatic that its real!

[Bruce Pennington]

6 minutes ago, coach361 said:

there is no serial on the scabbard at al

I have 2 95s, one of them a copper-handle with no serial number.  I believe they were factory, or field repair, replacements.

[coach361]

2 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

I have 2 95s, one of them a copper-handle with no serial number.  I believe they were factory, or field repair, replacements.

thats awesome!

[Kiipu]

This sword is coming from the last batch made by Iijima.  They start at serial 159031 and end at 161752.  The scabbard should be serialized so it is probably either a factory oversight or a field replacement.  Another thing is that this is one of the last Iijima swords made with a brass handguard.  By serial number 160075, they had switched to steel crossguards.  Iijima stopped production in March 1945 because of an unwelcome visit by a U. S. Army Air Corps B-29 Superfortress.

[John C]

6 hours ago, Kiipu said:

They start at serial 159031 and end at 161752.

Thomas: I have the exact same set up (Iijima stamps, brass tsuba, top latch, color scheme) as the one pictured above with serial number 139XXX with matching scabbard. Does that mean that either the blade or the fuchi/handle were switched at some point?

John C.

[Kiipu]

Your good, the entire 139,000 range was made by Iijima.  There was no logical allocation of serial number ranges for Type 95s.  Once Nagoya was dropped and started the 200,000 range, the blocks of serials starting getting larger and hence easier to follow.  In some ranges, it will never be determined who was assigned what.

[Bridges]

Hey all, a seller just posted this blade at a crazy low price. Looks like an Aluminum handle NCO. The price is so low I do not care if the numbers match. Pics are not the best but I asked seller for more. If y’all think this is legit, I’m going to pull the trigger on it and it’ll be my first NCO type 95. Price is so low the blade will prob sell in an hour or two but as I know, if it’s too good to be true, it’s false

[Bruce Pennington]

It's legit.  I think the mekugi screw is a replacement, but the rest looks right from the available photos.

[Bridges]

@Bruce Pennington thanks Bruce, I haven’t seen an initial type this faded yet

[Bruce Pennington]

8 hours ago, Bridges said:

this faded

Do you mean the aluminum tsuka?  If so, yes this is quite normal.  Don't know metals nor paint science, but you'll find that even the aluminum saya in photos, often have paint coming off.  Bare tsuka are pretty common.

[Bridges]

@Bruce PenningtonI need to go to a sword show and handle some of these types in person. I believe I discussed this in another thread with some members but my state is pretty bare of Nihonto groups and sword shows so unless I travel out of state, I’m relying solely on books, you all and whatever I purchase. The seller has it listed at 450 for the initial bid or make an offer. I think that’s fairly respectable however he informed me that he couldn’t take additional pictures as he has a “crappy camera”. I’m on the fence on making him an offer without better pictures of the blade :/

[robinalexander]

Hello Noah, i agree with Bruce@Bruce Pennington but I just haven't seen a sarute quite that clean in silver. 

 

New to me.

Rob