About this section

[Brian]

I have created this section (on a trial basis) to archive all swords (we will look at fittings at a later date) that turn out to be fakes, from the worst kind of junk to the more modern and clever fakes. This is NOT a place for people to ask about their swords. Swords that are posted elsewhere that turn out to be verified fakes/clones/reproductions will be moved here. This accomplishes 2 things. 
1) Fakes won't take up discussion space in the Nihonto/Military sections, and 
2) People who are newcomers to this will have a place to learn from by browsing the posts, and seeing pictures of what to look out for.

People may post external links and discuss fakes from elsewhere here, but only for educational purposes, advising what to look out for and the pitfalls.
There are a few pages on the net briefly discussing fakes, but with such a wide variety of things to look out for, a comprehensive section advising on the things to watch out for is needed, and would be valuable to those who are starting out.

I would like this section to only contain verified fake swords that are not disputed. This can range across the board, from "Damascus" serial numbered junk that is blindly obvious, to the suspected modern made Thai or Chinese swords with gimei signatures intended to deceive. It is NOT intended for gimei or poor condition Nihonto, or anything that may have fake mounts but a genuine blade. It is purely for swords crafted to fool buyers at any level.

As mentioned, I am trialing this section to see if it is useful. Please follow the usual rules and remain respectful. If people purchase fake swords, after verifying they are fake, they will be moved here to assist others in future. 

As always, buyer beware and it is far better to ask before purchasing than find out you made a mistake after.

 

- admin - 

[Hokke]

Hey Brian, just for clarity, when you say only fakes should be pictured here, does that mean there should be no comparison photos to authentic? I think it’s better that way so there is no confusion, very simply EVERY picture in this section is fake, period. If further comparison is needed, maybe only links should be provided?

[Brian]

No, I have no problem with real swords being shown in comparison with fake ones to show the difference. It's not a rule to prevent any real Nihonto from being posted, but the aim should be to show why something is fake and what the difference is. I just don't want people posting their swords here and asking if it's fake. If it's determined to be a fake, we'll move it here.
The idea is for people wanted to check their possible purchases to have a section they can read through and see many examples, and why they are fake. Instead of the one or 2 pages on the net showing generic examples.
Like to hear some feedback from members if they think this is a good move.
I don't want to hear the arguments about fakers using this section to improve their works...I already regard that as nonsense since they can buy real ones in just about most countries on earth if they really want to compare. So ignoring that argument, do we think this will have some value here? Even if just to separate out the fakes threads from the other sections. 

[Bruce Pennington]

Just read through all of your examples, Brian, and I really like your selection.  You have a broad spectrum of examples from low quality to high-quality.

 

I also like the location, as the section we had in the photo gallery was not always easy to navigate to for beginners.