Real or Fake Shin Gunto Sword

[iMichas]

I recently bought this sword and I have no idea is it real or fake. If you can help me recognise that I will be greatful. Here is some pics of my sword:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pcfarrar]

100% fake...

[Tsugio Kawakami]

Extremely fake...but I do like that saya.

[bone]

http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/nihonto.htm

 

This site is great for us newcomers. There's a is it real or fake link there.

[shingen]

Hope you didn't pay to much for it.

[Wickstrom]

Well...just keep in mind when buying that if its too good to be true...its probably not.

 

Although I'll agree with Tsugio Kawakami and say that's a pretty snazzy looking koshirae

[iMichas]

I'm sad now, cause I bought fake I should be less trustfull.

 

One more question:

 

How do you recognise so quickly that this sword is fake?

[pcfarrar]

How do you recognise so quickly that this sword is fake?

 

Everything about it is wrong. The blade is very crude, the fittings poor quality and badly made, and tassel is not even remotely close to a real one.

[Grey Doffin]

How do you recognize a fake? Same way all of us do. Before you buy a sword you buy books, read, reread, and study. Go to sword shows and look at lots of real swords, ask questions, and ask you way into collections and ask more questions. If you had decided to collect old master oil paintings you wouldn't expect to buy a great one at the first flea market you attended; no different with Nihonto.

First pay your dues; then collect swords.

Grey

[Andi B.]

Only for example the most obvious thing (among others):

Look at the hada grain - it is too conspicious and looks like on many other fake blades. A real Japanese hada is not so flashy...

 

And also the tsukamaki: it is a simple cotton ito which is not alternately wrapped. This is also a characteristic of a fake.

[shingen]

Sorry to read you bought it as a original, as said I hope you didn't pay to much. I am afraid Grey is right iMichas I to am a beginner and the only thing a beginner

needs is books and helpfull people like on this forum. Buying a sword is for later on.

 

Am I right when I say that the production number normally should not be on the Habaki and the Nakago but on the blade itself and on the top of the saya?

Just trying to learn something from this.

[Brian]

Rick,

The only sword that has a serial number in the traditional sense is the NCO machine made Gunto. This has the aluminium, and permanently mounted, handle, and has the serial as you noted. A serial on any other sword should be treated with scepticism.

 

Brian

[Lindus]

Let me add a positive on this,it could be the best sword you could buy at this stage,not expensive,has what appears to be a genuine Kai Gunto saya with Shin gunto mounts but a Chinese blade and a "Bitsy" sword over all. You have by now learned a lot,you will check out sites,museums etc so consider this sword the key to your learning curve. Cheer up we have all been there, I remember my first civil mounted Wakizashi described as" Chisel tipped throat stabbing Ninja sword" never bought another......but wait...we shall see how many know just how rare the "Throat stabber" is :D

 

Roy

[sanjuro]

I think throat stabbers are about as rare as ninja to. There is actually no such thing as either of them. No nihonto were made exclusively as throat stabbing blades. The much advertised ninja to or shinobi to is equally a myth in as much as there was never a specific style of nihonto made exclusively for ninja or more correctly for shinobi warriors.

belief in the existence of such weapons results from indiscriminate attention being paid to comic books and anime films with little or no reference to historical reality.