Help with Sword identifacation

[OzzManG149]

I have a friend that says he has an original sword form Japan that he is wanting to sell me. He says it is very old and an original. I was wandering if anyone could give me some insight please? Pictures below

 

Thank You

Scott

 

 

 

 

 

[Cello]

I would have to say from the packing and art work on the saya Chineese or modern repro...maybe?? Not enough information from the pictures.

[Grey Doffin]

Enough information for me; modern repro/fake, most likely from China.

Grey

[drdata]

Nice box though.

 

As others stated need better pics, of the kissaki/tip and the nakago/tang with the hilt removed. The menugi/peg should pop out from one side to accommodate removal of the tsuka/handle.

 

But if Grey says its bad then likely this is all moot.

 

Regards

[OzzManG149]

Nice box though.

But if Grey says its bad then likely this is all moot.

Regards

 

I appreciate the info.. He has tried thos on me before with another item so I figured I would check it out this time.

 

Thanks

Scott

[Mark]

as you say this has happened before, instead of evaluating the sword you might want to evaluate the friend

[OzzManG149]

as you say this has happened before, instead of evaluating the sword you might want to evaluate the friend

 

Very true I do use friend very loosely.

[kusunokimasahige]

Well Scott, it is an original fake.

 

These swords are mass produced and the silk inlay, if it is silk at all is probably worth more than the blade itself.

 

KM

[David Flynn]

Rayon.

[eternal_newbie]

This is a mass-produced Chinese sword from the lower end of the market, used for amateur tameshigiri (although I'd recommend against it, since swords like this have mass-produced, one-size-fits-all tsukas) or for people who just want to swing around or display something that looks like a samurai sword. This particular model is called the Ryumon Dragon Katana, and it retails for around the US$300 mark, less if second-hand. Information on this sword is plentiful on the Internet and a Google search on it should tell you everything you need to know about this sword being "very old" or "an original."

 

I would not say this is a fake or a reproduction - it does not even pretend to be Japanese or a sword made by a Japanese smith, as the product logo is clearly visible on the box and on the Internet where one can find these for sale. I believe the common term for these, as used over on websites like Sword Forum International and the Sword Buyer's Guide, is "production blade," and a lower end one at that. I've heard of people who use these as decoys, so when thieves break into their house the gaudy production blade gets stolen while the treasures in plain shirasaya get ignored :lol:

 

As others have mentioned, the box is probably the nicest thing about this sword, although I can confirm that the inlay is not silk but rather some kind of satin-esque material. I have in fact purchased one of these boxes (sans sword) from a garage sale and used it to store a real nihonto when moving house - it was far cheaper than a gun safe or even a proper Japanese sword box.

 

-- Rohan G