[WillyCG]

It's always safer to post some pics of any Japanese sword you intend to buy, before buying, to get a good evaluation. Unless you've done some studying and feel sure about the prospective sword.

I believe I’m going to follow that advice, I’ll post it when I find one.
Thanks for the help!

 

[Bruce Pennington]

What a shame, I’m too afraid to look into blades for how simple it is to fake them.

I love my gunto collection, but I got bit by a fake early on. Still have it! Best two defenses are getting to know the real thing and posting photos either here or on one of the other Japanese sword forums like NMB, before you buy.

Truly a great place to start, and where I got my initial education, is going through Ohmura's excellent site, tons of pages of photos of pristine WWII gunto: Military Swords of Imperial Japan - Gunto

 

[hazemarousy]

I believe I’m going to follow that advice, I’ll post it when I find one.
Thanks for the help!

I got burnt last year . It was supposed to be an ancestral blade shortened and converted to gunto specifications.
The blade was real but the rest turned out to be "cobbeled" together.....

 

[Tarawa1943]

There really needs to be a STICKYED "to the top" thread made about these.

Giveaways to the Chinka made fakes are.

Blade construction, poor blood groove taper to the point (bohi)

Aluminum hilts with NO paint.

Scabbard ring band set WAY too far down the scabbard.

Makers markings on the fuchi are junk.

India made repro's are better quality, but still have construction flaws that give them away.

Indian fakes look real good ( I have had and sold a few as repro), but the colors are off a bit and the ones I sell have no edge….strictly wall hangers. Maybe the fittings could be used, but that is about it.