Does anyone else have anything to add ?
-
-
It's 100% fake. In my opinion, Thomas and Nick are correct.
Sorry, wish I were wrong, but everything about this one is wrong. Instead of trying to list what is wrong, might be easier to ask what looks right?
Firstly, anytime you see a short shinogi zukuri tanto, you should be already wary. Most of them are either very late Meiji tourist pieces, or fake.
Ito is wrapped sloppy and wrong. Saya is typical of the Chinese fakes. The blade is terrible. Nakago gives it away immediately. Nakago jiri especially.
The mei is rubbish, not carved properly (straight down the shinogi line?) and has no age. Yasurime not well done.
Hamon is acid etched on.
Bob is a far more experienced collector and expert than I am, but I think he has seen far too many good swords, and not enough bad ones.
Those of us spending too much time seeing junk on eBay etc nowdays identify these faster, as they are common and similar in style. You would have to really butcher a real tanto to make it this bad.
I really can't see it even being a cut down or modified Nihonto. I think it is just a fantasy knockoff. As to why they don't make them better...cost. They churn these out fast and regularly. No need to improve them, as they still find buyers. You only have to look at the fake katana out there to see they still produce them by the thousands in the same rubbish styles they did 10 years ago.
BrianComment
-
As Brian says there are hundreds of very similar Chinese fakes on eBayComment
Comment