samr

Thank you that's exactly what I was looking for. I had read the articles but there were a lot of things that didn't make sense with this piece. I knew the rust didn't look appropriate on the tang but it had also been obviously cleaned at some point and filed. Also I just couldn't get over how well weighted the blade is and how nice it looks in person being that it is steel and not aluminum. The pictures don't do it a lot of justice. It's just so strange to me that someone would waste that much time making an obscure fake. Also my friend whose did the translation must have just been wrong about the showa period. he suggested the kanji was more consistent with the first showa period starting in 1312 rather than the second. Starting in the 1900s. Also had a blacksmith look at it and he suggested the kanji on the blade could not have been soldered on but rather appeared to have been created when the metal was forged which is a technically challenging feat. But in the end it appears I just have an interesting fake. Thank you for your help.

No I meant how can one tell. I mean I knew that was a possibility but I was trying to figure out how to make that determination.

If that's the truth I have no problem with it I didn't pay much for it but could you elaborate

I can also post more pictures if need be. The hilt appears to be very old and very worn but you can make out a faint scene that was etched into it it appears to be bronze. The habaki appears to be very new added within the century and stamped with a western number 345

A friend of mine found bought a Japanese sword from a storage unit in New England from someone who had passed away and knew that I had interest in Japanese swords and asked me if I wanted to buy it. I did buy it and now I'm trying to figure out exactly what I have. I have no intention of selling this or gaining anything commercially from it I just really want to know what it is because it's beautiful. I had a friend who speaks Japanese do some rough translation for me. I will give a description. The swords blade is about 72 cm long. It has the appearance of Damascus steal with multiple folds 20 or more on each side. It appears to be signed on the tang with the name yokoyama daijo. The handle and the scabbard appear to be something that were made later. On the blade itself forged into the steel on one side there is a man's name and on the other side there is a year. The year is translated as the 5th year of showa which appears to be 1317. The entire name cannot be made out on the other side but the first two characters are kameda and ichiro