IanS

Hello Conway, you're absolutely right, the premium is getting so high the buyer is getting fleeced. When you take into account the seller's premium, the auction house is raking in the money and some of them misrepresent the items. When they don't describe them, it's often a warning to look carefully. Sorry to hear about your saya, now there's a challenge for you.

Thanks for the feedback, I suspect it was taken apart to give it a good clean and polish. I was going to bid for it but didn't like the damage to the side of the blade, such a pity as it has a nice low serial number too. It went for £1400. a few days ago.

last one.

Could only get this one uploaded due to size of other. this shows the damaged blade.

Excellent response. You've saved another lot of somebody's hard earned cash. Here are the photos I mentioned. Could only get these three uploaded, will upload the others on following.

Good morning Bruce, I can only tell from one photograph, that is the one with the serial number, it shouldn't have a preceding "0" (zero) and the fuller is too long. The habaki seems to have been hammered into the fuller. I really must get acquainted with stampings! I nearly bought a copper but there was damage to the blade, I'll upload some photos when I can.

The auction took place today, 6th December, '23, still described as Chinese. It didn't sell, whether that was because nobody was interested or the auction house still kept the reserve on it, they had put a value of £400 to £500.

A short update, the auction house selling the fake type 95, serial 50123, has responded to me as follows, "Dear Mr Scott, Thank you for pointing that out, I will amend the description. Kind regards" they now describe it as a Chinese copy. I have suggested they call it a replica.

My thanks to you too Bruce. Thought I'd put up the auction house text. "A Second World War Japanese NCO's Shin Gunto Katana, the 67.5cm machine made steel blade with a narrow fuller to each side, numbered 50123, with brass habaki and tsuba, the fuchi stamped with Kokura arsenal markings, with brown painted aluminium tsuka and spring clip, the green painted steel scabbard numbered 50123 at the mouth, 97cm" Auction is on 6th December.

Thanks John, Ian

Thanks Bruce, glad I didn't embarrass myself. What about the serial number font? I haven't seen it before and it just looked wrong. Ian

Hi Bruce, my first reaction was to the blade, the fuller does not finish correctly at the tsuba end, it tapers out if that's the correct term and looks to have been ground in. The top edge of the fuller to the mune is too wide. The serial number font looks wrong. The saya latch is sharply bent. The photos aren't good enough for much more comment. Ian

I thought I should say thanks to all of you for the education I'm receiving, I've just spotted another two fake type 95's for sale by auction. Both described as WWII NCO swords' one I remember has an estimate of £400 to £500, with just short of a 35% buyers' commission! Photos of this sword attached. Ian

Hi, you guys have beaten me to it. I was going to say that I couldn't see anything that looked wrong with the iron tsuba model, the first one put up by Harbin B, but then, I'm no expert and I could have been wrong. I did say when I joined that I was in awe of the experience on here and hoped some would rub off!! I don't have any type 95's. Ian.

Hello Ron, I cannot agree more. The one I've highlighted here, now looks a doddle to detect having seen the tough ones. Regards, Ian.