Bone handle sword I.D. help

[bigpapasmurf]

Hey Guys,

 

found this awesome sword in a storage unit i got at auction. its in poor condition but looks really old can anyone help me I.D. it or know if its worth anything?

 

Thanks in advance for the help =)

[bigpapasmurf]

[mas4t0]

Hi Tim,

 

It's a souvenir.

 

These were made for sale to tourists from around 1870 - 1930. The blade appears to be mass produced, untempered, soft steel.

 

The only value is in the carving.

 

Here's an example of a similar item (in good condition) which sold at auction for ~$100.

 

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

[ROKUJURO]

Tim,

welcome to the NMB!

Unfortunately, this item is not old, it was never meant to be a quality piece, it is damaged and heavily corroded.  So the value is what an uninformed but curious person has left over in the pockets.  

If you read a bit here about genuine Japanese swords and look at photos, you will learn that age is less important than quality. "Old" in connection with Japanese swords is roughly 500 years or more, and quality swords that age appear like new to a newbie's eyes as they don't have the slightest amount of rust.

All the best for you next purchase!  

[bigpapasmurf]

well thanks for the I.D. guys too bad it was not something older. I'll drop it on Craigslist for $25 for anyone who wants to start a collection. I'll let you know if i come across anymore old swords in the units.

 

Thanks again guys,

[mas4t0]

27 minutes ago, bigpapasmurf said:

well thanks for the I.D. guys too bad it was not something older. I'll drop it on Craigslist for $25 for anyone who wants to start a collection. I'll let you know if i come across anymore old swords in the units.

 

Thanks again guys,

 

 

Just to be completely clear Tim; it's not a Nihonto.

 

The value is determined more by quality than by age. A Nihonto of the same age would be termed a Gendaito, but this isn't one of those.

 

A Nihonto made today by certain smiths can be worth tens of thousands of dollars, while some very old Nihonto can be had for a few hundred dollars on account of their quality and condition.

[bigpapasmurf]

Got ya you like this noob is not even posting in the right forum

 

sorry dude but thanks for the help with the I.D. Hopefully i will have a Nihonto for you guys to check out soon.

 

in the mean time i will need to find a home for my souvenir if anyone is interested.

[mas4t0]

7 minutes ago, bigpapasmurf said:

Got ya you like this noob is not even posting in the right forum

 

sorry dude but thanks for the help with the I.D. Hopefully i will have a Nihonto for you guys to check out soon.

 

in the mean time i will need to find a home for my souvenir if anyone is interested.

 

You're most welcome, and please pardon me if the previous post came across as rude; it wasn't intended to, I only intended to add some more clarity.

 

I was alluding to the fact that a Nihonto of the same age could have significant value, depending on condition and quality.

 

I'll add a couple of links below to give you some more info and a quick overview of what to look for in future:

 

http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/showato.htm

 

http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/realold.htm

 

I hope you'll stick around and that I didn't make you feel at all unwelcome.