What is going on with this 98 Gunto??

[Tensho]

Koshirae is definitely genuine. Blade is a whole different story. I want to say its an obvious fake, but it fits the tsuka and wood liner in saya perfectly.  Habaki is copper with gold wash and is traditionally made and fits perfectly.  And I can't see any evidence of it being fitted after. 

 

The blade looks to have been abraided and acid etched. Steel looks damascus like and I can see a hamon in the right light although dead looking. Shinogi looks horrible on one side. Nakago and fittings are punched with all the same 三五ハマ

markings. I have seen references of western steel etc used, but I don't know about this. 

Thoughts? 

[Tensho]

[Grey Doffin]

My vote is real mounts and fake blade. The kissaki is wrong and the bo hi end strangely. The hamon and hada are weird.

Grey

[Tensho]

My thoughts as well Grey... 

[Bruce Pennington]

I think it's a zohieto that someone has done some creative acid etching.  At first I thought it was Damascus, but you don't see the 'damascus' pattern above the hamon.  All Damascus blades I've seen in the past show the pattern all over the blade.

 

The machi line up, not usual for a Chinese blade, and to me, the shape is perfect for a zoheito.

[Tensho]

27 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

I think it's a zohieto that someone has done some creative acid etching.  At first I thought it was Damascus, but you don't see the 'damascus' pattern above the hamon.  All Damascus blades I've seen in the past show the pattern all over the blade.

 

The machi line up, not usual for a Chinese blade, and to me, the shape is perfect for a zoheito.

The pattern is all over the blade, and visible through the hamon area. I originally thought Han-Tanren. But the geometry just seems really bad to me. I want to believe its genuine, just because everything fits so well..but...

 

It is too heavy to be Zohei-to imo. At least it is much heavier than mine. The bare blade weighs 728g. My Zohei-to completely mounted(with tsuka etc) weighs 757g. 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Classic Zohei-To with acid etch/sandpapering.

[Tensho]

Well, I stand corrected.  So, is the "hada" chemically etched on these blades? Essentially just fake.

[lonely panet]

On 7/9/2023 at 3:19 PM, PNSSHOGUN said:

Classic Zohei-To with acid etch/sandpapering.

agree