Real Japanese Gunto, or Mall Ninja Sword?

[Dillon]

Hi all! 

New Member here!  Just traded for this sword on a local classifieds site, so I'm as green as it gets.  I did my best to research before coming here, but I'm lost in the sauce.  Identification help would be much appreciated. Supposedly its a Japanese Kai-Gunto type 97 Navy Officer's sword.  I'm hoping, at the least, that it's authentic!

 

Thanks for your time!

-Dillon

[RobCarter3]

Sorry to deliver bad news, but this is a fake and a very poor one. 
 

http://www.jssus.org...japanese_swords.html

 

https://www.Japanese...dindex.com/repro.htm

 

[Bruce Pennington]

I hope you didn’t trade anything very valuable. If you did, maybe you can trade it back?

 

The blade is made out of Damascus steel and the serial number on the habaki are classic signs of Chinese fakery.

[Dillon]

No, nothing too crazy lol.  You guys know a crazy amount of stuff! I drowned almost immediately in information.

[Polaria]

My notes:

• "Damascus" blade. Big red flag.
• Tsuka-ito wrapped in style I've seen before only in modern chinese replicas. Another big red flag.
• Tsuba seems to be very rough and not very good cast.
• Markings in habaki look out of place.