Warning: Fake Katana Being Sold with Altered Inscriptions and Papers

[treverorum]

As a newcomer to sword collecting who was excited to purchase my first katana, I was shocked to discover that a katana being sold as authentic is actually a fake with altered inscriptions and papers.

 

The katana in question is currently listed on Catawiki, and the store selling it is Kyodai Originals: https://kyodaiorigin...k-tokubetsu-hozon-2/.

 

However, the katana and its NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate have been tampered with. Here’s the evidence:

1. The gold inscription on the tang (nakago), which claims a “4-body test cut” (四ッ胴切落), has been added fraudulently. This modification does not appear on the original tang in earlier listings.

2. The original NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers for this katana can be found on the Samurai Museum website: Samurai Museum Original Listing. When comparing the certificates and identification numbers, it’s clear they are the same:

• Samurai Museum Certificate: Certificate Image

• Kyodai Originals Certificate: Altered Certificate Image

3. The identification numbers on the certificates match exactly, yet the Kyodai Originals listing includes the fraudulent gold-inscribed cutting test (四ッ胴切落), which was not on the original tang or certificate.

 

As someone new to sword collecting, this discovery was disheartening. I was excited to acquire a first katana and trusted the listings and sellers. This experience taught me the importance of verifying every detail, especially when dealing with high-value items like Japanese swords.

 

Any idea how to proceed with this so something like this will have consequences? I already contacted Catawiki about it, but I am pretty sure you guys have more experience with this.

Also, how on earth can I trust any future listing of any other katana?

[PNSSHOGUN]

Extraordinary, the inlay work is very crude. Also note the difference in photography style between the original and altered paper. This seller often has swords bought from Japanese dealers, then re-listed with huge markups.

 

[treverorum]

As someone new to this hobby, I was wondering if the community has a collection of reference materials readily available? For example, I’m currently trying to look up a specific item in the Shin Shinto Taikan, but I haven’t been able to find a digital version anywhere. Surely, I can’t be the only one facing this issue.

 

I’ve been searching online to verify authenticity but haven’t had any luck so far. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated! Also, does the NBTHK have a digital database of their certificates? That would make sense wouldn't it.

[b.hennick]

It seems to me that you need to contact the police. Fraud had been committed. They should arrest the seller. 

[John C]

2 hours ago, treverorum said:

altered inscriptions and papers.

This may only help with the origami in hand, however you can examine the one you have to determine if the entire origami is a forgery or if the original was altered.

http://www.nihontocr...se_sword_papers.html

Also, I too believe you should aggressively pursue legal action. If not criminal action, then at least civil remedies. I think you have plenty of evidence.

 

John C.

[Mark S.]

2 hours ago, treverorum said:

Also, does the NBTHK have a digital database of their certificates? That would make sense wouldn't it.

 

No, the NBTHK does not make their records available to the general public.  

[BIG]

Well done, „Augusta“ Treverorum..

 

Best regards Peter

[BIG]

Please tell us the special item you are looking for, we will try to help you out. 

[YOJIMBO]

 

[YOJIMBO]

whoever buys there deserves it. catawiki, ebay, .....all s**t.

[YOJIMBO]

if you see this expert guy anywhere - run
i think there is collusion between kyodai and this expert

[Lewis B]

1 hour ago, YOJIMBO said:

if you see this expert guy anywhere - run
i think there is collusion between kyodai and this expert

That is Patrice Sabbah. He's a well known sword polisher from France, who I met at the Japan Art Expo last summer at his booth. Talk about trashing a reputation.

Catawiki is becoming about as reliable as Craigslist and Gumtree with buyer protections to match. AVOID. 

[Shugyosha]

The tsuba from the fittings in the Samurai Museum listing has been swapped too and probably changed for a cheaper one (albeit papered).

 

If you can't trust NBTHK papers, there really isn't a lot you can trust any more.

[Lewis B]

Kyodai have taken down the images. The plot thickens . Reported to Catawiki so curious how they respond. Top bid is currently 16K Euro. 

 

Update. Catawiki removed the listing. Great first post OP and welcome to the NMB. Saved an unsuspecting buyer from being scammed. I will add Kyodai to SupeinNihonto on my list of EU businesses to avoid. Sabbah has also earned a red flag. 

[treverorum]

It seems this sword was listed for auction before December 2023, also originating from the Netherlands: LiveAuctioneers listing.

 

I’m curious about when and to whom (or at least which country) it was sold by the Samurai Museum Shop, though I assume that’s not information they would be willing to share. I guess I should ask them to add a warning to the page, to prevent any future fraud attempts. Have they put a similar disclaimer on their website before?

 

8 hours ago, BIG said:

Please tell us the special item you are looking for, we will try to help you out. 

 

I managed to find the specific page of the book through an eBay listing that used it as an example page — guess I got lucky! : )

[Lewis B]

30 minutes ago, treverorum said:

 

I managed to find the specific page of the book through an eBay listing that used it as an example page — guess I got lucky! : )

I think Peter was suggesting that after this disappointment, members here might be able to point you in the right direction for a purchase and avoid some of the pitfalls and mistakes like the one you fortuitously uncovered here. 

[Samurai Art]

This situation is truly shocking, but it’s encouraging to see that Catawiki has taken some action.
 

Personally, I’m not a fan of Catawiki. Their so-called "expert reviews" offer little to no real protection, as their expertise in many areas seems questionable at best. The platform is riddled with listings featuring reproductions, poorly restored items, or blatantly misdescribed pieces. Buyers should exercise extreme caution.

Regarding Patrice, I’ve spoken to him several times. Despite what our resident troll often posts about him, I’ve found him to be a kind person. He explained to me that his profile is sometimes used by other administrators on the platform. That said, he has had ample opportunities to distance himself from these issues but hasn’t chosen to do so.

As for the forgery of papers and the sword, this is an egregious act of fraud. However, it’s worth considering that the seller might have acquired the item in good faith from another source. Unless there is concrete evidence that it was purchased directly from the Samurai Museum, we should be cautious about assigning blame prematurely. If the latter is proven, then avoiding this seller is the only sensible course of action.

[Jussi Ekholm]

Huge thank you for posting this @treverorum GJ. It is extremely unfortunate that you came across this as a new collector but I am really happy you decided to post this information. I have looked at tens of thousands of NBTHK papers while doing my research and this is probably the first altered one I have seen (although I only track very old swords and not Edo period stuff).

 

You can actually verify the papers from NBTHK, however for us international people it is actually very difficult. Even as a long time NBTHK member I feel NBTHK is extremely hard to contact if you live outside of Japan, and are with limited Japanese language skills. I think contacting NBTHK European Branch would be one way but I believe many of their members read the forum, so info might already have reached them.

 

About the forged NBTHK papers. You can see in the original NBTHK has put down a long blank space which identify that there are several unreadable characters. Now the forger has erased that and added on the false kinzōgan-mei. NBTHK will of course have papers featuring both mei & kinzōgan-mei on the same sword if they are present. However in that case NBTHK will add (金象嵌) kinzōgan in brackets before the gold inlaid signature. In the forgery that is missing, I believe they might have just missed it or just ran out of paper as they couldn't add extra line due to altering old excisting paper.

 

While I can't be of much assistance with Shinshintō items, if you need some help or information with items pre-Mid Muromachi period I will be happy to help on those as I have extensive library and data gathered on those.

[treverorum]

56 minutes ago, Samurai Art said:

However, it’s worth considering that the seller might have acquired the item in good faith from another source. Unless there is concrete evidence that it was purchased directly from the Samurai Museum, we should be cautious about assigning blame prematurely. If the latter is proven, then avoiding this seller is the only sensible course of action.

 

You make a valid point that the seller might have initially acquired the item in good faith. However, their actions regarding other listings strongly suggest they are acting in bad faith.

 

For instance, take this auction by the same seller:

Katana by Heianjo Nagayoshi - Master of Muramasa - NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certified.

https://www.catawiki...etsu-hozon-certified

 

https://kyodaiorigin...tsu-hozon-certified/

 

The seller claims in the description:

“The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate notes that ‘Heianjo Nagayoshi forges a finer jihada (steel grain pattern) than both Muramasa and Masazane.’”

 

This is completely false—no such note exists on the certificate. Statements like this are intentionally misleading and designed to inflate the perceived value of the item.

 

Even if the seller acquired the forged item unknowingly, fabricating descriptions like this shows a clear intent to deceive buyers. At the very least, this warrants caution when dealing with the seller.

 

[Cor Slok]

Hallo vrienden, voor degenen onder jullie die mij niet kennen, mijn naam is Cor, eigenaar van Kyodai Originals.

Ik wil reageren op deze kwestie

Het spijt me hiervoor.
Het is belangrijk om te weten dat we bij Kyodai Originals alleen authentieke items aanbieden, en dit zwaard kwam rechtstreeks uit Japan, dus wat er ook aan geknoeid werd, werd daar gedaan. Zoals Jussi zei, is het voor een buitenlander moeilijk om elk certificaat te verifiëren, vooral bij Hozon en Tokubetsu hozon.

Op het moment dat ik te horen kreeg dat dit stuk was gewijzigd, heb ik onmiddellijk alle aanbiedingen geannuleerd. Ik weiger iets te verkopen dat nep is, zelfs als dat betekent dat ik tienduizenden dollars heb verloren. Ik zou niet eens weten hoe of waar ik dit soort vervalsingen moet laten doen. Dit is een wereld die tegengesteld is aan mijn overtuigingen.

Ik heb contact met Japan over deze zaak en het zwaard zal naar hen terugkeren, uiteraard ga ik ervan uit dat ze een onderzoek starten.

Ik ben een vader, grootvader en zeer betrokken bij mijn gemeenschap. Als 4e Dan zwarte band karate leraar is mijn kernovertuiging om respectvol en eerlijk te zijn tegen anderen. Als je vindt dat een van mijn aanbiedingen onjuist is, neem dan gewoon contact met me op zodat ik het kan aanpakken. We maken allemaal fouten, het gaat erom hoe we ermee omgaan. Neem persoonlijk contact met me op als je vragen of opmerkingen hebt.

[Lewis B]

For those non Dutch speakers:

 

Hello friends, for those of you who don't know me, my name is Cor, owner of Kyodai Originals.
I would like to respond to this issue
I am sorry for this.
It is important to know that at Kyodai Originals we only offer authentic items, and this sword came directly from Japan, so whatever was tampered with was done there. As Jussi said, it is difficult for a foreigner to verify any certificate, especially with Hozon and Tokubetsu hozon.
The moment I was told that this piece had been changed, I immediately cancelled all offers. I refuse to sell anything that is fake, even if it means losing tens of thousands of dollars. I wouldn't even know how or where to get this kind of forgery done. This is a world contrary to my beliefs.
I am in contact with Japan on this matter and the sword will return to them, obviously I assume they will launch an investigation.

I am a father, grandfather and very involved in my community. As a 4th Dan black belt karate teacher, my core belief is to be respectful and fair to others. If you feel any of my offerings are incorrect, just contact me so I can address it. We all make mistakes, it's all about how we deal with them. Please contact me personally if you have any questions or comments.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

[Lewis B]

24 minutes ago, Cor Slok said:

Hallo vrienden, voor degenen onder jullie die mij niet kennen, mijn naam is Cor, eigenaar van Kyodai Originals.

Ik wil reageren op deze kwestie

Het spijt me hiervoor.
Het is belangrijk om te weten dat we bij Kyodai Originals alleen authentieke items aanbieden, en dit zwaard kwam rechtstreeks uit Japan, dus wat er ook aan geknoeid werd, werd daar gedaan. Zoals Jussi zei, is het voor een buitenlander moeilijk om elk certificaat te verifiëren, vooral bij Hozon en Tokubetsu hozon.

Op het moment dat ik te horen kreeg dat dit stuk was gewijzigd, heb ik onmiddellijk alle aanbiedingen geannuleerd. Ik weiger iets te verkopen dat nep is, zelfs als dat betekent dat ik tienduizenden dollars heb verloren. Ik zou niet eens weten hoe of waar ik dit soort vervalsingen moet laten doen. Dit is een wereld die tegengesteld is aan mijn overtuigingen.

Ik heb contact met Japan over deze zaak en het zwaard zal naar hen terugkeren, uiteraard ga ik ervan uit dat ze een onderzoek starten.

Ik ben een vader, grootvader en zeer betrokken bij mijn gemeenschap. Als 4e Dan zwarte band karate leraar is mijn kernovertuiging om respectvol en eerlijk te zijn tegen anderen. Als je vindt dat een van mijn aanbiedingen onjuist is, neem dan gewoon contact met me op zodat ik het kan aanpakken. We maken allemaal fouten, het gaat erom hoe we ermee omgaan. Neem persoonlijk contact met me op als je vragen of opmerkingen hebt.

Welcome. Thats all well and good and I guess we all make mistakes, but how about addressing G.J.'s reference to your claim “The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate notes that ‘Heianjo Nagayoshi forges a finer jihada (steel grain pattern) than both Muramasa and Masazane." for the Nagayoshi. Nowhere on the NBTHK papers does it say this.

[Cor Slok]

Hallo  

Bedankt dat je het me hebt laten weten, soms is de vertaling anders dan ik dacht, maar de tekst is aangepast.

[Tensho]

6 hours ago, Shugyosha said:

The tsuba from the fittings in the Samurai Museum listing has been swapped too and probably changed for a cheaper one (albeit papered).

 

Yup.. Looks like doubled up the seppa too and removed the "possibly" gold foiled ones altogether.  

[treverorum]

Hi Cor,

 

Thank you for your response and for taking the time to address this issue. I appreciate the steps you’ve taken to remove the listing and investigate the matter further with your supplier in Japan. Your transparency and willingness to take responsibility are commendable.

 

That said, I do have some follow-up questions and concerns that I hope you can clarify:

 

1. Authenticity Guarantee for Other Swords:

How confident are you in the authenticity of the other swords you currently have listed? Are they coming from the same supplier as the tampered katana? For example, I noticed you have another sword listed on Catawiki with golden inlays and a two-body-cut inscription: https://www.catawiki...do-periode-1600-1868. https://bushidoshop....body-test-year-1862/ (see attachment) Can you confirm that this sword has been thoroughly verified and not coming from the same supplier?

 

2. Plans for the Forged Katana:

Now that the katana in question has been identified as tampered with, what do you plan to do with it? Will it be returned to Japan for further investigation, or will steps be taken to ensure it’s permanently removed from the collector’s market to prevent future resale?

 

Additionally, I have to say I was interested in the Gassan Sadakazu sword you were offering, but given what has happened, I would need some proper convincing to move forward with that. Authenticity is paramount to me, and I hope you can provide assurance about the steps you’re taking to verify this and other listings.

 

As a newcomer to sword collecting, this experience has been a valuable lesson for me, but it’s also disheartening. Ensuring trust in sellers and the market is so important, and I hope that cases like this can help us all be more vigilant moving forward.

 

Thank you again for your time and for taking this matter seriously. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

[Lewis B]

44 minutes ago, Cor Slok said:

Hallo  

Bedankt dat je het me hebt laten weten, soms is de vertaling anders dan ik dacht, maar de tekst is aangepast.

You also need to change the description on the Catawiki listing too. 

[Tsuku]

Quote

Also, how on earth can I trust any future listing of any other katana?

Just as a FYI, the NBTHK Hozon/Tokubetsu Hozon certificates have an embossed stamp that passes over both the cardstock and the photograph. If you look closely at the altered certificate, you will see that there is no stamp on the photograph. This is a giant red flag.

One should always inspect thoroughly and with a critical eye. I have even found modified Tanobe-sensei sayagaki in the wild.

[Lewis B]

Does this mean that replacement Juyo papers that have been reissued are easier to fake and therefore require closer scrutiny and additional research? These appear to have fewer security features. No suggestion the one I feature has issues but it illustrates the difficulties of ensuring authenticity. 

 

[Gakusee]

2 hours ago, Lewis B said:

Does this mean that replacement Juyo papers that have been reissued are easier to fake and therefore require closer scrutiny and additional research? These appear to have fewer security features. No suggestion the one I feature has issues but it illustrates the difficulties of ensuring authenticity. 

 

if in doubt, you can call the NBTHK and check. It will take a bit of time as the people speaking English might not be on shift, and the English speaking people (junior) will need to consult the more senior people (speaking mainly Japanese), but if you have a few days/a week, it should work. 

[sabiji]

Can't this be done via the Juyo Nado Zufu volumes of the respective sessions? It should be easy to see there...