Paul G Posted January 23 Report Posted January 23 Hello everyone, Is there any chance that this Generals rank tassel is genuine? The seller goes by the name Tassel. I am very leary of buying anything out of China. The seller sells both good and reproduction gunto tassels. I apologize if this is an easy one. I have studied these and I cannot tell the differences myself. Here are a few pictures for evaluation. Thank you so much for your input, Paul G- Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted January 23 Report Posted January 23 A tricky one, but given the fact the seller is in China and has sold reproductions as originals before.......not worth the gamble. The colours are also wrong and it appears brand new. Quote
Paul G Posted January 23 Author Report Posted January 23 Thank you sir for your reply. It does look brand new to me as well. Has this seller sold reproductions as original before? Seems like now he has both and they are clearly marked a such, but you are the person everyone says knows the good from the bad. Thank you for your input!! Paul G- 1 Quote
Ontario_Archaeology Posted January 24 Report Posted January 24 It might be the lighting of the pictures but it looks far to shiny. Similar to a fake I used to have. There are photos of it in a general tassel thread I believe. Quote
KungFooey Posted January 24 Report Posted January 24 It actually looks legit to me but, considering I could buy a nice sword for the same price, I wouldn't gamble on it. Dee Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted January 24 Report Posted January 24 I bought an original tassel, still with rubber bands, in its original box. So I don’t think you can go by whether something looks new or not. My field grade tassel was original, unused, and essentially brand new from World War II. I bought it from John! Ha! So my source was more reliable. But as you say, the seller is marking reproductions and originals, seemingly with openness. Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted January 24 Report Posted January 24 If a tassel appears brand new then you would probably want it to still be in a box. The other giveaway is the pinkish colour, typical of the reproductions. For the record Bruce, your field grade tassel wasn't bought from me. 5 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted January 24 Report Posted January 24 Oops! Good points about color and the box. Pretend I was never here! Ha! Quote
Ontario_Archaeology Posted January 24 Report Posted January 24 Link to thread and my photo with 2 real and one reproduction tassels. Quote
Paul G Posted January 25 Author Report Posted January 25 I am home now and have uploaded better pictures of this strap for sale. Thanks for all the comments, Paul G- Quote
Kotetsu1959 Posted January 26 Report Posted January 26 Hello Paul, Here are two examples from John Plimpton's collection. John was as knowledgable a guy when it comes to sword tassels and knots as anyone I have encountered. The example on the left is an authentic, box and wrapper, general's tassel. On the right is the best of the four fake general's tassels that John acquired. What tends to stand out most on fakes is how garish the zig-zag stitch is, and how every aspect is a little more course and clunky. Real general's tassels are thin and elegant in the strap, not thick. The fine weave is crisp. While the straps may have bends from folding, they do not have an uneven waviness that is characteristic of lower skill in the manufacturing process. Look at the slides on these two examples. Again, the fake is course and clunky. The authentic example is tight and precise, from the thread itself to the skill shown in weaving. Reading about Navajo textiles, and how to evaluate different materials, periods and methods of construction, will help you understand how much the fine details can show you. Compare the "berries" and again you will see a coarseness and looseness in the later copy that is not present in the original. As John observed years ago, the fakes are getting better. As we try to inform those interested in this esoteric subject, we inform those trying to make a dishonest buck off of us. The slide in the example posted by Paul appears amateurish to my eye. There is a waviness in the strap that is also a little sloppy. The overall look of the tassel is thick and stiff compared to authentic examples. I don't believe the tassel is genuine. I will see if I can post a few more for comparison's sake. And let me add what happy surprise it is to find a sophisticated young lady joining the thread. You see a similar shift in demographics happening in Japan, and it is wonderful. Respectfully, Ray 4 1 Quote
Paul G Posted January 27 Author Report Posted January 27 Thank you for the replies everyone! Its nice to see the good discussion!! Paul G- Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted January 28 Report Posted January 28 A replica from Japan: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k1170875827 2 Quote
KungFooey Posted January 30 Report Posted January 30 On 1/28/2025 at 10:35 AM, PNSSHOGUN said: A replica from Japan: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k1170875827 And it's past ¥31,000 with a day still to go. 🙄 Quote
Kotetsu1959 Posted February 8 Report Posted February 8 The resolution limitations of our host blur the distinctions somewhat, but side by side the differences stand out. Unethical sellers will of course resort to placing artificial wear as a means of blurring the distinguishing aspects. As with swords, seeing examples side by side makes the differences stand out more. For all but the most dedicated purists it is difficult to justify the disparity in price between the best reproductions and genuine examples. 2 Quote
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