Does the guard match the number range?

[Thylacine]

Hi all new member here and my first question.

 

I was thinking of bidding on the sword listed but something seemed wrong to me, the scabbard is painted black and is supposed to be original, also the guard, all swords I have seen in that serial number range have the solid iron guard, as this sword was produced well into the war I expected to see a different guard. Lastly something about the end of the grip...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220844727975? ... 1423.l2649

 

I have chatted with the owner and he told me it was purchased in the 1970's from a 2nd hand store in Adelaide, so it has been in his possession for 30 plus years.

 

I can usually spot a fake, but this one left me with doubts, it may be as simple as someone swapping the tsuba but it lust lacked that sense of age and ware that old military items have.

 

E.

[BenoitD]

This NCO sword looks genuine to me.

 

Aluminum tsuka (hilt)

Kashira (pommel) looks fine but has been cleaned or polished.

On the blade, Nagoya (NA) stamp after the blade number = 名

Correct fuchigane (hilt collar) stamps (3 of them)

Brass tsuba looks fine (I would have liked a better picture)

Habaki looks fine

Blade number = 136392 (correct for nagoya and brass tsuba - from 132666 to 137269)

Saya with screw on front side

Saya shoe with pronounced curvature

 

It all looks fine.

 

Personally, I do not like when the color of the tsuka is so aluminum. It always looks like it has been

cleaned of the brown colour coat of paint that was supposed to imitate the usual brown tissue wrapping (tsuka-ito)

of the shin-gunto.

 

I have seen black sayas in the past but this one could well have been repainted. Difficult to say.

 

It all depends on what you want.

It does not have that typical look and feel of this usual kind of NCO sword.

Will you enjoy the differences ? Will you always have a doubt it could be a fake ?

I know I would pass on it but this is me.

 

Benoit D