I am as of recent, a new joined member of the nihonto club. I became a member in hopes to share the Mei of my Katana and authenticate it, either value or if it's genuine. It appears to be handmade but possibly afterwards was sent off to a factory for finishing, that is unless the swordsmith himself devoted over time into the tang of the sword. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested, I am in a bit of a tight hassle over money and wouldn't have a problem selling the sword to someone whom collects and will take care of it. The sword itself has praying mantis finishes.
suspicious
Hi Kevin,
It would help to see closer pictures of:
- The tip of the blade.
- The area of the blade where the tang meets the main blade, with the habaki removed.
- the main part of the blade, showing the hamon.
- The tsuba.
- The handle.
The tang and signature is very suspicious. It looks recently made, the tip of the tang looks odd, and the stamped number "0023" would not be found on a Japanese blade (WWII assembly numbers were written with paint).
It may be a Chinese fake.
Sorry,
Pete
thanks updating images
Thanks for the info so far, I'll be sure to take a few more pictures in the morning to further the possibility of "helping" you "help" me.
Very much appreciated, and I will message you as soon as the new images are uploaded!