When you are getting ready to buy a Japanese sword you really need to get to know your source, and it does not hurt to study a little history too.

If you are content with a wall hanger that can be purchased from any number of vendors and who's quality will varry then thats fine. However, if you want to gamble at getting the real deal you need to be prepaired and know what to look for.

There are also many factors to take in to account.

First of all, are you looking for a real sword used in a war? or are you looking for something to train with? Are you looking for a sword that is made in Japan? Or one that is made of good materials but not authentic?

A lot of people know that the Chinese make excellent copies of Katana and it does not matter to them that they are not "real" Japanese swords. But for someone who is new to Ebay and or swords particularly, they feel ripped off when they spend the hard earned money only to end up with a replica that is sometimes shoddy, and cheap.

There are lots of things to look for to avoid being taken for a ride. A person new to buying swords may be blinded by the desire to own a sword, and may need a little guide to help them find a good one.

Here are some things that I have learned about swords as an Ebayer, a Black Belt, and a frequent visitor to Japan. ( A Japanophile you might say.)

The number one thing I can tell you is that there are more fake swords then authentic ones.

You would be lucky to find a real one with no reserve starting at a buck. It's true some sellers know that they have a gem and that it will be bid up really fast, but why take the chance that you would have to part with an authentic article for cheap? By having a higher price you can weed out buyers who are unreliable with money and bad transactions. You would also be crazy to let a real sword go so cheaply

Replicas on the other hand are crude, and easily mass produced. They are easy to make, sell, and break too. Keep this in mind when you find that .99 cent starting bid Samurai Sword that is in China.

Check the seller's feedback a lot of new buyers don't know that they got a fake. But if someone was duped and found out about it they are probably going to mention it. See if your seller was accused of selling fakes before.

A seller has no legitimate reason to keep a user identity a secret because Ebay does not allow prohibitied items, if they are keeping bidder ID secrets it is because the seller has something to hide or may be shady. NEVER buy from those types!

I am not trying to be a Nihon-To  (Japaese Sword.) cowboy here, I am trying to simply educate new buyers looking for authentic swords.

It is important to notice the item's location as well. Think about who was involved in WWII know your geography, and study a little bit about other wars that Japan was in from times like the Russo-Japanese war to it's attepted capture of Korea. Think about things like Nanking, Manchuria, and Nepal. Why would someone be willing to sell a sword that is museum quality at such a cheap price? It would stink of fake to me.

Japanese Swords can be hand made, or machine made. The hand made ones have beautiful, polished blades and may or may not have a smith's stampings. The smith stampings are usually made in Kanji which is a writing system that the Japanese borrowed from China. A serious buyer should familiarize his or herself with some of the common names as they would appear in Kanji on a sword's tang. Keep in mind that this would also easily be forged so use the ask seller a question service and inquire about the smith stamp if it is present.

Aresenal markings will usually appear on machine made blades. Some sellers will try to tell you that in the "late" last ditch efforts of the war that these were not used. While it is true that the Japanese were melting some swords just to make bullets near the end of the war, one has to remember that they were and are a proud race of people who were at one time in a quest for world domination. I would avoid any sword with out the aresenal marks because if it is such a last ditch weapon, it would could still be very shoddy workmansship at best, and a fake at worst.

You should not be tricked by what some would call blood stains, blood is a corrisive agent and Japanese knew this, they would wipe off the blood if a sword was used, I am sure any GI would do the same for a captured one. Red tarnish on a sword is more likely to be rust.

Some fakes are artifically aged too so if the sword is taken appart in the pictures look for signs of this in the color of the metal. A really rusty blade with a perfectly polished handle is kind of suspisious. Keep in mind though that the handle may be a slightly different color as the sun and other elements are kept away when the handle is attached.

It is good to learn the Japanese names for the parts of a sword but you don't really need to. I have seen sellers list a sword and try to sound like they know what they are talking about by listing authentic sounding parts names, but when I see how the phonetically pronounced part is misspelled it makes me think that they can't really know too much about the product. It is a lot harder to misspell in Japanese then it is in English, this guide is proof of that.

I think that as many WWII vets start to leave this plane many Japanese Swords will start to become available so when you see them up for sale, I cannot stress it enought to contact the seller and ask where they got the sword from. They may not know how to take it appart, but if they say uncle Charlie picked it up in Taiwan on a trip 3 years ago that will help you make a better guess at the article. If they say however that dear ol' uncle Charlie got it while fighting in the Pacific half a life time ago that is even better.

Ask if the sword has a surrender tag. Many do not, but if it does ask to see a picture of it. Still be on guard as these may be good forgeries too.

I recomend reading books on the subject if you don't want to get ripped off.

Paul Chen offers great swords for test cutting and practice, but even his swords are not really considered by many to be Japanese Swords. I own several and can say that they are very good quality, and inexpensive for the anxious buyer. Be preparied to shell out a couple of your paychecks though if you want a real Katana.

In Japan, unless there have been any recent changes to the constitution that have adopted after WWII, it is unlawful to possess weapons grade swords. Some yakuza I know do, as well as some people who have family heirlooms that were hidden during the end of the war, but other then that any made in Japan sword from modern times is likely a dull practice blade of Iaido drawing practice. I am not saying that there are not ginzu sharp blades there, but again, why would they want to sell those? A made in Japan sword will be good quality, but probably not very sharp. Don't try to split a tree with one, and if you do buy one, do not try to sharpen it as it will most likely be made with aluminum alloy that will destroy the pretty blade.

If you buy from anywhere else in Asia be aware that it may not be authentic, but it still might be a cool item for a collection. I got one from a guy in Nepal who claimed that his grandfather stole it in Nanking from an officer, but when I got it, I noticed right away that it was not like the others I have, and when I tried to cut with it, the blade bowed so badly that I had to scrap it. I lost almost $90.00 on shipping alone for that. The shipping is often inflated by chinese sellers. I sent a real Japanese (dull sword made in Japan.) home for $45.00 5 years ago when I went to Japan. I made a decision right then and there to never buy a supposed Katana from anyone in China or Nepal ever again. And, I have not been ripped off since. When you see a sword's location also double check to see if it says something that does not match up, like "item location" Hong Kong, the "seller location" Taiwan. This should smell fishy. Same thing if it says New York, and then China.

Some guys at the gun show may have repained WWII era swords. I am fine with these but prefer the look of unenhanced shingunto. I will try to include some pics of an authentic one that I have to help the reader if my coffee / blood level keeps me awake long enough.

If you are new to sword collecting use the feature of emailing an item's description to someone you know who has more experience. They may be able to help you spot fakes, poor quality, or tell you how to get better deals.

Real late model swords of WWII will usually have undecorative hand guards like a black circle, not a rusty looking clover or flower shape. Don't fall for words like Rare, etc... Japanses swords are available for anyone who wants one and has the money. A great book on the subject is Military Swords of Japan 1868 - 1945 by Richard Fuller and Ron Gregory. Get it or you will be sorry.

I hope that the reader has found this an enjoyable and informative read and am glad I could contribute to the Ebay community.

Cheers,

Ken Hood