There are many pitfalls for the unwary when buying antiques in an environment like Ebay and other online auction sites. These online auction providers or the people who create the environment to buy and sell items online seem to care little for the new or first time collector and allow many obvious forgeries, not just in antiques but also in other items like apparel and clothing to be sold without control or due care.

It the world of Nihonto, it is very easy for the new collector to be duped out of hundreds of dollars in the blink of an eye.

My name is Richard Turner and I maintain and manage the Nihonto Message Board.

www.nihontomessageboard.com

I receive many emails every week from new collectors who have just purchased their first sword, and sometimes multiple swords thinking they have the bargain of a lifetime. But there are so very very few 'bargains of a lifetime', a simple reality we should all be well aware of in this day and age.

Many swords and fittings are being produced and shipped from China. One only needs to run a search for
"Japanese Sword" on Ebay to see hundreds of fake swords, all coming out of China. These unscrupulous sellers are now trying tricks like running auctions in British pounds, or saying they are in Australia, when in fact, they are all in China and trying to steel your hard earned dollars.

Here is my advice when looking to buy a Japanese Sword out of China. DON'T. There are 2 genuine collectors I know of in Hong Kong and I am pretty sure neither of them sell on Ebay. These gentleman are true collectors. The many many swords that appear for 1 cent, or a dollar are 99.9% of the time rubbish. And unless you just want something to hang on your wall and have no interest in genuine Nihonto, then stay clear of these sellers.

One of the pages on the NMB ( Nihonto Message Board ) deals with Fake Japanese Swords.

www.nihontomessageboard.com/fake_japanese_swords.html

I suggest taking some time to read through this page and trying to see what sets a real sword apart from the fakes. Remember,collecting Nihonto is not cheap, it takes much study and patience, reading and learning. This is a very complex subject. There are NOT hundreds of cheap genuine swords on Ebay, but there is a mountain of trash. Take your time, look carefuly, and ask for help if you are not sure.

Late note. After I posted this article, I noticed to the right, the very things I was warning about. 100 % trash tsuba from China. Now this is not to say that you won't see a real one there from time to time, but the irony is hilarious. Typical. So, here's another tip. Stay clear of titles such as

Fantastic Japanese Traditional Katana Sword Tsuba
Excellent Japanese Traditional Katana Sword Tsuba
Wonderful Japanese Traditional Katana Sword Tsuba
Stunning Japanese Traditional Katana Sword Tsuba
Gorgeous Japanese Traditional Katana Sword Tsuba

Happy hunting.

Richard Turner