Price on Katanas

I have baught a sword recently, which happens to be a sharp steel katana going for $45.95 U.S. Dollars, on... EBAY.
you can find real swords there and get them mailed to you.

you get what you pay for.

Im in Japan and have been in JApan since last August on homestay (But thats not the point) The point is that Ive asked my Kendo sensei how much his real (as in recently,hand folded steel) katana costed him and he said 60000 en which is about 600 US dollars, thats not bad if you ask me, but IM not sure if you can get it without a permit or ship it out of the country for that matter. Also, I was told by a few Japanese (who only speak Japanese) friends of mine that Okinawa is famous for making hand folded katanas (Im not sure if you guys knew that or not) but thats as far as my knowlegde on buying katanas go If you have any questions that you would like me to find the answer to my email is im_fresh@hotmail.com

I'll be in JApan till the 17th of August so ask befor then if you have any questions.

Swords online is terrible do not buy any thing stainless steel or from there buy it from japanesesword.com or nosyuiaido.com

Yah, I agree swordsonline.com is garbage... I suggest getting something made by paul chen, www.casiberia.com

Hey Norimitsu that can be said about any blade made by any smith, a weak point is a weak point is a weak point... And I am sure they didn't do it on purpose. And yours was the only negative comment I have heard about any hanwei products. Plus I have also read that if anything like that happens they will repair/replace it.

Yah, I agree swordsonline.com is garbage... I suggest getting something made by paul chen, www.casiberia.com

I don't know if you guys heard of Howard Clarke. but he makes sword that are very real and and very nice.these sword are not made of zinc or fake stainless steel at all. these are very high quality and cost from 1000-10000 US dollar. check his work out online. just search for it.

it's a tradition for japanese to have swords. it's not illegal to have a sword if u live in japan. you just can't ship it out of the country. because it's like stealing a part of tradition from them.

http://swordforum.com/summer99/howardclark.html

yes it is illegal to have a sword in Japan without a special license - however - what is and is not considered a sword is clearly defined.

All of the things you see sold in stores in Japan for a few hundred bucks or less are made from a zinc alloy and are classified as being used for Iaido. While the look like a sword, they are not sharp and technically not swords. That is why people can own them without a license and why iaido dojos are not shut down by the cops.

Real swords, sharp weapons, must be registered where they will be kept (in the town or city) and cannot be moved without filling out some more paperwork. You need a good reason to own one - family treasure, martial arts, serious collector etc. - and the police will keep an eye on you lest your sword fall into the wrong hands...

You can export real swords made in Japan, but they cannot be deemed as national teasures or as very important. I know of a few dealers who sell real, antique swords (see my posts above) and they export outside Japan all the time.

You cannot import swords of any form to Japan unless they are Japanese sword sent back to be repolished - these two must be registered before they are released to the smith and unregistered when exported back to the original owner.

anyone checked out the howard clarke swords yet?

I bought a 'WW2 Japanese Officers sword' from China, via Ebay. I did not expect the quality of sword to be up to much, as I understood they mass produced weapons around then. also I truly did not expect the 'sword' to be authentic Japanese anyway. But for £14.95 it makes a nice practice weight.

Thing is, I got a once sharp piece of steel, heavier than I expected.

My questions are for anyone that knows.

1) What is, for an authentic Japanese Katana, of this WW2 period or any other period an appropriate weight?


2) Did 2nd World War Katanas, have issue numbers or names, impressed or etched on the blade, or on the tang.

3) How does one estimate the metallurgical content of a blade, i.e non destructive tests?

4) Once the metallurgy is know, what methods can one use to sharpen.

5) Does anyone have statistics of how many japanese officers' swords were made, and how many were lost in China in ww2.

If you bought it off Ebay, and it is from China, it is a fake made sometime after world war two. Without seeing the blade and entire sword, it would be impossible to know.

Just because something is mass produced doesn't mean it is crud. However, even good gunto, mass produced, will fetch a few hundred bucks if they are in good shape. 14 whatevers (unless it is ounces of uranium) is far to low - that being my first reaction not being able to see the blade.

Just because it might have marking so the tang doesn't mean it is authentic. Plenty of good swords were made without markings. Many more are fake markings, just like buying a 15 dollar Rolex - it says Rolex, but that doesn't make it a Rolex.

But hey, what does it matter if it is a Chinese fake? If you like the sword, consider yourslef lucky it was so cheap. At least you didn't take a huge hit if it turns out to be a fraud.

As for your metal oriented questions, I'm not a smith, so I don't know. Just don't go swinging it around until you get everything checked out by an expert.

If you want a decent, hand-crafted (by a government-licensed swordsmith), functional sword in Japan, be prepared to dish out $3,000 - $4,000 US. This will get you a fairly nice sword. Here is a random sword that I just pulled off the net that illustrates my point: http://www.n-p-s.net/katana-06.htm.

But good modern ones can go up to $15,000 US. Another example from the same site: http://www.n-p-s.net/katana-13.htm.

And be prepared to wait for several months for you sword to be built. There is a limit on the number of genuine non-machine-made swords a craftsman can make in Japan per month.

But again, these are genuine. These people train for at least 5 years under a licensed swordsmith and have to pass a strict government-administered test to prove their skills. There are only about 300 people in Japan who possess this license, and only about 100 who do it full-time to make a living.

But once again, these are far superior than the machine-made ones, especially those that are mass-made in China. (And beware of the fake imitations that are going around, mostly Chinese, and chemically aged to look authentic or antique)

Since there are many knowledgeable people posting on this thread, I think it is appropriate ask my question of you.

I understand the Obi is the belt worn around the waist and that the Sageo wraps around the Saya. Does the Sageo attach the Saya to the Obi? If not, how does the Saya stay in place? Also, what equipment is used to attach the Saya to the back so the Katana can be drawn over the shoulder or is this not permitted in traditional Iaido or Kendo?

You may post a reply or email me an answer, but I would prefer both.

Thanks

May I suggest the following website:
http://www.bugei.com/tameshigiri.html
Bugei has some of the best Japanese Swords made today. They can be even used for Tameshigiri- or cutting. I myself own a blade thats worth $1000 and its a beauty for a bottom of the line sword. Paul Chen also has his line there too

I have been listening to all of you take about real and fake swords and i have 2 questions;

1) What would make a good strong practice katana and where can i find

2) where can i find authentic hand folded japanese swords,what are the lowest and highest prices you have found, and how are you sure that there real.

you will find amazing information on Japanese swords from www.swordforum.com

I'm sure people here can be helpful, but best to get as many opinions as you can.