I recently bought 2 swords off ebay (I know, I'm an idiot). One has a wooden tsuka and raised writing (looks like Chinese, wish I had known that before) on the backside of the blade near the tsuba.

The other looks better but the tsuka is wrapped only 3/4 of the way and the case is wavy. They both show folding patterns but I have recently learned that can be faked.

Would anyone be able to verify the authenticity of these blades or tell me anything about one? I am not looking for a display piece really just something to practice cutting with and iaito, as I am young and cannot afford a better sword now.

first sword http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3753113767

second sword http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3748469244

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thankyou

They look pretty cool but you probably bought cheap replacas. I thought real swords like these went for thousands of dallors?

I looked at a sword almost exactly like the first one about 8 months ago on ebay. I e-mailed the seller with some questions about it. He wouldn't tell me anything other than the sword was acquired from a friend who had found several and that it was a "real sword". I asked why the hamon was raised as was the "engravings" and asked for more detailed pictures and he replied with insults. This seller has a different name but the add and the sword looks almost identical. Looks like you got had. Sorry.

Yeah. Sorry to say it, but they do look like cheap replicas. At least they didn't get all that much of your money.

They look nice, but historically they are quite inaccurate so I'd have to say that they are fakes. I'd get them checked out throughly by someone who does that for a living before practicing at all because they could shatter.

Greg, don't trust any sword under two hundred to survive two hits with another sword, or even your display table (yes, that movie is real). It's interesting that it seems to have a random damascus pattern, which means that it is almost certainly not the traditional Japanese folded steel (like this sword). So, we can safely assume that it is a fake.


[This message has been edited by Benjamin1986 (edited 10-18-2004).]

Benjamin,
That sword may in fact be folded in the Japanese way, but the fittings look awful. I have seen the Angelsword katanas before. None of them struck me as especially "traditional", although perhaps they have changed something about their manufacturing process since then. What has struck me about them is that they are considerably more expensive than the much more traditionally made blades available from http://www.bugei.com and http://www.swordstore.com

Mr. Mahan, we finally agree on something! Those swords (Angel swords)indeed are awfull. And the price... well, I sure hope the quality makes up for their lack of beauty (I think they are trying to re-invent the wheel here). Also, I agree, Bugei has some very nice swords and their prices are not all that bad. The Paul Chen line of swords have been found to be an acceptable investment for display, kata or cutting. Again, the prices are reasonable. Choose wisely!

I for one like the way Angelswords look and feel, and I certainly prefer a rosewood hilt to a cord wrap. Simply because something is not traditional doesn't mean it is inferior. I like Angelswords because
1: They are each unique. My sword is that rosewood and palm heart double spiked dao that they made two years ago. It is not 25" model 4 #253.
2: Customer service. I will never buy a sword online, period, and Angelsword is a good company that attends the Renaissance Faires that I go to.
3: They don't limit themselves with tradition. If they want to put a spike at the end of their katana, they put a spike there. You don't buy a "samurai sword" or a "faithful recreation", you buy an Angelsword. If it fits into a category, great, but if it doesn't, you just need to describe it with more words.
4: They actually are beautiful (I don't know what you were looking at), and more elegant than most other.

That may be, but the original post which was posited by Benjamin said:

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Benjamin1986:
which means that it is almost certainly not the traditional Japanese folded steel (like this sword).
[/QUOTE]

I was merely replying that they were not particularly traditional. And the Angelswords are inferior traditional japanese swords when compared to Swordstore.com and Bugei.com. Both of whom have extremely good reputations for customer service within the traditional Japanese Sword Arts communities.