http://www.aukcije.hr/item.php?id=618656

What do you guys think of this sword? I don't think it's a genuine katana, but I would like to know if anyone here recognizes the mark and do you think it's a real folded steel, not a fake? I would say it's a chinese copy of a katana but I'm really no expert on Asian weapons...

IMHO it is a recently made (poorly) reproduction probably of Chinese manufacture. You see all myriad of these things showing up on e-bay misrepresented as WWII or earlier. Most sold out of China.

It appears to be what I often see as machine made Damascus steel, again poorly made. It has been etched to see the pattern such as it is. It does not appear to be a very close approximation to either in style, polish, blade tip shape, or tsuba or scabbard or hilt to any actual authentic Japanese katana I have ever seen.

Let the buyer beware for sure. I would say its a katana-like object. A cheap one at that.

Just one man's opinion.

Best regards,

Terry

Very low grade Chinese or Indian fake.

This page tells it all for those less familiar with the subject.

Cheers,
-GLL

Just to make it a "threesome"... ..Agree with both Terry and Gabriel; the thing is junk. The site that Gabriel recommends says it all.

Dan

I actually kinda like it. Sure, it isn't a katana (well, not nihon-to), the hada is weird and doesn't match any patern even remotely like any ligit school of japanese swordsmithing I have heard about ( I'm no expert though), the kissiki is clumsy and the tsuba looks like pure fantasy town. Most traditional and good modern swords seem to have a grain style that is the same along the blade (not always "even" but at least fluid), this one is kinda jarring. All that being said, from a purely asthetic standpoint, I think it looks kinda cool, the same way that a purple flying "V" guitar looks kinda cool, though it has nothing to do with a stradavarias.

Thanks people. I thought it was something like that. I knew it can't be a nihonto, but I thought it might at least be a well made sword in style inspired by katana. :)

That is a korean cloud sword...or at least a chinese replica of one. Not a bad looking cloud sword either...pretty tastefully done in comparison to how must others are done.

What do you think about structural integrity of such a sword if you forget all about "historicalness" and authenticity? Or if it is this "cloud sword", is it actually more or less historical design?

Well I don't know how good the structural integrity of this exact sword is because I have no idea who made it or how it's made...or even what it's made of.

As for the historical accuracy of the blade, the tip is off and the hada is weird...but otherwise this is a pretty prime example of what a korean cloud sword should looks like. As for historically, korean swords did about as well as chinese swords...and they both shared a lot of the same crafting techniques.

Hi :)

I am a Japanese... But I do not know a lot about a Japanese sword... :(
However, by all odds I do not look like a Japanese sword(Katana or Nihonto).
I look like a Chinese or Korean sword to me.

BUT THESE ETCHED LETTERS ARE JAPANESE! :eek:
It is etched as "Kanei 2 Year" in Japanese kanji in "katana1-3.jpg".
It is etched as "Yamamura Ichiro" in Japanese kanji in "katana1-4.jpg".

about KANEI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kan%27ei

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So they claim it's from 1625? I wouldn't really believe them... :)
Thanks