How to Spot An Antique Sword Before Deciding to Buy it
It’s difficult to find an authentic antique sword nowadays. There are plenty of swords out in the market but they command a very high price ranging from $ 2000 to $ 10,000 and more.
When you are dead set on getting an authentic sword then it/s vital to really know what you have to do. You should talk to local dealers, attend sword shows, join a sword society and loads of research. It never hurts to do research such as reading this article.
Here are few questions you need to ask before closing any purchase of words for your collection.
Is the sword made of steel or aluminum?
There is one way to find out if the sword is made of steel or aluminum/ Hold a magnet over the sword. If it has magnetic properties, it is steel while aluminum is not. If it’s made of aluminum, it is undoubtedly a modern reproduction.
Is there visible grain (hada) in the steel of the blade?
Most hand made antique swords shows visible grain marks created by the forging process. However, the presence of visible grain doesn’t necessarily mean it’s old. In fact, many WWII Japanese swords were hand-made.
Does the blade show a true temper line or hamon?
With the use of a magnifying glass, examine the hamon closely. A real hamon will have tiny dots or specks along the border of the hamon. Modern machine-made swords have an etched hamon designed to look like an antique Samurai sword. A fake, etched temper line will look smooth and cloudy with out any distinguishable dividing line.
Does the blade have serial numbers stamped into it?
If it does, it’s most certainly a modern reproduction since machine assembly lines don’t exist in 15th century Japan!
Is there rust on the tang?
The tang is the portion of the blade that is encased in the handle or tsuka. You can remove the pegs holding it in place and remove the handle. Modern, replica swords will have a grey, metallic tang even with a little red rust. Older, antique Samurai swords will have more rusted tangs ranging from brown to deep black rust.
Word of caution: Never ever attempt to clean the tang of an antique samurai sword in any way if you want to retain its value.
When you did clean the tang, sad to say, the value will be instantly reduced by at least 50%. Rust and file markings are indicators to determine age. If you remove the rust, it becomes harder to assess if it’s an authentic Japanese sword.
Is the tang signed? The sword may be signed alright but it doesn’t mean it’s been made by hand. Many WWII Japanese military swords were signed to give them an air of importance, but those swords were all machine made. Whether it is signed or not has little or nothing to do with determining the real age of the sword.
Buying an antique sword takes a lot of knowledge and a lot of money, best left to the professional collectors. But don’t let it stop you from owning a great sword. In fact, many of the modern swords being made today are even better than their original counterparts.
February 16 2009 | antique swords | 1 Comment »