What to look for in a genuine japanese sword

1. Quality, the Japanese pride themselves on the quality of their work it takes 5 craftsmen to make one sword. All the fittings should look crisp and clean with no shabby casting joins.

2. Just because it looks old does not mean it is old, a good Japanese sword will have been cherished so it should not look as old as the hills. Beware of fakes looking ancient.

3. The Kissaki or point of the sword should have a nice even curve to the point and not flat or straight. Swords with a straight lined point are probably from China but certainly not from Japan

4. A common term in swords is blood groove meaning the groove along the blade usually on both sides. In Japanese swords this is called Bo-Hi it is not a so called blood groove but has been pains-takingly put in to reduce weight and compliment the balance of the sword. The Bo-Hi should have no wobble along its length.

5. The tang of the sword should never be cleaned as this reduces the swords value, The condition of the tang is very important in establishing the swords age, beware of so called old swords with a tang showing red rust, the tang should be dark brown or even black on very old swords. There are many factors to look for in a genuine Japanese sword, if the seller says it's genuine ask the seller how they know it's genuine and do they have proof to back up their claims. Please click on the yes button below if this has helped you and remember to look for Quality and not age some 15th century swords look brand new.