Japanese sword !! is this a legit sword?

[BOB COLEMAN]

So do you think the black paint was applied post war? How can I tell...thank you.for.your response, I won't send it to Japan and I'll take bobs advise!!

I have owned several swords with the period applied black paint. I do not know what the reason is for this but it is possible your scabbard is also.
Heed Stu's warning as if you send a war period factory made blade to Japan, it will be confiscated and destroyed. They are illegal to own in Japan.

[Bruce Pennington]

Dawson, pg 153, and Fuller & Gregory, pg 62, both list black as an original color. It's certainly possible, though, that someone, post-war, has repainted it. If you are able to remove parts, like the ishizuke (at the tip) or the kuchi-gane (at the saya opening) you may be able to see original color, if it were different. Sometimes original color shows where the saya paint is chipped and scratched. I have an NCO gunto that had been painted gold, but I could see the original color under in the chips.

[MrPotts]

Yeah definitely not sending it to japan. When I get it ( coming from Australia ) I will check it out. My guess it was applied during war time for whatever reason

[ghp95134]

Don't attempt to get that sword into Japan. Their are regulations there pertaining to Showato.

Regards,
Stu

YES -- Do NOT even try!!! Dumb me in 1984 tried to bring in a stainless steel kaigunto into Japan to have new koshirae made by a polisher I was introduced to. I passed the Airport Police inspection (placed magnet on blade .... it stuck) ... they directed me to go to a Saturday "inspection" [Shinsa] at a local high school. Once the judges saw the circle-anchor, they refused to license it and I almost had it confiscated -- I and my sponsor were at the police station for two hours. But for the help of my sponsor's father who was known in the community, it would have been confiscated (sponsor's father was an IJN officer, grandfather was a RADM). The police kept the sword up until my departure, transferred it to the Airport Police, and the Airport Police only handed it to me **after** I crossed over to the "International" side which was (then) yellow tape on the floor!

If I did not have such a sponsor, the sword likely would have gone to a scrap pile for destruction.

--Guy

[MrPotts]

Amazing story and thank you for sharing. I'm glad you all know your stuff and probally saved me from that awful faith

[MrPotts]

I got the sword in the mail and the guy did not package it correctly, what a $!/#!//

[MrPotts]

The saya was not painted post war atleast, it was issued that way..grrrrr that crap makes me mad when people are retarded

[BOB COLEMAN]

You certainly should obtain a discount for the broken tsuka. If you have Moses do the repair work, he can also make you a new tsuka or handle.

[MrPotts]

Does it kill more value since this part is messed up? Thanks for the encouragement though, I would have to at this rate

[Geoff Ward]

I stumbled across this photo on a Japanese website Made me think of Stu and Guys warning Definitely good advice!!