Did I get taken?

Opinions on this Jap sword I just bought, please!

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u...x255967421.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u...x255966953.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u...x255966671.jpg

WWII mfg. officer's sword, I think. W/ a little fancier funiture than I've seen.

Its a Shin Gunto, factory made officers sword. Sneered at by collectors, sort of like on this forrum how shooters are treated. Whether you got took or not depends on how much you paid, and I won't guess. I have an almost identical one. Except my scabbard is OD and the handle lacing is brown. Also the flowers (I won't try to spell) under the lacing are brass colored. Your guard looks to be assembled wrong, the two disks with the fine notches on the rim, one goes in front and one in back. I had fun translating the characters on the tang. Mine was made by the Manchurian Railroad shop in Dairen in 1941. The last two characters on the tang (pic is USD) are "kore saku", this made.

Terrys,

You obviously know a great deal about this subject and have paid your dues.

If the words are appropriate enough to post here will you tell us what the characters on the tang represent?

I studied 'German' for years, and although the Germans were the main axis ally it sure didn't help me with Japanese artifacts! :D

(I've often wondered how difficult it was for the Germans and Japanese to communicate during WWII or if they even did communicate much)

will need much better pics. Both sides.Email them to me, will be glad to take acrack at it. I have done three and they were all a little different from one another.

Terry - I ended up buying a different one. I will send you the pics when I get it. I do not think it was stamped out like this blade is, it has draw file marks on the nagato (tang), though I guess the blade would have to be folded to be sure.

Interesting thing about your sword is, I seem to recall that the Japs made these from ripped up railroad tracks in manchuria. For a while, the chinese copies that are so prevalent in the US were still using rail steel!

I thought the stamped blades were serialized, not signed.

What does the signature translate to?

So you were just fishing? You implied you had actually bought the blade. Phoo.

No, but after the comments here and on jouster, I returned it and bought a different one. I'll post some pics when I get them.

OK, then! I've only a few Japanese blades, I'm thinking you might know more about using them than I. Sword classes tend to be afternoon/evening affairs which is sleep time for me.