# Communities > Antique Arms & Armour Community > Chinese, South-East Asia (CSEA) >  Sword Identification Help Needed

## Andrew Hall

Does anyone recognize this sword?  There are no markings on it but it does have unique features.  The sword is approx. 32 inches overall, with a blade length of 26 1/2 inches, slightly curved.  The handguard seems crude, brass?, with a dragon's head on it.  The sword handle has a safety mechanism which include a thumb release to remove the sword from the scabbard.  The scabbard is wrapped in an odd material, maybe leather, very dark brown with gold speckling throughout.  The speckling is not painted on, but is little dots of gold material mixed into the dark brown material.  It appears to be painted on a wood scabbard. There are no distinguishable patterns except on the belt hook area.  On this, there appear to be two five-petal flower heads.

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## Dennis East

Looks like a chinese officers sword, or could also be Japanese.  I'm sure someone can tell you for sure.  Hope this helps.  Dennis :Big Grin:

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## josh stout

It kind of looks like a modern made Chinese copy of a Chinese Nationalist officers sword.  The aged wood is no guarantee of authenticity.  Unless you have a good provenance, that would be my guess.

Look for some other signs of age.  Take a picture of the chape and looking down the scabbard.
Josh

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## W. Kroncke

the chinese are fond of covering their scabbards in polished rayskin, which is sanded down to flatten the bumps which are normally left intact for sword grips for better grip. it produces the distinctive whiteish dot inclusions. from a jian scabbard:


they are also fond of making copies of weapons, and can make quite good ones, or quite poor ones. faux rayskin is also a chinese specialty. they have been making repros of antiques for centuries, so age is not necessarily an indicator of authenticity. even age can be reproduced by burying the bright shiny sword in animal dung for a while.  the crudety of the guard & hilt is most suspicious.

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