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Post by naginata2489 on Mar 22, 2014 18:24:44 GMT
Thank you in advance for helping me with this. Its driving me crazy. I received this blade from a friend who's husband had died and when found out that I collected swords she gave it to me (what a sweetheart). I don't expect that it is some extraordinary sword but the durability of this blade has me a bit intrigued. I had a friend that had a sword similar that was made in the Philippians. Here is what I assume, It is not Japanese, That it is older due to the ware in the leather and the patina that was on all of the brass fittings. Here is what I know, I am not sure how it was put together as there are no makugi in the tsuka. It is all hand made , even the blade, The fuchi, tsuba and habaki are all one piece. It is well made and the steel on this blade is unbelievable. We have tested it on everything from water bottles to to small trees and it has yet to chip, even dull the blade in the slightest where some of my higher end blades I would have to put it on the stones. There is no evidence that I can see that it is differential hardened. This is my first time posting so I hope that I uploaded the pictures properly. Thank you so much, Aaron.
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Post by naginata2489 on Mar 22, 2014 19:01:36 GMT
Ya, I was not expecting that to be a first reply for my first post or just asking for help when I was told this was a good place to ask questions.
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Mar 22, 2014 21:53:05 GMT
Look somewhat like a Ritter Steel katana. Current models typically have a plain pommel and round tsuba, so either not Ritter Steel but by somebody else in the same general style, or an old model. Ritter Steel are the only name-brand I know of that did swords like these, but there are/were no-name makers.
Even a mediocre blade shouldn't chip or dull on water bottles. Bottles are too soft to dull it, and lower-end blades tend not to be hard enough to chip. Trees, depending on the size and wood, can be a different matter. The steel doesn't sound unbelievable to me. What higher end blades are you comparing it to?
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Mar 22, 2014 22:28:38 GMT
It certainly has that hand made look to it. I have a 'Katana' I bought 23 years ago... its got a wood tsuka with no pegs and a bunch of brass furniture like yours... blade looks very similar as well. I bought it at a cutlery shope, it was made by a local knife maker... yours has a lot of the same looks and style to it. Have you found no markings anywhere? It may have a makers mark somewhere... try to find it and get a picture of it. I *AM* concerned about you using it to cut with... especially if you are cutting trees as you say. If you don't know the method of construction, you said it has no pegs, you don't know who made it, how old it is, what it was designed to handle and be used for, and what sort of steel its made from... it is VERY dangerous to be swing it around... and even more so to be cutting hard targets (trees and branches). My advice would be to NOT do any more swinging it around until you can take it apart (assuming it can be taken apart, mine can not) and/or discover who made it and how it is assembled. Any of us who have been collecting swords for a long time can tell you some horror stories of how badly people have been hurt by blades coming apart in use. PLEASE be careful.
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Post by Turok on Apr 3, 2014 2:48:01 GMT
I agree with Shadowhowler, I wouldn't cut anything with it and the sword doesn't look very sturdy judging by the pictures. Also It looks like an early Ritter Steel katana. Ritter Steel makes a lot of ahistorical and fantasy display swords. Here's a picture from KOA Be careful because even with a "battle ready" katana, a bad cut can be dangerous. If I were you I'd keep it and display it in honor of your friend
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Post by MOK on Apr 6, 2014 18:04:24 GMT
Yeah, old Ritter Steel piece seems like a safe bet. And I, too, would be wary of cutting with or even swinging it around, given that we've no idea of the method or quality of the hilt assembly.
(As for the steel, lots of wallhangers use perfectly, even surprisingly, good blade materials. It's not the type of steel but what's done with it that sets functional swords apart from SLOs.)
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