1Earth Antiques & Appraisals Magazine > Asian Works of Art > Expert Tip: Authenticating Japanese Samurai Swords

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Authenticating Japanese Samurai Swords Like fingerprints, each handmade Japanese samurai sword has its own characteristics. The metal is different from different makers, different regions, different provinces. And most of them are without signatures. Those who made the swords started faking signatures in the middle ages. Sometimes they were put in purposely to deceive. So often you need a microscope to compare the chisel strokes of one sword to another. In the end, you really need years of experience, examining hundreds and thousands of swords. It's a long learning curve. A hint: if you can get a Japanese WWII sword with the surrender document, the value increases manyfold. by Eureka Militaria militaria expert Marcus Webb Decorative replica Samurai Set with wooden scabbard. Only USD $175.00

The Craft of the Japanese Sword by Leon Kapp The Japanese Sword: A Comprehensive Guide by Kanzan Sato Sword of the Samurai: The Classical Art of Japanese Swordsmanship by George Parulski Giving Up the Gun: Japan's Reversion to the Sword, 1543-1879 by Noel Perrin Bokken Art of the Japanese Sword by Dave Lowry Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture by Karl Friday