Tourist item, likely Chinese-made.
Yes, Chinese pieces have the gaudy damascus patterning and the poor geometry and the mediocre leatherwork on fake gunto mountings.Really? That sword looks legit. Most Chinese knockoffs don't have the damascus looking pattern but this one actually looks like a patinaed shig kitaeji. Right?
Yes, Chinese pieces have the gaudy damascus patterning and the poor geometry and the mediocre leatherwork on fake gunto mountings.
Sorry.
It is not Japanese in origin. Pakistan and India also sometimes make replicas like these, but China has been most responsible for them in the last few decades.There is nothing gaudy about the Damascus patterning and the geometry is not poor, this was purchased approx 15 years ago from an antique shop in Japan, the scabbard is also very well made, the serial numbers make me believe that this may be an officers kit from the Second World War?
It is also very well made and heavy, the Damascus reminds me very much of a Shig Kitaeji.
I don't know about katana, but just looking at the engraving... Is it common to engrave kanji on katana like it is with kitchen knives? I'm not sure.
At any rate, a proud maker would be even less likely to engrave in hiragana instead of kanji, which is what's been used, and it only says 'Toyota' and so sounds dubiously generic.
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