Chinese sword: real or fake?

josh stout · 11th June 2007, 06:18 PM

OK, I looked some more and see what looks like a dip in the blade edge as if damage had been ground away. This may be an older blade put together in the late 19th C or early 20th C with new fittings and scabbard. This could explain the general feeling that some seem to have that there is something slightly strange. I still think the fittings have some age, but there is a certain hurried look to the fittings that does not match the quality of the blade. All in all one of the finest blades I have seen with fittings that are not quite up to the same standard.
Josh

Tatyana Dianova · 11th June 2007, 09:02 PM

Thank you very much, Josh, for your explanation. Yes, the blade has some battle damage: some nicks from sword blows on the cutting edge and on the back of the blade, as well as several dips (seems like earlier nicks were sharpened / removed).
The most funny thing about this sword is that I even did not know that it has a Damascus blade when I was buying it - so rusty it was! But the Damascus pattern is so bold that it was good visible immediately after the active surface rust was removed. And during polishing it was more and more evident even without etching.

11th June 2007, 06:18 PM	#1
josh stout Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 407	OK, I looked some more and see what looks like a dip in the blade edge as if damage had been ground away. This may be an older blade put together in the late 19th C or early 20th C with new fittings and scabbard. This could explain the general feeling that some seem to have that there is something slightly strange. I still think the fittings have some age, but there is a certain hurried look to the fittings that does not match the quality of the blade. All in all one of the finest blades I have seen with fittings that are not quite up to the same standard. Josh

11th June 2007, 09:02 PM	#2
Tatyana Dianova Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 741	Thank you very much, Josh, for your explanation. Yes, the blade has some battle damage: some nicks from sword blows on the cutting edge and on the back of the blade, as well as several dips (seems like earlier nicks were sharpened / removed). The most funny thing about this sword is that I even did not know that it has a Damascus blade when I was buying it - so rusty it was! But the Damascus pattern is so bold that it was good visible immediately after the active surface rust was removed. And during polishing it was more and more evident even without etching.