There are people, who are passionate about gathering old and new fighting equipment like swords, guns, and rifles to enhance their house. The swords are of many types and finding the real sword becomes a challenging job.
There are various sites where you can buy samurai swords online. Before buying, you need to go in depth to get the right product at the right price. You can’t afford to spend those precious dollars for taking a dummy sword, which might be aesthetically pleasing, but a fake. The following guide will help you in making a right decision.
- Make: All real swords are made out of carbon steel and not the stainless steel. This is because stainless steel becomes very brittle if it is longer than 12”. Secondly, it is not suitable as a functional sword. It is important to get into specifics before buying it.
- Purity and Perfection: The Japanese swords are known for their purity and perfection. They are made up of combining the elements of nature namely earth, wind, fire and water. Each sword is uniquely crafted by human hands in combination with spiritual energy. Each sword is a masterpiece.
- Type of sword: Before buying any Japanese sword, it is important that you are aware of the types of the sword used by them. They are broadly divided into four classes of society namely Samurai, farmers, craftsmen and merchants. The Samurai class used to have different types of swords namely Tachi, Katana, Wakizashi, Tanto, Naginata etc.
- Age of the sword: It is important to know the period when the sword was made. The age of the sword can be presumed just from the curvature. A little bit of searching will help you to find out the age of the sword. There are various names given to the sword based on the age namely
– Koto swords (800 to 1600)
– Shinto swords (1600 to 1780)
– Shinshinto swords (1781 to 1876)
– Gendaito swords ( 1876 to Pre-World war-II)
– Gunto swords and modern day swords
- Quality: As described earlier, the real swords are unique and they are properly heat-treated. The blades are not too soft and not too brittle unlike fake swords. Each real sword has unique handle and grip.
- Blade: Just as each sword has unique curve, the blades of the swords has different patterns. You will be able to see the patterns that are named differently based on the year they have been made. The blade is folded in a unique way to exhibit harmony between the surface skin and the hamon.
- Budget: The price determines the uniqueness and realness of the sword. In general, the starting prices of the swords were $3000 depending upon the factors stated above. However, after bubble burst in 1980, the prices have fallen. The genuine swords are always expensive.
- Sword Mountings: The real swords mounting are handmade in a unique way to describe its class. They represent a certain class of owner. In today’s age, they are wrapped in simple traditional white scabbard (shirsaya).
- Certifications: To preserve the old heritage and identification, organizations have been setup. These organizations are responsible for certification and screening process of the real and authentic historic swords.
Getting a sword is easy, but getting a real sword can become difficult, if you are not aware of the facts and figures. By buying certified goods, you are at peace of mind and can add to the real value of your collections.
