A katana this ain't

Although it kind of looks like one. It's probably a WW2 era non-commisioned officer's (NCO) shin-gunto - a military sword loosely patterned on a katana. The scabbard is iron or steel, and the handle is aluminum. The tsuba is bronze. Condition is very good, and the workmanship is surprisingly good.

I say probably and "surprisingly good" up above becasue there is about an even chance that this is not a Japanese war relic but is a Chinese copy of more recent manufacture. A couple of things that make me think Chinese knock-off include the lack of serial numbers (matching or otherwise) on the scabbard and a little bit of sloppiness in the casting of the tsuba. On the other hand, most Chinese knock-offs use brass for their scabbards (which was not done in Japan) and feature acid-etched blades (this one does not). Furthermore, the accumulated lint and grime on the tang of the blade speaks of use and age (although this could be faked, as well). Finally, the price I paid for this suggests a forgery, although one never knows. Regardless, the sword is well constructed, stong, and solid, with quality materials throughout. To me, this makes the fact that it might be a knock-off moot, since this was purchased more to ward off zombie attacks than as a serious collectors piece ;-)