The Master of Forgery
Forgeries continue to be made in every country at every age, and they will never disappear. The same is true in the world of Japanese swords. When buying or selling a Japanese sword, whether it is a genuine or a...
Katana Blog
Posts tagged "gansaku"
The Manufacturing of Japanese Style Swords Abroad
What are Japanese swords? Simply put, Japanese swords or katana are made by a unique Japanese blacksmithing method and are assumed to have been crafted in Japan, but a Japanese sword cannot merely be characterized as a weapon. It has...
Gansaku: The Fake Japanese Sword
Fake swords apparently started being made around the Kamakura period. In the Muromachi period there was already a “certificate of authenticity” which included an inscription on the tang of the words and a description of the blade. In the Edo...
The Beloved Blade of Kondo Isami
The Search for the Mysterious Sword "Kotetsu" By now, many are aware of Kondo Isami. The broad faced bull of a man with a sharp, piercing stare. He was the head of the Shinsengumi, a secret police force appointed by...
