Anyone want this? (Japanese sword)

[MaDuce]

First off, this is not a sale offering. I am looking for opinions in order to decide whether or not to go there.

Some friends gave me a Japanese Wakizashi they inherited. They knew nothing about it but after examination, it turns out that it's a real sword (IE, not a wall hanger, but a user). What grade of metal it's made of, I don't know. It's very solid but doesn't like to flex much. If it were a Katana I would question the integrity but for a Wakizashi, it seams to be more then sufficient in shock resistance. The metal tells me it's a chrome moly. It feels both harder and more shock resistant then most of the real historical Japanese swords I've handled. Mind you, it's still probably a Hanwei blade.

Anyway, It was all banged up when I got it and came with missing furniture.

It so happens that I have some cocobolo wood, ray skin and leather handle wrapping made specifically for Japanese sword handles. I got all this stuff for an Uchigatana sword I wound up having to scratch due to insufficient blade width.

Anyway, I am thinking about fixing some of the errors in the blade's construction and am already half way through hand polishing/resharpening the blade with a clam shell bevel (that used on real Samurai swords) and then using some of the above materials to restore this sword. But I have no use for a Wakizashi right now and it's expensive material. If I am going to offer it for sale or trade, it'll happen right here.

We're looking at a sale or trade value set at around $150 $200 (It'd be allot more if I had to scratch build the blade and brass). If I put it up, it'll unquestionably be offered in exchange for AR parts, ammo, cash or a combination of the above. I am wondering if there's any demand for something like that here as I am hesitant to dump a good $80-$100 worth of materials and several hours in to a sword that no one wants. So, anyone got any use for something like this and willing to trade AR parts and ammo for it?

[MikedaddyH]

Are you sure it is "real" and not a tang ?????

Find out its history, was it a WWII sovengier brought back by one of our troops. Look for markings like a stamp, Japanese symbol. That will deturmin if it has any value.

[alelks]

:wwop:

[MaDuce]

:wwop:

I attempted to be clear by specifying that by "real" I mean it's a user, not a wall ornament. I can tell you with 100% certainty that it's NOT a historical blade. It seams to be made out of a good grade of metal but it had some mechanical flaws that no Japanese smith in his right mind would make. Some have already been fixed, the rest will be. But the real give away was the plastic handle and aluminum scabbard it came with.

Bottom line, this is ideal for use as a machete, utility blade or martial arts weapon. It'll look very nice by the time I'm done with it but it's not a wall ornament nor is it at all an antique.