Certificate of authenticity

[ariel]

For what it is worth...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=320268645767

[fernando]

A wooden "cover" and a "metal" blade ? :confused:

The certifier must be a hell of an expert :rolleyes:

[Lew]

Certified junk :D ;) Certificate was printed on card stock anyone with a P.C. and photo shop can make one and 5 bucks for a rubber stamp and there you go :rolleyes:

Lew

[Gavin Nugent]

All good and well, but has anyone asked to see if this dealer stands by his product and product knowledge with a full refund?
As far as government registered valuers go with antiques and jewellry, there are many registered, as far a government registered valuers of edged weaponry, who can suggest a few for insurance purposes and there sure ain't any that I can find within my shores.

Gav

[kronckew]

oh, c'mon now, guys, be fair - i am sure the dealer in hong kong is reputable, honest and above board, after all them chinese housecarl swords, japanese, european, and russian swords that have come from there they do have a certain expertise. i saw a very nice german sabre i would have been happy to buy, except for the high shipping costs, it was lovely, especially the 'GERMANY' cast in the brass guard which proved it was real, and i'm sure the government is happy to issue export permits for real antique art treasures. the certificate even seems to say under the stamped siggy that it 'has been given to the best of our knowledge at the time and place of inspection'. how much more can you ask? i note this is also from the hong kong dealers thai branch.

this poor collector guy downsizing his horde of scabbords has had no takers for this fine piece of history. when i looked at the page, under the price it stated 'no interest till 2009' which made me wonder why anyone would be interested in 2009 if not now, but then it scrolled into an advert for mastercard - gotta check my ad blocker. too bad he could not take better pics, i'm sure y'all would be jumping all over this one. did i not see evidence that this was a wootz blade?

http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/evilgrin/evilgrin0045.gif

[Gavin Nugent]

the certificate even seems to say under the stamped siggy that it 'has been given to the best of our knowledge at the time and place of inspection'. how much more can you ask? i note this is also from the hong kong dealers thai branch.

http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/evilgrin/evilgrin0045.gif


Well presented kronckew ;)

[katana]

The 'strange' thing is the web address (on the 'certificate' :rolleyes: ) looks legit...

http://www.antiquetica.com/ :shrug:

Nicely put, Kronckew ;)

David

[Atlantia]

What worries me most is when people make excuses for pictures.
As if every PC doesn't have the ability to lighten pictures or they live somewhere without the benefit of daylight.
Especially when they describe themselves as a collector.
Occasionally you see someone selling a sword who's obviously genuinely got no knowledge and just thinks that a general shot of the sword will do, but ANY collector knows what a buyer needs to see.
Blurry or dark doesn't cut it.

Having lightened this one, I really dont like the look of the woodwork, or the mounts, and the blade is quite ordinary.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c59/Battlestar_Atlantia/Bronze%20Bowl/2e79_3.jpg

[Gavin Nugent]

registered valuers of edged weaponry, who can suggest a few for insurance purposes and there sure ain't any that I can find within my shores.

Gav

Any directions?

[Mark]

Yeesh, tough crowd. :cool: Not that I'm endorsing the seller or authenticator, but one should not be so quick to judge:

"wooden cover, metal blade" - English likely isn't the writer's first language & translations can come out even goofier than this. For all we know the Chinese character for "scabbard" also means "cover," and the one specificly for iron or steel could refer generically to metal as well.

Bad photos: the guy could be a bad photographer. His choice of a white background made his job even harder. I have had the exact same problem with the contrast using a too-light background.

Certified authentic: it actually could be the real deal - a rather low-quality dha from the late 1800's. The lacquered scabbard & handle are not unheard of, and in any event it could be a later "restoration." However, its very had to get an idea of what the blade (the really critical feature) is like from the photos, so it could be modern junk, too.

Just being difficult for ya. ;)