Need help to ID Samurai(?) sword
 

Hello everybody,

There is this sword(?) which the seller describes as Samurai(?). It is about the same total length as a keris in a Yogya Ladrang (length unknown).
The hilt+pommel is about a third of its total length.
The hilt looks to be metal, with undulations along it, reminiscent of the metal ferrules/olives on the hilt of a Moro Kris.
The pommel is rather large (about a third of the length of the hilt) and in the shape of a head of a rearing cobra.
The scabbard looks like wood/leather, with a stub cap at the tip. At the top of the scabbard, there is a piece which is either part of the scabbard, or the hilt guard.
Unfortunately, this is all that I could glean from the one not-so-clear picture; I also could not get permission to copy it.
I just need to know what I am dealing with, before I spend time and effort negotiating in a different language.

Thank you for any assistance you can give me.

I am not an expert in Japanese or any other types of swords, but have learned a bit about buying knives and swords.

1. If you don't have clear pictures, don't buy it.
2. If you don't know much about the type of sword you are looking at, don't buy it.
3. If the seller won't let you share the photo with knowledgeble people, don't buy it.
4. I know of no quality Japaese swords with a cobra pommel.

Good luck!

Steve

Hello Steve,

Point taken, thank you very much.:)
I was just hoping that someone here would recognise it ( from the brief description) to be something other than a samurai sword ( as I also have never seen a Japanese sword like it before). Then I could do research on the 'identified' sword and see whether I wanted it.
I have had several good buys, where the items were misrepresenred/misadvertised as something other than what they really were.
(You know the feeling, finding that pot-of-gold which everybody else missed:D)

Without pics I can't be 100% sure, but it doesn't sound like any
Japanese sword I've ever seen.

Rich

The Japanese Sword Index
http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/nihonto.htm

Hi Amuk Murugul,
I saw a similar sword on eBay recently (could even be the one you mentioned) I am certain these are 'fantasy katanas'. Below is a picture from website selling these ....there are many others ;) I would stay well away if it looks like those below....

Ye gads! If that's the type of sword you're talking about, it's not a
fantasy sword, it's a nightmare! :-) NO such thing EVER made for
a samurai. They would commit seppuku before being seen carrying
anything like that.

Rich

Hello everybody,

Thank you for all your help.

This particular sword was offered to me in the Netherlands. It looks VERY similar to the pictures you posted, but not quite as exotic. Now I know the nature of the beast.
Well, I guess the wisdom here is to hang on to my ever diminishing moolah ... TIGHTLY.

Consider this thread CLOSED.

Once again, thank you all for your kind help.:)

Best regards.