All good advice. The current repro's are very hard to distinguish from a photo. Some of the better ones will even stump collectors. The long answer is study so you know what to look for. Yes this is a daunting task, but fun in and of itself. If you want to take a shorter route find a reputable dealer that will stand behind the sale. Expect to pay a large amount of money for a real nihonto. You can get authentic Japanese swords from ww II that are machine made, but "real", however not nihonto. It all depends on what you want. Study.
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