I took a gamble on a Tanto
Normally I avoid Nihonto because they're expensive and it seems like it takes quite a bit of expertise if you want to buy one with any confidence that it's legit. But this one was so cheap I decided to take a gamble. It appears to be in a shirasaya, which I understand is a plain sheath for long term storage of the blade.
The item will be here in a few days and I imagine it'll be apparent quickly if it's the real deal or not, but these are the pics from the auction. What do you think? Real tanto or Chinese letter opener? The only reason I think it might be "real" is that there wouldn't be any point in putting a factory made blade in a shirasaya, and if it was made for tourists you'd expect it to be in a nicer mounting.
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