Help please. Japanese Gunto (Genuine ? ) with battlefield scabbard.

[laEspadaAncha]

Hi David,

Thanks for posting these additional photos...

The scratches on the surface look much more superficial in these photos than in the earlier pictures. The shinogi, while it does appear regular, still seems to lack a certain "crispness" I am accustomed to seeing in shinogi-zukuri nihonto. Again, this observation comes with the caveat that my exposure is rather limited. I also recognize this may be simply a result of the photographs. I took a couple photos of the shinogi of one of my own earlier today. Tomorrow I will download them and see if they appear different through a lens then they do to the naked eye.

Also, if you're so inclined, could you take some similar photos of the nakago/tang? It would be nice to get an up-close look at the patina and the file marks if they are visible.