Chinese sword: Real or Fake?

RSWORD · 1st August 2005, 10:03 PM

I am going to step out on a limb here and say that I do not think this piece is a fake. I do not think it is terribly old but may have been made traditionally in Tibet and found its way to this particular seller. I have noticed a number of this sellers swords with remounted Tibetan blades and the blades look OK. The blade on this example looks OK and the mountings do not look bad. They look to be stylistically correct just utilizing materials that one would find more recently. Although not of the level of workmanship one finds in earlier Tibetan arms it lacks the total disregard to most levels of quality and more importantly historical style to be an out and out Chinese Tibetan sword knock off. This is a piece I would like to see in person to make a better assessment and given that, I would not be confident in purchasing online. The red on the scabbard is probably some type of leather and not out of place. I have a Tibetan sword in my collection that led a nomadic life and has 3 or 4 different scabbard coverings from "working" life repairs. So, my guess is sword made in Tibet, probably in the last 50 years, which through the various bazaars or trade networks found it's way to this particular sellers shop.

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1st August 2005, 10:03 PM	#10
RSWORD Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 1,086	I am going to step out on a limb here and say that I do not think this piece is a fake. I do not think it is terribly old but may have been made traditionally in Tibet and found its way to this particular seller. I have noticed a number of this sellers swords with remounted Tibetan blades and the blades look OK. The blade on this example looks OK and the mountings do not look bad. They look to be stylistically correct just utilizing materials that one would find more recently. Although not of the level of workmanship one finds in earlier Tibetan arms it lacks the total disregard to most levels of quality and more importantly historical style to be an out and out Chinese Tibetan sword knock off. This is a piece I would like to see in person to make a better assessment and given that, I would not be confident in purchasing online. The red on the scabbard is probably some type of leather and not out of place. I have a Tibetan sword in my collection that led a nomadic life and has 3 or 4 different scabbard coverings from "working" life repairs. So, my guess is sword made in Tibet, probably in the last 50 years, which through the various bazaars or trade networks found it's way to this particular sellers shop.