hello -

I'm new to japanese swords, but lately acquired an interesting shin gunto with the following traits:

- tang signed nakata sukehori, according to expert fred. weissberg
- black lacquered (not painted) wooden saya with field cover in fine pigskin; ink stamps inside
- a fine mirror-polish blade with good, continuous ("active"?) hamon but no obvious sign of grain
- tsuba hole for the release button is there, but button missing; (the circular piece above the grip is late-war and lacks this feature)
- grip has typical WWII furniture.

so some basic questions::

* what's the chance that this blade is hand-forged?
* how to distinguish machine-made from hand-made?
* why would sukehori sign a machine-made blade?
* is apparent absence of grain proof of a machine-made blade?
* the very edge of the blade seems to have sharpening (very thin - ca. 1/16"). Is this as I hope the original edge, or GI'd?
* could the saya be an old one since it's lacquered?
* since the grip still has the sharkskin, safe to assume it's late but not VERY late war (when fishskin was abandoned)?
* the field cover seems to have shrunk over the saya. I'd like to see the scabbard in its glory. but - best leave alone?
* are the stamps in the saya cover more likely inspectors' or owner's?

many thanks for help with these queries!

I'll try to load a few pix....

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THE SIGNATURE IS SUKENORI, NOT SUKEHORI. SOMEBODY MISTYPED. I KNOW FRED QUITE WELL AND WOULD THINK YOU NEED NOTHING FURTHER AS FAR AS AN OPINION GOES. THE BLADE IS A GENDAITO AND NOT ANTIQUE.

sorry; SUKENORI is who I meant.

thanks a lot lot bob - your opinion is valued, too. and fred is, in addition to having broad expertise, a kind and generous man as well.
cheers, dw