Dha for comments
 

A friend of mine send me the photos of his new sword. I told him that it is dha, but that's all I know. I promised him that the dha experts from this forum will know better.

It is about 60-70cm long (if you want exact size I can ask).
Hilt is silver.

This looks like a contemporary dha for the tourist market, I just gave one away to a friend for for her kids. If it is like the one I had it was covered with a black tarry material to make it look older in the pictures and the steel was not hardened. I cleaned the black stuff off mine as it kept getting on you when you handled the sword. That being said it does not feel bad in the hand and was good for practiceing forms and such with. I will look to see if I have any pics of the one I had to upload

I found the pictures
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...a/DSCF0524.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...a/DSCF0526.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...a/DSCF0525.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...a/DSCF0527.jpg

Right on the mark, JT. I have handled several of these (an early episode of over-optimism and folly -- happily the seller had a good return policy). They come in this form, and one with some sort of Naga-like head on the pommel. As near as I can tell the handles are cast pot metal.

I'm on the bandwagon. :)

I've had a a few of these pass through my hands as well. They look deceptively good in eBay photos. :rolleyes:

No silver in the handle: white or pot-metal as Mark indicated. The blades are not hardened.

Wallhangers only, in my opinion. For decorative purposes, they are nice when cleaned up. That substance they are smeared with is annoying because it never seems to dry completely, and always comes off on your hands or clothing.

Yeah, I should have mentioned that -- they are nicely made from a decorative point of view. Even the kofgari, limited though it is, is rather nice.

Thank you all. I had the suspicion it was something like this but I couldn’t tell. I think my friend will be disappointed…

Boy am I glad to find out I was not the only one that ended up with one of these. ~lol~

lol. John, I try to think of the money I've spent on such things as tuition. :D

I agree - not silver. Thanks for posting - never saw a tourist one like this before (now I know what else to avoid :D ).

Hi Yannis:

Chiming in late here. Yes, we have all taken a look at these. I still have an example of this form as well as the "Naga" type. They reside in my "drawer of shame." That black stuff is very annoying. It does come off with some effort.

Ian.

That was some group therapy!

Misery does love company. :D

I think that I'm finally confident enough in my own experience to have a good laugh at my own mistakes -- so maybe I'll start an "Embarrasing Moments in Collecting" thread ;)

Oh , cool !
I'll join in that thread with great glee . :D
I've been taken out back of the woodshed a few times in my years as a collector . :D :D :D

This could be very therapeutic (sp?) . LOL