Caveat Emptor

ariel · 14th April 2006, 07:05 PM

E-bay always had a sprinkling of dealers selling fake swords.
Several years ago they became almost insignificant vis-a-vis an onslaught of
fakers from China: brazen, greedy, totally tasteless but , fortunately, pretty predictable and, often, pathetically stupid.
Then there was a new influx: India. Those were much more sophisticated, sold higher quality fakes and occasionally even hinted at truth. Those were "half-fakers".
It seems to me that we are in the middle of two large waves: Georgia (pushing gaudy , stamped "Cossack" shashkas and kindjals) and Malaysia/Indonesia/Philippines , with arsenal quantities of Panabases, kampilans, Mandaus etc, etc.
Some of them are so pathetic that even a non-specialist like myself can detect the fake. Some, probably, are good enough to fool an expert (after all, how sophisticated one needs to be to forge a "primitive" weapon and to make it look worn and dirty?)
Am I missing any other wave ?

14th April 2006, 07:05 PM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Caveat Emptor E-bay always had a sprinkling of dealers selling fake swords. Several years ago they became almost insignificant vis-a-vis an onslaught of fakers from China: brazen, greedy, totally tasteless but , fortunately, pretty predictable and, often, pathetically stupid. Then there was a new influx: India. Those were much more sophisticated, sold higher quality fakes and occasionally even hinted at truth. Those were "half-fakers". It seems to me that we are in the middle of two large waves: Georgia (pushing gaudy , stamped "Cossack" shashkas and kindjals) and Malaysia/Indonesia/Philippines , with arsenal quantities of Panabases, kampilans, Mandaus etc, etc. Some of them are so pathetic that even a non-specialist like myself can detect the fake. Some, probably, are good enough to fool an expert (after all, how sophisticated one needs to be to forge a "primitive" weapon and to make it look worn and dirty?) Am I missing any other wave ?