genuine of fake?

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Norman McCormick

You really have to handle an item to be as sure as you can be that it is correct and even then the best can still be taken in, but items that have been made to actually be used as a tool and not just looked at or hung on a wall e.g. swords, daggers etc., have a different feel about them no matter which part of the world they come from. I do occasionally buy weaponry from e-bay but never pay any more than can be written off as an affordable mistake, except once and only after communicating with the seller a number of times and requesting more detailed photographs, and this affordable amount obviously varies from person to person. Buyer Beware is an old and oft quoted saying but still true nonetheless.
Regards,
Norman.

I definately agree with the above statement. Even then, one CAN be taken in, but...an old collector friend of mine has a great saying "If it does not look or feel right, then it probably isn't!"
I once had the misfortune of buying 5 Yemeni daggers in one lot off Ebay, only to find that when they arrived they were ALL fakes! The "silver" bands were actually tin, still stamped on the reverse side with the brand of product which they originally held! LUCKILY in this case I managed to extract a refund from the seller, BUT had I not, it is a very long way from NZ to Dubai to bang on someones door!!
The buyer definately has to be really careful and if you can not obtain satisfactory answers from the seller, AND the pics are unclear, then no matter how cheap you think you are getting an item, it is better to leave it alone! DO NOT ALWAYS BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ AS AN ITEM DESCRIPTION. IT IS HUMAN NATURE TO EMBELISH DESCRIPTIONS TO EXTRACT HIGH PRICES!
Stuart