Cool man! thank you. So these types of swords are never full-tang?
With "traditional" samurai swords, the tang is fully encapsulated inside the handle, with the tang being tapered and smaller than the handle.
There are various types of "samurai" swords-
There are the genuine, antique swords that were actually owned and carried by real samurai in feudal Japan. Many of these were passed down from one generation to the next. Many Japanese military officers during WW2 had their family swords shortened so they could carry them in military service. Many of these shortened swords were taken by US GI's as war trophies. The full-sized genuine samurai swords are worth a great deal of money. The shortened swords are worth far less because they were shortened, and in the process the makers marks were cut off and discarded. Still, these shortened swords can be worth a few grand if there is proof that they were war trophies.
And then there are modern (post-feudal Japan) samurai swords that were/are made using the ancient and authentic method of samurai sword-making. These are the equivalent of ultra high-end custom knives and can be worth a lot of money. And just like custom knives, the value can increase significantly depending on the skill, history, and popularity of the maker, as well as how prolific he is.
And then there are samurai-
like swords. These are swords with blades that resemble samurai swords, but they have a more modern-day design with things like integral guards, full-tang blades, micarta handles, modern steels, modern blade-making methods, etc. And just like custom knives, some of these swords can be worth quite a few bucks depending on who made it and how well they are made. But they are nothing close to a "traditional" samurai sword.
And then there are the cheap imitation wall-hangers, the type of swords you might see on the Home Shopping Channel Knife Hour. Although these may look like traditional samurai swords, that is there only connection to the real thing. These imitations are junk, made of the cheapest steels, and are worth only what the seller can get someone else to pay for them. And even then they aren't really worth that.
BTW, there is a sub-forum here at Bladeforums dedicated entirely to swords. If you click on the white box that says "Forum" at the top left-hand of the screen (under the Bladeforums logo) you will see the entire forum directory. The "Sword Discussion" forum is in the top section titled "Knife Specific Discussion".
