Need Help/advice

[Spartan 270]

So recently a friend of mine got me three katanas with stands for christmas. Yes as in the real weapon. So I took them out of the sheath and it looked a little strange. I suspect the blades to be lead. And my question is, how can you tell if an object is lead? Is there like any household test thing I can do or something? I know there's a test that if you rub a piece of paper against it and it leaves like a pencil looking mark then it's lead. I did that and there was a little stain that was on the paper, but is there any other method to make sure? And is would it be hazardous or poisonus if I put it and left it in my room?

 

[RadioactiveMicrobe]

So recently a friend of mine got me three katanas with stands for christmas. Yes as in the real weapon. So I took them out of the sheath and it looked a little strange. I suspect the blades to be lead. And my question is, how can you tell if an object is lead? Is there like any household test thing I can do or something? I know there's a test that if you rub a piece of paper against it and it leaves like a pencil looking mark then it's lead. I did that and there was a little stain that was on the paper, but is there any other method to make sure? And is would it be hazardous or poisonus if I put it and left it in my room?

I know you can buy lead testing kits for around $13.

As for storage, you should be fine if they are kept in the sheaths.

Lead can only be airborne if it has atarted to ship off into dust, the sheath should protect that.

 

[BlindRascal]

Darn he beat me to it. Yeah theres leadkits at the hardware store. I think ours are 9.99


and those are the cheap katanas I'm assuming. (Real katanas cost a LOT, and you can get the cheap ones for like 30 bucks for a pack of 3), so chances are, there's cheap materials in em.

 

[GarzakAzur]

I use to work a little bit with lead and its not the most healty metal I ever work with when it hot because they have some very toxic emanation. If you kept it seal you should not have any problem. Do you suspect it to be totaly in lead or it is a alloy with lead in it? If it only lead you can easyly see it with a piece of paper or you can try to scracht it.

Pat

 

[mooseguy04]

Darn he beat me to it. Yeah theres leadkits at the hardware store. I think ours are 9.99
and those are the cheap katanas I'm assuming. (Real katanas cost a LOT, and you can get the cheap ones for like 30 bucks for a pack of 3), so chances are, there's cheap materials in em.

we watched a movie in chemistry about how the extremely expensive, prestigious katana's were and still are made today. i think i remember that they used alot of casrbon and iron to make up them

 

[Spartan 270]

Ya I scratched it against a piece of paper and it left behind like a greyish scratch that looked kinda moist. It wasn't a whole lot of greyness but like there was still some when I rubbed the paper against the blade.

Darn he beat me to it. Yeah theres leadkits at the hardware store. I think ours are 9.99
and those are the cheap katanas I'm assuming. (Real katanas cost a LOT, and you can get the cheap ones for like 30 bucks for a pack of 3), so chances are, there's cheap materials in em.

Yeah I got it in a pack of 3 and my friend said he got it for like 30 bucks.

 

[rvb4life]

ask where he got them, if its online post the link.

 

[thegeek]

You might also try some simple tests to disprove the lead theory; try holding a magnet to it.... if it sticks it is NOT lead. If it does not stick that means it is not nickel, iron or cobalt, (though stainless steal sometimes refuses to act magnetic).

 

[BlindRascal]

A lot of them are stainless steel. So thats another good thing.

well good for display, it would break if used.

 

[Spartan 270]

Well I did the magnet test and it stuck to the blade. So I'm guessing it's iron or some other metal. Either way it makes one awesome display.

 

[BFDesigns]

Well I did the magnet test and it stuck to the blade. So I'm guessing it's iron or some other metal.

They are probably stainless steel with a sandblasted edge on it. How much did he pay for it and where did he get it from?

Also, another way you can tell if it is or is not real is simply by looking at the cross section of the blade. Take a close up picture of the blade and the tip of the sword and post them here along with the full price of the set and the maker and I can tell you right away whether it is or is not a fake.

HINT: If you payed $150 or less for the set then it is a fake, no ifs, ands, or buts; real swords will cost you $200+ just for the Katana and just under $200 for the Wakazashi. Also if you bought it on eBay and it had a name next to it other than Last Legend, Paul Chen, Bugei, or Masahiro next to it then it is most likely fake.

 

[Vexona]

I bought a battle ready katana for my husband last year and it came greased. I'm not sure if that would be the case with these display-type ones or not.

It might explain the black material that rubbed off though.