Not the real Deal #1 - Modern made Kabuto
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2018 10:42 am
A notice to people interested in Japanese armor who probably are not yet that knowledgeable.
For quite a few years there's a certain type of Japanese helmet (kabuto) showing up on online auction platforms.
If you're interested in a real period item, then don't buy one of these.
At first sight you might think that these are real, but if you compare them to period items, you will recognize noticeable differences in overall make, lacing, and fixture of the neck guard (shikoro).
The outside of the helmet bowl (hachi) looks somewhat reasonable at first sight, but the obvious give-away is the inside.
On inspection, you will notice that the main part of the hachi is made by deep drawing of a single sheet. This is the crucial point which makes the kabuto modern made and not period. A period item would be made off individual plates rivetted together to form the helmet bowl.
These kabuto weren't necessarily made to make people believe they are real period items. – I rather imagine that they were made as props for movies or something like this.
Nevertheless, on auction platforms, sellers keep offering them and most often can't or won't tell you that these helmets aren't period.
As just recently another one showed up on eBay, I decided to provide some pictures to explain what I mean, and to give you an idea on the variations.
Note that these helmets sometimes are being offered with a "matching" faceguard (menpō) which of course is modern made as well.
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
For quite a few years there's a certain type of Japanese helmet (kabuto) showing up on online auction platforms.
If you're interested in a real period item, then don't buy one of these.
At first sight you might think that these are real, but if you compare them to period items, you will recognize noticeable differences in overall make, lacing, and fixture of the neck guard (shikoro).
The outside of the helmet bowl (hachi) looks somewhat reasonable at first sight, but the obvious give-away is the inside.
On inspection, you will notice that the main part of the hachi is made by deep drawing of a single sheet. This is the crucial point which makes the kabuto modern made and not period. A period item would be made off individual plates rivetted together to form the helmet bowl.
These kabuto weren't necessarily made to make people believe they are real period items. – I rather imagine that they were made as props for movies or something like this.
Nevertheless, on auction platforms, sellers keep offering them and most often can't or won't tell you that these helmets aren't period.
As just recently another one showed up on eBay, I decided to provide some pictures to explain what I mean, and to give you an idea on the variations.
Note that these helmets sometimes are being offered with a "matching" faceguard (menpō) which of course is modern made as well.
Example 1
- 001.jpg (33.19 KiB) Viewed 3189 times
- 002.jpg (31.45 KiB) Viewed 3189 times
- 003.jpg (33.4 KiB) Viewed 3189 times
Example 2
- 004.jpg (46.47 KiB) Viewed 3189 times
- 005.jpg (48.41 KiB) Viewed 3189 times
- 006.jpg (43.14 KiB) Viewed 3189 times
Example 3
- 007.jpg (45.43 KiB) Viewed 3189 times
- 008.jpg (49.74 KiB) Viewed 3189 times
- 009.jpg (59.53 KiB) Viewed 3189 times
Example 4
- 010.jpg (41.17 KiB) Viewed 3189 times
- 011.jpg (64.75 KiB) Viewed 3189 times
- 012.jpg (49.96 KiB) Viewed 3189 times
