This sword is a fine example of a WWII era Katana which was machine produced. The fittings of the sword are typical of the Imperial Japanese Army.
The pictures left side picture below shows a military sword suspension loop. This sword was outfitted with a very plain hand guard (Tsuba), as depicted in the center picture below.
The picture on the right hand side displays a sword tip with a cherry blosom pattern.

The pictures that follow provide a closer look at the locking mechanism of the sword. These are the components which secure the blade to the scabbard.
The picture on the right shows the release button with a leaf design on either side of it.
The picture on the left shows a triangular shape opening which is where the blade slides through.

The two pictures below depict two different areas where the arsenal markings were placed on the swords. The picture on the left has the marking stamp on the bottom far left side of the tang. The other picture shows a marking stamped on the top of the blade, near the starting point of the tang.

Even though the blade was machine made, the tang of the sword has been signed. The signatures are etched into the tang itself as well as hand painted.

This sword was built with a double-hole tang. However, most of the time only one peg was used to secure the blade. The picture on the right shows the wrapping material coming off the sword handle.

This Samurai Sword may be currently reproduced. It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this item. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of the collectible.