shawn

Thank you to all who have helped me with identifying this sword. At the moment I am thinking I will get it restored, but that will be determined by the quote that I will get. One final question, is their anyway I can trace ownership of this piece? I realise this is a big question, but you never know unless you ask. Once again thank you, I appreciate the time you have taken to help me out. Cheers, Shawn

The value is only for curiosity. As its been in the family now for quite some time, it will never be sold.

To clean it I used WD40 and a soft cloth. Unfortunately my lack of knowledge allowed this. If it were to cost $1500- what would this value the sword at?

Hi, Unfortunately I cannot remove the habaki completly. Apparantly during the war the tang was hit by a bullet. As it is now bent out of shape and I have little knowledge on these swords, I am not prepared to straighten it as I do not want to damage it anymore than it is. I have attached new photos. I hope these a what you were refering to. Unfortunately the browser restricts the size of the photos. I'm curious as to why the tang should not be cleaned (I did do this to make the characters readable). I've noted the smiths name below and approximate year of manufacture, is there any way to trace its origins further? Can anyone tell if this blade was common or of a rare variety. Thanks again. Shawn

I have posted photos of the sword here. Thank you to all for helping me work out the origins of this sword. It means alot. viewtopic.php?f=50&t=6824

Thank you very much to everyone who has replied. I appreciate all your help so far. I will post some more detailed photos soon. It amazes me that this blade could be so old. Not that I'd sell it, but I would be curious to know its approximate value. I've noticed that all the parts (not the blade) have been stamped 168. I've attached a few more photos that may be of help. Once again thank you to all.

In the Province of Ho, (part of present-day Tokyo?) in residence, Fujiwara (title) Masayuki (smith's name). Find a sword reference book, and look up regions, and smiths named Masayuki over the ages, and then see if the style of the sword fits with the smith you have decided it must be. I assume you have no paperwork with the sword. If the sword and the name are good, you may be able to get paperwork to back up your conclusion. Enjoy your search, whichever way it takes you! No paperwork. It has been handed down from my grandfather from WW1 era. I believe it may be an NCOs sword, but the blade could be from anywhere, thus my curiosity.

Thank you very much for the information, what does it mean? Is that the manufacturer or where it was made?

Hi all, I was hoping someone may be able to translate the markings on a Japanese sword I have come across. As I cannot read or translate any of it, any assitance is appreciated. Thanks, Shawn

Hi all, I was hoping someone may be able to identify the sword in the photos. Its in pretty average condition so I apologise for the photos. The total length of the blade is 90cm. Any help in identifying is appreciated especially in deciphering the marks on the tang as I have little knowlegde on Japanese swords.