Geraint

Thank you Ford, I will have to try to get some decent photographs of the koshirae to post. The bashin has a design of flowing waves with silver spray inlay, the aikuchi fuchi/koiguchi are suaka carved with the same flowing waves and silver spray. Menuki are very deep suaka squid and what I think is a tai fish. I will have a play tomorrow with camera and scanner. Many thanks.

Thank you John, that is a great help. Of course I was looking for Kazukin.........sword collectors, huh? Many thanks.

Dear all. My new toy arrived today and though I have no trouble translating the mei I have no information that seems to fit. Pound to a pinch of salt that the blade is shinshinto but I have no information on a smith from this era using the mei Ryokai. Any ideas? It looks too obvious to be a serious attempt at gimei.....? Many thanks.

Dear All, I would appreciate your help with this one. Just bought a late tanto with a set of mounts carrying this signature. Well out of my field but just wondered if anyone had any information on this maker? The tanto is in aikuchi mounts, I will try to post some reasonable pictures of the whole thing if I can. Thanks in advance.

So usually only seen on later swords such as shingunto, showato and sometimes shinshinto.

Hi Kim. So you have bought a signed wakizashi for what you can afford, I assume the "restorer" charged you for his work which has added to what you have in the sword. It is by a smith with a relatively low ranking in Hawley, though as someone else has pointed out that shouldn't take away from the sword, merely add some information. If you aspire to collect only swords by smiths with high rankings then you are going to need deep pockets. Chris has already pointed out that the work you have had done is poor quality and others have advised getting to grips with swords by meeting other collectors. Can we all add a plea that you don't send anything else to this man to "restore"? His work is doing neither you nor the sword any favours. Regardless of the ranking of the smith you have a signed blade which deserves to be looked after. You might do well to keep the sword, hold off on any further work on this or other swords and get to look at quality. There are many websites listed in the relevant section where you can see what good looks like both in terms of polish and hilt binding, when you can recognise why the work you have had done is poor then you might feel like getting the blade properly poliched and mounted in shirasaya. Don't give up, it is worth all the effort in the end!

And, this found while searching for Kotetsu guns. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=LM-4 ... un&f=false Maybe not the most reliable source....

And, this found while searching for Kotetsu guns. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=LM-4 ... un&f=false Maybe not the most reliable source....

Dear Chian. I think the conclusion of the discussion is that gun barrels were made from tamahagane. The method of producing steel this way was not exclusive to nihonto so gun barrels were also made from tamahagane. A swordsmith using them to make a sword would be using tamahagane so, yes it would be classified as a gendaito, notwithstanding the comment that swords made form iron from other sources have been papered in Japan.

Dear Chian. I think the conclusion of the discussion is that gun barrels were made from tamahagane. The method of producing steel this way was not exclusive to nihonto so gun barrels were also made from tamahagane. A swordsmith using them to make a sword would be using tamahagane so, yes it would be classified as a gendaito, notwithstanding the comment that swords made form iron from other sources have been papered in Japan.

Bruno, I think Chris was agreeing with Brian's recommendation and confirming that it is the only one available in English.

Hi Mark. Mark's tip about the coat hanger wire is a good one but the other is to see if the tsuka and saya line up well when the sword is mounted. Good clean lines here are a clue as mix and match often don't achieve that. If the sword seems right here and the fit is good then chances are it is just what it looks like, a mounted wakizashi fitted with a gunto mount for war. I will attach an image of two swords that both have civilian wakizashi blades in gunto mounts and as you will see both are considerably shorter than the koshirae. I can assure you that both these swords were mounted in this way for war. Neither one has civil mounts as yours does. Whatever the outcome it's a nice find. Enjoy. Cheers.

The assumption underlying the original question is that there were other means of producing iron available in Japan throughout the edo period. We know that imported iron was available, Namban tetsu, I have also read reports of swords being made form foreign anchors and so forth. The Royal Armouries have an early European dirk that was put through yakiire and mounted as a tanto. We know that cast iron was in use for other purposes (No, don't go there again!) We also know that tamahagane is picked over by contemporary swordmiths to make sure that the pieces they use are suitable for their purposes. If gun makers had access to a totally different source of iron for their work then the question stands. If the iron was produced in a tatara, as I suspect it was then reusing gun barrels is simply a way of accessing supplies of tamahagane. The fascinating blog posted elsewhere on the Board today shows a smith mixing tamahagane and the nails recovered from old buildings. He seems to suggest that he is doing this to create a specific result.

The assumption underlying the original question is that there were other means of producing iron available in Japan throughout the edo period. We know that imported iron was available, Namban tetsu, I have also read reports of swords being made form foreign anchors and so forth. The Royal Armouries have an early European dirk that was put through yakiire and mounted as a tanto. We know that cast iron was in use for other purposes (No, don't go there again!) We also know that tamahagane is picked over by contemporary swordmiths to make sure that the pieces they use are suitable for their purposes. If gun makers had access to a totally different source of iron for their work then the question stands. If the iron was produced in a tatara, as I suspect it was then reusing gun barrels is simply a way of accessing supplies of tamahagane. The fascinating blog posted elsewhere on the Board today shows a smith mixing tamahagane and the nails recovered from old buildings. He seems to suggest that he is doing this to create a specific result.

I have only ever seen them illustrated so your search may be a long one. I am sure that Ford would make you one and it would be stunning............ All the best.

Matt, please check out your earlier post for another reply including some suggestions for additional pictures. We are asking because we can't see enough to help you yet. Cheers

Hi Matt and welcome. I assume you have added the pictures, you will need to take some more if anyone is going to be able to tell you something. I clear image of the whole tang, both sides, tip to the silver foil habaki, the collar around the blade. If the habaki will slide off the tang then so much the better but be careful as it may be quite firmly stuck if it has not been removed for years. Another image of the full blade and if possible close ups of the boshi, the point section, again both sides. The advice not to polish was good, don't even think of cleaning up the fittings at the moment, and while we are on the subject a good pair of images of the tsuba, the guard might be worth posting in the tosogu section on this board. So far what it looks like you have is a Japanese sword that has been shortened and mounted for use in WWII. The blade seems much older and the carving in the blade on one side is interesting. You mention that the blade is 24" long, believe it or not this matters, where did you take the measurement from? Ideally from the tip to the point on the back of the blade where it starts to disappear into the habaki. Lots more to discover here and an interesting first find. Looking forward to more pictures. All the best.

Hi Peter. From time to time you do come across kodzuka that are wider than normal and it sounds as though your saya is designed for one of these. Cheers

Hi Mark. Try Kevin at http://www.ryujinswords.com/ He should be able to help you. Another cabinetmaker, huh? You should have no problem then. Cheers

So, the same mei as your wakizashi Gary, compare the two signatures to see if that helps. Daisho? Cheers

Hi Brian. The comments you have so far are all correct but I wanted to explore the topic a little more. As you now know most of these pieces, sometimes called won-to I believe, are made for a late Meiji Western market and as such the blades are very often no lore than metal tsunagi, not swords at all. In other words the value was seen as being in the ivory carving. However as Brian points out rarely you do find blades of greater interest in such mounts. While I cannot be certain of the detail I have heard that one collector discovered a Tadastuna in such mounts. Don't get your hopes up! I attach some images of a couple of rather good quality tanto and one fabulous tachi as well as one other of a shinshinto daiso with very exaggerated sori, though perhaps not quite in the league of the one you illustrate. I also recall reading an article that pointed out that contemporary swordsmiths were quite capable of making a sword to fit a koshirae implying very real control of sori in the forging process. All this leads me to the following points: most nihonto collectors would regard this as an oddity, probably more of interest to collectors of Meiji art. Sometimes the unexpected occurs in this fascinating hobby and almost any rule you work by will sooner or later come unstuck. You suggested that the value way well be in the ivory carving and you are probably right. The ivry tachi in the image had quite a substantial estimate though I don't have a price realised. If you are a purist nihonto collector then you will probably pass on this one but f your interests are broader and the price seems right to you then you may well end up owning it, enjoying it for what it is but not concerned about the blade over much. At least this blade is streets ahead of most of the ones that you find in such mounts. All the best and if you do go for it enjoy.

Hi Tobias. Some years ago I purchased a small Japanese export box covered in these pressings. The thin pins on the back fixed them to the wood. Not menuki, not even pouch ornaments I fear. All the best.

Hi Dimitri, I bet we all have tales about the one that got away. A sign in a local antique shop points out that you always remember the things you should have bought......., I am also sure that they get better and better as memory plays it's usual tricks. Perhaps a thread for the Itzakaya? Glad that you found a little something to ease the pain though.

Hi Ingrid and welcome. (Forum etiquette is to sign all posts with a real name, by the way.) You don't mention which country you are in which might make a little difference to value but the abumi you show are certainly of interest and some value to collectors. Compare them with the pair that started this thread and you will see some differences, it might help if you could tell if yours are iron or lacquered wood and perhaps some more photographs? Cheers

Hi Mark. So what you have looks to be an interesting civil wakizashi in a gunto saya. This is going to be a personal thing for sure but when the sword arrives check the saya fit with care and see if perhaps it was made for the blade. It is possible that this was simply done to bring the sword sufficiently in line with dress regulations to make it possible for the officer to wear it. Assuming that to be the case then my personal inclination would be to keep the saya as it is as a part of the story of the sword. I know many collectors would want to do what you suggest and swap it out for a new civil style saya so perhaps live with it a little while until you maker your decision. Nice find, I would have had it like a shot if it came up anywhere near me. Enjoy.