Alex A

Apologies, I've had to delete the images as i think the seller may well be a member here and not want his sale online. If anyone wants to discuss the gun and images by pm, will be happy to do so.

Looking at the gun and having more time, its as though the lock plate has been cut short for some reason, maybe off another gun? (just a thought)

Its an unusual one for me these Japanese guns, Piers. I don't see enough of them for sale to warrant me buying loads of books and doing loads of research, i would likely ever buy only one anyways. To me it looked a genuine used antique but like i say, just don't know anything about them. Appeared solid enough and looked to have been functional at some point. Takes a keener more knowledgeable eye than what i have. As the old saying goes, if your not sure, ask. Appreciated. May actually give up the quest to own one as its too far out of my comfort zone.

Thanks Piers, glad i asked.

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At arms fair, found this, looks genuine but know nothing Edit to add, one of those moments when your pretty sure something is genuine but don't know enough to not make an ignorant mistake. Actually been after one for a while but never see them here, especially at local arms fairs.

Thanks Ray

No 11 reminds me of a real chunky tsuba i saw on a wak at an arms show years ago. I assumed it was just something home made to fit, not necessarily a "fake", so to speak.

Thanks Rohan.

Just wondering on time scales of how long your new sword took to be made, from your order being finalised until completed and shipped? I guess it depends on many factors, but would be interested to know, out of curiosity.

I don't know anything about cutting, but weren't swords in the Edo period with wide flashy hamon known to break more often, just a thought.

Im with Adam, its far too nice of sword for cutting practice, though its your business. When they get marks and lines on them, they look ****

Sometimes, like the other day for instance, you notice guns for sale that look to be in really good condition but when you take a closer look there are repaired cracks and worm holes filled in with brown resin or whatever. Ive kind of come around to the conclusion its more common than you think and if repaired well, acceptable. Repaired a pistol with a crack in it a few years ago using epoxy resin glue and wax fillers, could hardly see it when finished. They do various wood shades in those hard wax sticks, just heat them up.

Not that it matters, but ive never thought of these as "swords", but knives. As in i would never call a bowie knife, a bowie sword. Whereas a wakizashi is a short "sword". Semantics.

Looks decent to me, like the fittings. At first glance the blade reminds me of some wild Bizen style and had me thinking about Ishido. Just off top of head.

Some might call it a Sun-nobi Tanto, others a Ko Wakizashi.

Handy to see, for various jobs, thanks.

Even without delving deeper, the tsuba dont even match. Its a real sigh. lol

Hi Florian, I don't know the ins and outs exactly of what you have but just thoughts in a very simplistic way as to how i might go about it. Put everything in boxes and just ship back to someone you know. List everything with values for customs with an explanation your heading home and shipping your collection in advance. List the correct customs tariff, for antiques used to be 9706.00.00.00, maybe it still is. Whatever you get taxed, you get taxed. Hope that helps. Use UPS, as last time i looked they were the only ones shipping pointy things.,

Ebay,

Be good to see the hamachi,.

Worth bearing in mind that a lot of signed Koto tanto dont really need papers as obvious they are legit. Stuff like your average low value Niji-mei late Muromachi Mino tanto can be straight forward to work out. That would bring the price down, hopefully.

£600 will never get you a papered tanto. If you go to the arms fairs and are lucky you might find something, usually in old polish for that kind of price and parts of the koshirae missing. Once bought a signed Koto tanto in the sales section here for the same price, with koshirae but parts missing. The UK is not a good place to shop for swords, very limited and an immense number of swords in crappy polish knocking about. Personally, consider the UK a destruction site for these amazing antique blades that have lasted centuries. Saw this the other day, its the kind of tanto you come across here for that budget, its not a recommendation. You should of course do your homework on any potential purchase. A Shoken school tanto by Kunimune circa 1864 | Garth Vincent