Alex A

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Ignorance is bliss, blissful shine They know not what they do (sure ive read that before)

I don't know much about this hobby, but would know nothing without NMB Thanks to Brian, Jean and John, and all the friendly folk who take the time to reply constructively. Hopefully, this will continue to attract new folk into the hobby. Happy 10th NMB!

Hi Grev, I agree, it has character like an old car, Roman coin, bronze statue and so on. As mentioned, it is what it is, so why mess with it? When I say "sometimes folk worry too much", this is good example We are all picky to a certain extent, just that some folk are more picky than others. I used to collect the odd coin or two, so thats perhaps why I tend to look at things differently. You see stains etc,i see natural age. It never bothered me, and I doubt it will ever bother me, it is what is is I used to worry over small kizu in swords, not so bothered these days Judging by the number of tsuba around with very strange "antique" patina, I'm glad of natural wear and tear/age, so think on lol. Ps, the tsuba looks much better in hand than in photos.

Hi Bruce, is it my eye or is there a change in patina on the nakago towards the habaki? Also, is there any indication as to if the hamon is ending or heading down the nakago? Also, whats the nagasa? + overall length?

Impressive display Brian, I tried sort your pic but it did same with me lol

Hi Grev, as the previous owner All down to personal opinion but I would leave it as it is. Its very old and shows natural age. I think sometimes folk worry too much about stuff.

Only saw a bit of that show, to be honest I switched it off. Beeny was on another Sunday morning tv show being interviewed, they asked her about the sword. I cant remember her exact words, but something along the lines of "gastly, don't know why anyone would want them in the house". I did fancy her but that put me right off, narrow minded so and so

Interesting Malcolm, must have been a huge risk arriving home drunk at 3am back then.

Its hard from pictures (but fun), I see Koshi-zori due to O-suriage. Saki-zori before suriage. Difficult, my eyes not much better

I will take a stab at Early Muromachi.

Nice buy Greg

Hi Andreas, as for length, you worry too much, its a katana As for the activity, you want a daisho, ask yourself how long before you find a perfect match?.

I would agree with this in certain circumstances, battle maybe, someone comes running at you with a menacing looking Dotanuki, you think holy ---!!, step back, trip over someones leg (without the body), end up on your ass. The last thing your going to think about is sword protocol. Ps, no expert on blade dings, but James sword doesn't necessarily look like the one doing the blocking (dent in hamon), is it possible someone blocked (parry I should say) a strike from his sword causing the dent?

Does it make it real?, it would make the damage old damage, but not necessarily a genuine kirikomi. People have always been the same, take gimei swords as an example. Only way you will ever know if a kirikomi is genuine is to invent a time machine, or have some written account dating back to when it happened maybe. Its interesting to assume they are real though

Anyone more convinced about kirikomi on tsuba?

I think there is a big grey area. Reading starter books and looking at illustrations blade changes can get you thinking that at a certain time there was an amnesty where every sword owner had to hand in the last sword trend sword and then issued with the new trend sword. Something I have been interested in http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/18788-koto-ubu-tachi-and-katate-uchi-in-shinto-times/ Ironically, started when I bought a late muromachi katate-uchigatana in Edo koshirae Got me a wondering, I suppose that's where the interest lies in this hobby, what i don't know (everything).

Hi Jason, I have a bit more time now, no fun trying sound sensible at 5am You say a "katate-uchi" is essentially an O-wakizashi, hmm, I have one here with a 59cm nagasa, just as easy to call it a short katana As for the 1450,s to 1530,s window, not too sure, this is a good read http://www.nihonto.com/abtartsuebizen.html I did say we over-catergorize stuff, but hey ho, here we go, take a look at no7 running into the Azuchi Momoyama 1573-1600 http://www.yamakawadojo.com/the%20japanese%20sword%20historical%20changes%20in%20shape.pdf Ive read on Aoi a few times (as an example), that no kazuuchimono where produced Eisho. As mentioned before, look at the sword quality before the mei, look for quality original bo-hi in these swords. As you say, katate uchi were no match for firearms (introduced 1542), they where an auxiliary weapon, but as an Ashigaru, you would be glad to have one, just in case your matchlock got wet or something

Hi Jacques, sure ive read somewhere on this forum that there is a Juyo rated Sukesada sword with a basic short mei.

Briefly, im aware of "general" blade shape changes over time and that uchigatana where auxiliary weapons, but by 1530 did the many thousands of katate-uchi, not to mention early tachi etc etc suddenly disappear?, brings me back to my earlier point about over -categorizing. Way back then, many could not afford to be picky, and used what they had, or what they were given. Many using family heirlooms, then handing them down, even up to the late Edo period, and so on, the reason we still see so many today.

We can look at the sword and maybe speculate a little, its possible it was used one handed. There would have been times on a battlefield when two hands on a sword are better than one, blocking an heavy blow for instance, or when fatigue begins to kick in, hence why your sword may have a long nakago and why during those times many nakago of katate-uchigatana were machi-okuri (blade slightly shortened to increase tsuka length). Its been mentioned before, but there is a notion that these days stuff like this gets overthought

Maybe your correct

Hi Jason, where did you read "katate-uchi" fell out of favour by the early 1530,s?. It was my understanding that they where used by mass infantry throughout the Sengoku. Recently ive also been wondering about their continued use in Edo times, judging by the many examples you still see in Edo koshirae. The nakago on the sword above does look to be intended for two handed use, the nagasa seems a little short for two handed use. Many katate-uchigatana that you see are machi-okuri, a longer tsuka added. Maybe by 1547 (as the blade states), some wise folk got tired of increasing tsuka length by machi-okuri and thought what the hell, lets add a decent length grip from the start, but what do I know

You have answered your own question, according to Connoisseurs, look for rough masame hada in kazuuchi-mono.

Hi Josh, i understand you don't want a modern tsuka. I think lacquering it wont make you feel any better about it