Jean

Daniel, Puede ser una lamina de la segunda guerra mundial, pero la firma no es Japonesa y no corresponde a un nombre de herrero. El kissaki es la peor parte de este lamina con el nakago. No es una sorpresa que corta bien pero no esta una indicación de origen porque las copias de China cortan bien. Este lamina no vale mas que 100$.

Whatever it is, it is ruined...

Thanks Uwe, thoroughly enjoyable

Agreed at 100%, have a look at the kashira, typically Chinese.

I keep my shirasa out of bags, I dust them once a week. Don’t see the necessity to keep them in...

Makes me think of Mr Ed

Whatever you find Robert, it will not be Shinto or Shinshinto as the examples shown.

It is too light to chop and above all, you’d lack the momentum with such a light blade. Sawing now has a rub, it is the spinal chord, not easy to find the joint with such a blade.

Robert, The picture you posted is not conclusive as it does not quote its sources, anybody can call a reverse cutting edge tanto a kubikiri. Who are these « many people » and which are the « texts « you are referring to? I am still looking for Japanese reference texts. There is not a single proof that they ever existed even on Japanes block prints. My reference is Markus Sesko and his text is very clear. Even Japanese experts are now talking about nata. Edit to add: the blade posted by Robert has a 25cm nagasa. Try to slice with such a tanto taking into account its sori. It is all but a kubikiri. It is interesting to note that this kind of blade with its supposed function does not exist in any civilization but for Indian kukri, but there with its weight, it is a real choper. Nothing to compare with a tanto weight

Speechless at the price.....

Very useful after beans...

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/23725-kubikiri-korner/page-2 Everyone is entitled to dream Ron, as long as no fake news are spread.. so your blade is a nata as Ray and I mentioned from the start

Remember one thing from Markus book: « A special dagger used in EARLY times (means Heian or Kamakura)...However extant specimen are very rare and so are record mention the use of reversed tanto cutting edge to cut off heads.Therefore it is also assumed that reversed tanto were actually used as gardening tools... ». So forget anything you see for sale labeled « head cutter », it is only Nata

Chris, On the scroll posted by Carlo, it is probably a tanto which is used, the companion to the tachi. The kubikuri is supposed to be used after the battle...

First: have you ever seen a kubikiri sold as on a Japanese Nihonto dealer website? Second: Nata or kubikiri are less than one shaku long. Try to severe a head with such a tool and cut through the spinal cord. It is more chopping than cutting. A gentle sweep of a katana will be quicker and more effective. There are a lot of easy ways to arrange a corpse to cut his head off with a katana or wakizashi. AFAIK, I have not read anything about this special tool. If anyone can provide a link to a book talking about headcutter blades, I’ll be glad to read it. Edit to add: read Markus Sesko’s Encyclopedia of Japanese swords about kubikiri....

Ron, Search the Board about nata. There was a good one by Naotane which was posted, they can be called « flower head cutters »

Ron, Where did you pick up this urban legend of head cutters? There were never any head cutters, there were enough edge weapons on a battlefield not to add a fancy one. This good old story was made up for bloodthirsty westerners. I have never seen one and innocent people are trickered in buying nata believing they are head cutters.

Years ago, perhaps a decade, on Aoi Art there was a papered hasebe daito with a gakumei, the mei had been erased....Masamune? Yukimitsu?

Some kind of gunome midare, but the picture is not good enough. In any case as you stated it is a mixed hamon

Splendid Dave

I don’t think it’s toranba Ray, it is very difficult to judge or named on only one wavy bump.

You are becoming fussy Guido LoL Paul meant old kanteisho/papers but you are right even if old papers, it is still a kanteisho inappropriate words..

Were I to buy a Shinshinto blade, my heart will go for a Masayoshi blade

https://www.aoijapan.com/kikuchi-yari-mumei

John is right: the Verb creative power