EdWolf

Hi Steve, That’s an interesting sword. As a novice sword collector, I can’t give you more information about your sword. From the pictures, you provided it clearly shows a red/brown under the gold paint. The gold paint is not the primer coat. The gold paint on top of the small damage is also a sign that the gold paint is added at a later stage. Regards, Ed

Hi to all, Thanks for all the replies and given advice. The hamon is visible but you need a good light to see it. With my camera, it is almost impossible to catch. The curve and lines of the blade are nice. Although the finish is not the best I enjoy looking at this sword. Maybe not the best approach for a starter but I buy my sword for a low price. The risks are limited and even when I sell the individual parts it will almost cover the total costs. If I buy a sword for a high price there must be some paperwork with it BTW, like most of us I have read the novel Shogun by James Clavell. Loved it. Regards, Ed

Ray, I think you are right about the DIY cleaning job. I’m relatively new to Japanese sword collecting. I’m trying to read as much as possible and I’m enjoying this forum. I don’t know anybody in person in the collecting society so this forum is my only source for honest opinions. Thanks for that guys! All information (sword smith /time period) will be highly appreciated! This sword maybe needs a good polishing but for now I will enjoy it for what it is. Looking at the blade and trying to identify all the parts and learning the Japanese names is great fun. Are there good sword polishers in west-Europe?

one more...

It's hard to capture the details of the blade structure. Hope this helps. Regards,

and some more pictures...

Hello to all, I want to share with you my latest addition. The nakago is signed but hard to read. I think the first kanji is KAMI but I’m not capable of reading the other kanji characters. Maybe one of you can help me. Some specs of the blade: Nagasa 65 cm, Sori 2 cm, Nakago 17.5 cm, blade width near munemachi 2.8 cm, munemachi 2.4 cm, a niju-habaki. The saya has some little scratches but is still in a nice condition. The lower part of the saya is reinforced with copper. Feel free to comment. Regards, Ed

A crochet hook will do the job. You can also sharpen the tip so you can push the tip of the crochet hook deeper into the paper prop. Ed

Maybe the snug fit is caused by the fact that the slope of the outer part presses the inner part down. I’m not the best artist but I have tried to make a drawing Regards, Ed

Hi Mike, In the forum guidelines is a short description about how to upload pictures. It's easy. Beware of the filesize. Regards, Ed

Hi Brad, Can you also post a picture of the Nakago? Thanks in advance. Regards, Ed

Hi Guido, Thanks for the information! Regards, Ed

Hi Geraint, That’s a comprehensive reply! Thanks for all the time and effort you have put into it. It’s really appreciated. Regards, Ed

Hi Ken, Thanks for your reply. I was not aware that the answer was hidden in the replies. Sorry for this. Maybe you have noticed it but my English writing skills are not very good. Momoyama and your comments sounds logical. Thank you very much! Regards, Ed

Thanks Brian for your opinion. Do you know in which period the two piece habaki was introduced? Regards, Ed

If rubber seppa's where period used, they will probably have dried and brittle by now.

Hi Andi, I think you are right. I didn’t think about the saya. Maybe there is a better explanation. Regards, Ed

Hi Mark, That sounds like a good explanation. Maybe the better fit after re-polishing is also the reason why I can’t find an example of early (Koto period or earlier) two piece habaki. Regards, Ed

Hi Dave, The fact that the two piece habaki is mounted on a Wakizashi probably will eliminate the long blade theory. This raises another question. Why would someone design and build a more complex two piece habaki? After mounting, it is hard to see the differences. Regards, Ed

Hi Geriant, Thanks for your reply. Is the hakabi replace after polishing because it won’t fit anymore or just for aesthetic reasons? I have also heard that the two piece habaki was mainly used on long blades. It had something to do with supporting the blade in a better way. I don’t know if this is true. Regards, Ed

Hi to all, A beginner’s question: I have noticed 2 different types of habaki, made from one piece of metal and made of two pieces of metal. I was wondering, is the two piece habaki also used in the Koto period (or even earlier) or only from the Edo period? Regards, Ed

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing. Regard, Ed

Hello Steve, The condition of the blade is rubbed. Therefor not all the details can be seen. With my limited knowledge, I can find some of the characteristics mentioned in the article of Fred in this sword. Like Boshi (Midari-komi), Hamon (midare), Nakago (file marks Katte-sagari, kuri jiri), Sugata (koshi-sori), Horimono (bo-hi, kakudome). I know, the pictures are not of the best quality but the weather in the Netherlands is cloudy so it’s hard to improve the pictures. I will try to take better picture when the weather conditions are improved. Regards, Ed

Thanks Uwe! I really appreciate your reply and opinion. Based on the characteristics of the blade and the date on the Nakago it’s possible that the blade is made by ‘BIZEN GOROZAEMON no JO NORIMITSU’. Fred Weissberg of nihonto.com wrote an article about this smith. The article can be found here: http://www.nihonto.com/abtartnorimitsu.html. My knowledge about Japanese swords is limited but I try to read as much as possible about it. Maybe I’m totally of track but I have a good feeling about it Regards, Ed

Can someone please answer my last question. Thanks in advance. Regards, Ed