peter k

i tried shooting some additional closeup pics; sorry for the poor quality.

thank you for the input bob. i will try to organize myself and put out some additional pics this weekend.

i was hoping for some expert opinions on a wakizashi with this mei izumi kami fujiwara kunisada. i believe it could be a jishin mei done late in his career just before his son started signing daimei for him. of course it could be a clever gimei. i've checked and compared the article by massey and wada and i'm not sure of anything. what do you experts and amateurs say?

it's back on sale on ebai https://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPERB-17th-C-Japanese-SWORD-SHINTO-WAKIZASHI-FULL-EDO-SAMURAI-TSUBA-MOUNTS/282731042135?hash=item41d4155557:g:8W8AAOSwY~lZ8myu

several posts by others and my last post is missing...anyways, it just seems that the mei is inconsistent with other known examples. it is especially odd considering shinkai seems to chisel his mei on the mune side of the nakago, but the auction mei is in the middle and the kanjis are relatively larger. i've also highlighted red some inconsistencies with the mei. pic below highlights some inconsistencies with the date on the other side; the kiku mon seems consistent with other known examples. the hada is inconsisent as well; ko-itame with one area that seems like masame hada with chikei that sticks out and seems out of place for a sai-jo swordsmith. the boshi of this blade has hakikake but i've only seen sugu ko-maru or o-maru boshi by shinkai. i've seen his father kunisada make blades with hakikake though.

there is an alleged inoue shinkai wakizashi ending on ebai today. it looks genuine but upon closer inspection the mei and quality of the hada isn't compelling. i think it's a very well done gimei. what do you guys say? here are some pics of mei i've gathered from the net comparing the mei; the auction mei is at the far right. item https://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPERB-17th-C-Japanese-SWORD-SHINTO-WAKIZASHI-FULL-EDO-SAMURAI-TSUBA-MOUNTS/282721166288?hash=item41d37ea3d0:g:8W8AAOSwY~lZ8myu&autorefresh=true i've taken one of the mei out because i couldn't discern if it was shoshin,

found another one that looks similar. i think this is what grey was hinting at:

thanks everyone, and no, it is not mine; just a pic that made me wonder what it could be. this is a wonderful place to come and just read, read and learn from the experts and the amateurs. thanks for the welcome, peter

wow, that's a great view point. i've once seen white-ish rust on caste iron skillets that looks milky and had a pin-like point of origin (an open skin) this may be just that considering the web-like appearance. thanks for the input!

are shinae open or closed cracks? there aren't many pics on the web and knowing this is what they can look like is informative. thanks

hello, i'm a beginner in this world of appreciating the nihonto and while studying the various flaws of a nihonto i've run into this pic of what looks like whitish squiggly lines that resembles roots of plants and can't figure out what it is called and how severe it is considered; rather it is a blemish or a metallurgical fatal flaw. is it surface white rust? thanks in advance.