Hi Everybody
After lurking on this site for a couple of enjoyable weeks I'd like to introduce myself and my katana.
My pa brought this katana back from S'pore in '45. Last week I dismantled the shin gunto mounts and found it dated (apparently) to Aug 1863 and signed Muneaki, who is listed as chu-jo saku in this board's swordsmith db.
The plan is to refit it with an Owari tsuba (one pictured on this forum in Sept courtesy Ed Marshall as an example of Matsukawabishi design). Suitable fuchi/koshira/menuki. Then new handle/wrapping and saya. (The original saya split as it turns out because the blade sori is less acute)
I have a beginner's question which I hope s'one can kindly help me with and I apologise if this has been asked and answered elsewhere.
There are a couple of +/-2mm chips in the cutting edge. Shud I get them polished out or wud it reduce the width of the blade too badly? Are they intrinsic to the blade's history and better left alone?
Commercial considerations don't apply, I wud never dream of selling, nor for that matter using for cutting practise.
Sorry for such a long first post- and the pic quality.
Philip
