UnoKubi

Dwain, that's pathetic. Reminds me of when they were talking about making all new Chef's knives have rounded points...

Actually, it does. If you're looking to start off with black samegawa, you're going to be buying ray *leather,* not rawhide. It will not do the same job, and is a different animal altogether, so to speak... It will be pliable and polished, not stiff and sharp. Just an fyi. :-)

Nice find! You should look into cleaning it properly, and for the love of god, oil it! You can just use mineral oil if you don't have ready access to Choji or Tsubaki oil...

Both an unusual shape, and unusual workmanship - I like it! :-D

Some really interesting work there...

Higgins Armory in Worcester, Mass, used to have a good collection. They've since closed and merged with the Worcester Museum of Art. No idea what they may have kept on display, but I'm sure they have something...

Excellent watching! Thanks much!

Several red flags there, I'm afraid... Doesn't quite look as crude as a Chinese copy, though.

Many thanks to all, especially Guido. Greatly appreciated. I had the right 'dai' kanji, but the wrong 'ko.'

Could someone with the ability to post in kanji please provide me with the proper characters for kodai? I think I have them worked out, but I'm not 100% sure. Thanks very much! Darryl

There were a large number of these produced for the export market after the opening of Japan. The vast majority are actually bone, not ivory. Look for Schreger lines to see if they are there. You'll find them on the ends of the piece.

Can't access the link from work, but civilian koshirae were known in WWII, either newly produced, or ancestral blades brought intact into combat...

Bears all the hallmarks of it...

Baleen was used on some swords, especially when we get to the time of Toppei koshirae. It cannot be replaced, I'm afraid, unless you can find someone with a documented stash from prior to 1972. Even then, you have the challenge of finding someone who knows how to work it... Nice piece, though.

Ubu means not shortened, and gimei is a false signature... Hopefully you appreciate it for what it is, because you'll never be able to sell it to a serious collector with having had your friend polish it.