Utopianarian

I thought this blade posted by a board member here had an interesting story to tell https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/36449-grass-writing-oh-boy/

Agree, thank you Alex

Thank you Thomas

Another pic of nakago. I am pretty certain this is takanoha pattern. Could I be mistaken.

The boshi looks like a continuation as the same pattern as the hamon. Hard to tell grain pattern in shinogi-ji. The grain in the hada looks very tight unable to tell. In the state the polish is in right now it appears like no pattern of graining or cannot see mokume or masame. Could be very tight graining that doesn’t show until after polish. I’ve studied it under many light sources and unfortunately cannot make it out. Just looks like at some point somebody made a pass at it with some kind of light abrasive or fine grain sandpaper. I agree Bizen doesn’t quite fit especially with takanoha on the bottom of the nakago that is well established patina over top of it. I agree the hamon does look Bizen. Maybe as the hybrid example as you posted from AOI Museum. I am stumped and maybe might be some obscure offshoot during Shinto or late Muromachi era. Of course I’ve tried to see any utsuri but not any areas clear enough. Unable to make out any activity within the hamon, only the outline of it. Cannot visualize the noi- guchi line due to bad state of polish

Hard to get good pics of boshi but looks somewhat irregular is all I can make of it. Here are the best pics I can get at this time

Broken fittings

More pics

More pics

Recently came across intriguing blade which seems to have mino type of characteristics. Presently in a bad state of polish. Blade was dressed in damaged WW2 police fittings. Looked like blade was shortened at some point with 3 mekugi-Ana. The one on the bottom seems punched and original along with original patina at the bottom and newer establishing patina toward the top of nakago along with what looks like newer filing Marks toward the top of nakago where there is also a loss of patina from filing and refitting. The original yasurime at the bottom appears like Takanoha pattern which appears to be original to the blade. By looking at profile of nakago it has a continuous thickness on spine to the end where suriage and does not taper showing some evidence blade was considerably longer. Also to note ha side of nakago gets progressively thicker as it approaches middle to end of nakago and shows where it was filed down giving more evidence blade was considerably longer. Nagasa 64.8cm, Moto-haba 2.3cm, saki-Haba 2.2cm, moto-kasane 0.6cm, nakago nagasa 16.5cm, sori 1.7cm. Sugata somewhat saki-zori. Hamon has interesting patterns of gunome midare with Toran and elements of choji. One side has a little more sort of what I would define as a mix of Kani-tsume-ba midare. I also noted what appears odd is either a small opening in the nakago or an intentional chisel stroke of (-) ichi on the nakago which is probably a corrosive element but something observed nonetheless. It wouldn’t make sense anyways due to takanoha yasurime which wouldn’t fit Ichimonji school. Likely mino. Anyways what’s your kantei. Here are pics

So far I can only make out Shitoku 至徳

Please can you assist with this obscured mei for translation. Very worn and hard to read.

More pics

Recently acquired a 18.1cm tanto from eBay. Might be Gendaito maybe edo era. Anyways here are some pictures. Mumei very small tanto.

It has been said that natural oil from the fingers handling the nakago helps to start a good foundation for healthy patina to build on which will develop over many years. I also have read oil from the the pores from around your nose have a quality that may help to stabilize the rust if rubbed on the nakago frequently over time help with the Ph level of the red rust and change the composition of the harmful red surface rust to accommodate a more stable environment for harmless patina to establish itself. Sounds crazy but others may elaborate more on this.

The polish looks like it was done fairly recent. Do you know who may have polished the blade? By the pics and polish work done on Hada looks like David Hofhine work

Thanks Paul for your thoughts on the blade. The pics may be somewhat misleading because I zoomed in which makes the hamon look large or out of proportion to the actual size. The activity is actually very small within the hamon. The noi guchi is not very reflective but it is there along the length of the entire blade. The crumbling appearance may be due to the blurring from the zooming in close to get pics. I would prob best describe the noi guchi as mostly crowded choji with streaks of kinsuji and inazuma at and right above the choji. There is utsuri that shadows above the choji that is irregular. I know that many say you cannot see nie in an unpolished blade but this blade you can. Much sparkling nie in the hada even though this blade is not polished. The grain is also very tight. The scaling of the nakago and the curve where it is especially on a suriage blade seems out of place which I agree. This may be one of those Muromachi renaissance blades of the old tachi. This is a very slender blade. It may be one of those oddball blades that just doesn’t fit into any category/era. It may well be saiha or fire damage but I would think it would affect the hamon and the activity which the nie would blob together or look very unnatural. It might have been treated with chemicals at some point to clean rust. I also failed to mention the other side of the blade is complete relic condition. Like somebody polished one side of the blade at one time and left the other side relic condition. This could be a sign that whomever did that stopped and decided not to pursue anymore restoration. I figure get shinsa and then decide if early blade or school warrants polish. This blade is a tough one

The bohi looks like it was added at a later period. The boshi is still there. The placement of the bohi does look odd to me

Has most or almost all the features. Relatively narrow suguha based hamon comprised of kochoji, ko-nie. Lots of hataraki, uchinoke, ko-ashi, inazuma, kinsuji, ji-nie and chikei, nijuba. The pictures I think sort of reflect this sentiment. Looks better of course in hand than what is captured in pics. Casts rainbow of colors when light is cast on it. Hard to capture in the pics. Hada appears older than all the other blades I have examined side by side. Very thin blade. Probably an older tachi. In less than satisfactory condition. What’s your thoughts On it

I’ve been studying this blade for a while now and posted pics of the hamon a ways back but the only conclusion I keep arriving at is yamashiro. 26.5 inch nagasa. Motohaba 2.6cm sakihaba 1.6cm sori 2.86. Kasane 0.535cm. It is suriage but appeared to be much longer nagasa. Many chips in the ha and would require a lot of work and don’t know study piece vs polish. I think I will eventually submit for shinsa. Missed the San Fran shinsa last year. Hassle to mail off to Japan or worth it. I didn’t get a lot of feedback last time I posted on school or era. Anyways here are pics. What would be your assessment.

John I think I will take your advice on this one. A few hasn’t panned out lately with too much left to the imagination. I think I am going to get a cat instead lol