Joorsh

Hi all, I just thought I'd give a little bit on an update on this sword for anyone interested. I took the sword to Melbourne to have it inspected and assessed for a possible restoration by Andrew Ickeringill of touken-togishi.com. First of all, thanks for the recommendations on using him guys - excellent service by Andrew and a very nice man. Highly recommended. Andrew said it looked like the sword had suffered a very hard life, so even though it was indeed a genuine Amata Sadayoshi dai-mei by Sadaroku, the cost of a restoration would be high because of the damage it has suffered. Here's some of the damage Andrew noted: There are many deep rust pits in and around the kissaki. There are many chips along the cutting edge and kissaki. There are many deep rust pits in several other areas of the blade. There is rust damage to the nakago (tang) and signature. There is surface rust in many areas of the blade. Suffice to say, looking at the list above the restoration cost will be quite significant - given the huge amount of work and hours that will be required on it. The sword is now safely back home with me. I am seriously keen for a full restoration, even though it may not be a good idea from a financial investment point of view. I just love the story behind this piece and the history that goes with it, and actually having the complete history of it is such a big deal to me. Unfortunately cash is a bit tight right now so I'm going to sit on this for now, but I'll keep you all posted if I can save up the funds to give this sword the love it deserves. Hope you're all staying well and safe. Josh.

You found his photo! AMAZING! Thank you so much for this, that's terribly exciting. I have saved it with my other research and images that I am compiling for this sword. That's the first time I have ever seen his face. Please let me know if you find any other images or information on him! Regarding the sword, it should be with Andrew by next week.

Thanks everyone, I'm glad to hear you're all thinking the same thing as me I had the pleasure of speaking with Andrew earlier and he's happy to do an assessment of the blade and we'll take it from there!

Hi all, I'm Josh from Australia. I recently inherited a blade from my father and have joined here to try and collect as much information as possible on the history of the blade and its maker (who may be Amada Sadayoshi!). You have all been wonderfully helpful and I look forward to learning everything I can about this sword. So far it's looking very exciting, but even if it turns out to be something other than what I hope, I have still enjoyed the journey. Cheers, Josh.

Still grateful for the link Bazza. I'd forgotton to go back and read it, but you reminded me. Very glad I did! No news from Andrew, however I spoke again with Paul Martin and he agrees that this one may indeed be worth restoring and putting in a plain wooden sleeping scabbard. I believe Paul was the first ever non-Japanese to win the NBTHK Tokyo Chapter kantei kai, so that's advice I don't think I can ignore.

Ray, I can't thank you enough for this article (you too Bazza). What an amazing read! To think Admiral Yamamoto - planner and executor of the pearl harbour attacks, died with his favourite Amada Sadayoshi sword between his knees, just wow. I have found photo's of two certified Sadayoshi blade's online (at least, they claim to be certified). Here is how they compare to mine: Genuine blades on the left and right, mine in the middle. Please excuse my nasty copy\paste Photoshop job. I have sharpened the image to make the characters more clearly visible. To my untrained eye they look pretty darn close. Only the second-last character is a bit off, but perhaps it's a style difference because it's not consistent in any of the examples. Maybe it's like me always struggling to draw a neat capital "R" What do you all think?

I'm very keen to hear what Andrew says too! I'll be sure to keep you all updated.

Hi Chris, Thank you for the tip with lighting from behind. No sunlight currently available but I used a flashlight instead. The hamon immediately popped out! Amazing! I guess this gives me some idea what the old beauty might have looked like in her prime, eh?

Would this be Andrew? If so, I have just sent an email out to him and hope to hear back soon. Thanks again for the feedback, info and advice!

Sorry for the all the questions, but I have just 2 more: Is this what's known as a Shin Guntō? If so, I'm guessing that would make it a type 94\95?

Thank you both for your information. Sadly yes, the leather cover has severely deteriorated and has completely disintegrated in more than a few places. I'm avoiding even touching it! Approximately 3/5 of the leather on the Saya is gone completely and the metal underneath is badly rusted. Do you have any advice or articles I can read on how to best care for what is left? As for the good news, I just received confirmation from Paul Martin of The Japanese Sword in Tokyo that the signature characters do indeed say "Echigo ju Amata Sadayoshi", father of the last living national treasure Amata Akitsugu. Seeing as Amata Sadayoshi died in 1937 and this sword was made in December 1936, it's safe to say this was one of his last pieces. For those interested in how it came into my family, my father was gifted the sword by Dr Harold Marsh, a medic in World War 2 who was born in 1913 and died in 2009. Harold and my father founded a medical practice together and I believe it was a parting gift. Harold uncovered the sword while serving in Borneo. It had been buried by a Japanese officer not wishing to have it surrendered. Here are some pictures of the blade. The hamon is obscured but still there. It's sad to see it so neglected, but given it's of relatively recent age and of no major historical significance, it's probably not worth a restoration and polish. Is it a safe bet to now say this was traditionally made?

Hi Grey, sorry my name is Josh. What pictures could I provide to assist with identifying machine vs hand made? And how confident are you with the name translation of Amada Kaneyoshi?

Hi all, First post for me, sincere apologies if this is the wrong section or if my terminology is incorrect - still learning! I'm also not sure if this blade is machine made or traditionally made, I'll leave it up to the mods if they want to move this post. This blade was recently handed down to me from my father and appears to be a WW2 sword, in fairly rough condition. Sadly that's all I had to go on, but I've spent some time researching with my (very) limited skills and here's what I've found: There are no serial numbers stamped on the blade or scabbard that I can see. So hopefully that means it's not machine made? The Nakago has markings on both sides. A combination of google searches and translations seems to indicate it was made in 1936 by Amata Sadayoshi, who I believe was the father or brother of legendary maker Amata Akitsugu? Is anyone able to weigh in and help me out here? What I'd love to know is: Is this a traditionally made blade, or machine made? Is my translation correct regarding the maker and date? The history behind the maker, when and where he lived, approximately how many swords he made, any and all info would be fantastic! Were his blades considered to be below or above average quality? Are his blades sought after? What was his relation (if any) to Amata Akitsugu? Photos: Thanks for your time!