nagamaki - Franco

Dimensions, please & thank you?

Hello John, Verbally, you're describing a retempered blade or at least one that has been exposed to excessive heat (at least to me). Not uncommon. The sword pics also seem to support this notion. Although the image is somewhat out of focus the tsuka looks to have modern wrap and fittings at this point to my eyes.

In regards to optics, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangaku .

Hello, Based upon that nasty looking rust at the yokote I would be very reluctant to place this sword back in the saya for storage.

Hello, My guess at this point would be that they would paper to one of the Waki Goto line artisans.

Hi Ken, Doing a google image search on Kyo Kinko tsuba and Mino as well, while I would surely stumble trying to put into words the differences and likenesses, I do visually see more similarity in the tsuba identified as Kyo Kinko examples of the same theme especially when it comes to composition than the ones identified as Mino or Mino-Goto with the one in your post. Would tend to agree with Mauro that for the most part there looks to be a quality difference, too.

Sal, To my eyes would guess heat damage, plus shintetsu. Being no expert look forward to hearing/learning what the polisher says? While I do not recall seeing more recent results generally speaking keep in mind that in past shinsa here in the U.S. it was not uncommon for over a 60% pink slip rate. And those blades seem to stay in circulation. As the fortune cookie says, don't mistake temptation for opportunity.

"Run, run, run, runaway!"

Hello Ben, Yes, normally one looks for the bo hi running all the way through for o-suriage. A bo hi stopping short indicates that it may be only suriage. Although, on this sword I wonder if the original mekugiana might not have been filled in and is that dark spot roughly an inch above the nakago jiri? Other signs to look for are changes in the metal and tsuba wear along top and bottom of the nakago. On better condition swords sometimes you can see indications of the hamon running well into the nakago.

Darius, pardonnez-moi s'il vous plaît but when you say "some consideration", do you think the blade length and the naginata hi and bo hi vs tang length were all simply for show, by chance, or guess work? Have you stopped to consider that due to the significant modifications that the original bo hi might have been adjusted to further counter balance the weight shift in regards to the new design as well as fighting style? The tip, too? And, Darius, perhaps you should go back and re-read this thread from the beginning again as you seem confused as to exactly what it is that you have when you say "this wakizashi (or Nagamaki, or modified naginatao naoshi)," which I thought was clearly explained.

"Deja vu all over again" ... http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/help-wanted-translate-wakizashi-vet-bring-back-566737/

We each make up our own reality to a certain extent, some more than others.

Greetings, If one learns nothing else when it comes to nihonto one should become fully aware that making blanket statements is risky business. To say or believe that modified naginata kissaki equals no boshi turn back is simply not always the case. Each sword needs to be assessed individually. Further, how many unaltered or for that matter altered pieces has one looked at and studied by the same smith or similar and from the same time period? And from the perspective of an expert to help guide and understand what one doesn't know or understand?

According to Mr. Tanobe a refinished nakago on an old sword means that the o-suriage had been done in the Koto period. This nakago jiri being kiri on the linked sword leaves me thinking that perhaps it was shortened later. Below is another Bizen Kamakura naginata naoshi nakago with a refinished nakago jri.

Hello, katana unsigned attributed to a work of JUMYO (Shinto) http://www.sanmei.com/contents/media/A6608_S7854_PUP_E.html ) http://www.nihontoantiques.com/archive/fss351.htm

Hello, For your consideration ..... Katana signed Zou Taikei NAOTANE http://sanmei.com/contents/media/S2798_S8899_PUP_E.html

Stephen, I'm honored by the invite, thank you. However, the only petals in the metal capturing my attention these days are the ones found on tosogu or botan utsuri in the case of nihonto. If and when you break the Masamune secret code please let us know.

And me, too. One final thought from me. It is essential before we begin to draw our own conclusions that we go out and look at as many examples as possible of what we are talking about in addition to reading texts and consulting experts. Although there will be the exception on some occasions, for the most part the making of Nihonto followed orderly predictable patterns and methods. Which is one reason why we can look at a modified piece and make educated observations. To that end I have looked at many naginata naoshi (images) since this thread began and have learned from it. So thank you Darius, and all.

Hey Wah, No problemo, thank you, too, you're welcome. Couldn't help but think about you seeing petals in the metal when reading this News article today, http://www.rawstory.com/2016/09/michelangelo-painted-a-secret-feminist-code-in-the-ceiling-of-the-sistine-chapel-says-new-study/ . Who knows, perhaps Masamune was forging some kind of a secret samurai code like Michaelangelo supposedly was doing in his painting. Kindest Regards, Franco

Hello, Thank you for posting dimensions. Nothing out of the ordinary stands out. Thoughts, 1) based upon reviewing all of the images again my belief is that the kissaki has indeed been reshaped. The apex of the boshi suggests that the tip once extended up and out more and that area was fully tempered. 2) It is also my impression that bo hi modification has taken place on the ura side, and perhaps even more than once as the portion of the bo hi which extends into the kissaki does not look to me to be cut by the same hand as the rest. http://www.thesamuraiworkshop.com/userfiles/reviews/naginata-naoshi/49_Nagayama.jpg

One lesson learned among many from reading Han Bing Siong's writings is that if you're going to write about a sword one needs to list and include all the measurements, taken carefully. This should be done for sword record keeping purposes at the least. Often these measurements especially when a sword is suspected of having undergone changes can tell a story. Facts are facts, opinion is opinion. Darius, if you would be so kind? Blade length, Moto-haba, Moto-kasane, Sake-haba, Sake-kasane, Nakago length. Any additional measurements with observations (such as sori, taper at widest & narrowest point), would be welcomed, too. Thank you.

Darius, You need to start doing your own homework. Books! And in just a short few minutes searching there are numerous internet websites and posts where you can begin finding answers.

If that is what you want to believe, then by all means don't let anyone tell you different. Yes.

According to NBTHK shinsa standards (below) I don't see a reason why not TokuHo. It was changed. There was enough boshi to retain some turnback in this example which is not always the case with modified naginata. Wonder if the bohi was added later after modification? Could you post a full length image of that side?