Nihonto Chicken

Mizukage can result from an original temper (quench) as my bargain basement gunto below indicates. Sorry for the fuzzy old cell phone pics, but the mizukage is unmistakable, and the left pic shows a floating island of yubashiri for added effect, likely good for an additional ten dollars upon resale.

Third time's the charm? Link below to my previous response. I was about 46 years old at the time. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/34699-my-first-sword-and-where-it-led-me-your-story/#comment-359514 And yes, I still have the tanto.

Yoshiharu strikes again! He shows up with some regularity here. My copy below, FWIW (no W mark).

Though not much hataraki may be seen on the "Java sword", good news is that it doesn't appear to be all that pitted. Looks like a prime candidate for a "power uchiko" treatment (just don't ride up and over the shinogi). An hour or two should reveal whatever activity is present, though the Seki stamp advises keeping your expectations modest.

"The first thousand dollars you spend on nihonto should be for books."

If truly found with a downed Japanese pilot, it may have been the proverbial "kamikaze tanto" and mounted something like this, rosewood with bone fittings. The theory was that Kamikaze pilots were supposed to perform ritual seppuku as they crashed their planes into US ships. It would be amazing if any of them actually managed this feat, as there was a lot going on at the time.

Just ordered a copy myself. Can't afford the swords, but at least I can read about them.

Yeah, I have some saki cups as well, porcelain, lacquer, one solid silver, I think, but no currently available pics. Below is a small sample of some of the other interests I've had. Also, not shown, some firearms and antique silver flat and hollow ware. A lot of stuff to get rid of as I inevitably make my way to "The Home".

Very beautiful sword, congrats. That said, as nice as are the hamon and horimono, I think it's a bit unfortunate that they take up real estate that could be better afforded that gorgeous hada. Be still my heart.

Edit: heavy duty uchiko work (which I recommend for rusted swords, search here on "Jim Kurrasch power uchiko"), will also remove hadori as well as yokote, though I failed to mention this since I've never had a rusted sword with hadori. Uchiko is abrasive, but on a minor scale. Again a warning, uchiko only (or a reasonable facsimile, for which I refrain from posting from fear of being flame broiled). Do not use hard western style abrasives such as Flitz and Simichrome, which will burnish the surface metal, turning it into a silver mirror and obscuring, rather than revealing, the internal hataraki.

In my experience, any steel oxidation (rust), whether from light white frosting to spider webs to crusty brown patches, leaves pits. Yes, that does include thin white discoloration, though in that case the pits are so small, they may not be readily visible on a poor polish. Any non-abrasive removal (vinegar, Evaporust, naval jelly, whatever) will take away the rust, but leave the pits. Even reverse electrolytic process will leave some pitting (yes, it will convert iron oxides back into metallic iron, but it all won't be in the same place in which it started). Very light pitting as from white frosting may possibly be removed by some heavy duty uchiko work, though this amount of effort will partially erase the yokote if applied there. There isn't any way around it, rust=pitting, and the only way to completely correct it optically is by use of abrasives. My opinion, not looking for a flame war or pissing contest, YMMV.

Ah, yup. In retrospect the quest is better than the success.

Still won't say anything nice about my Bungo, eh?

Yes, but he didn't last very long.

Funny you should mention this. For years and years I favored the flamboyant hamon you mention, but now that I've come to more appreciate hada (especially nashiji ), it seems to me that the big hamon only takes up real estate that would be better dedicated to the jihada, and so hoso suguha is the best!