sabiji

Hi Uwe, look at this pretty example: http://cgi.ebay.de/K-Japanese-KATANA-SW ... dZViewItem Without "Papers" it looks like a Koto Blade, than with Tokubetsu Kicho it is a Koto Blade . But now with new Hozon Kanteisho Papers it´s "only" a Shinto Blade . (Ishido School was one of the best Bizen Utsushi makers at this time). No, i do the risk to say this is a Shinto Blade from the best Hosho Utsushi makers at this time, the Kunikane School.

Hello, this Blade looks like a shortened Kikuchi Yari. This is a early style of Yari from Nanbokucho Era. But i´m not sure, perhaps this is only a later blade in this Style.

It is dificult to judge only from pictures. What we have: no complete toshin, because suriage blade. No complete Nakago, because suriage. What we have is a oshigata, some pictures and informations: prominent masame with fine ko itame, a suguba/ko notare in ko nie wich frayed slightly to the Ha (ko ashi, a little bit sunagashi and ha nie), there is a hakkake yakizume boshi. Okay,fine, Yamato Hosho Style. But i agree with the opinion of Barry Hennik and Andreas B.: there is not enough hataraki and prominent nie for a very good Hosho blade from the best times of this school. The Masame is very wavy, this feature can find in later Hosho works and works of the Kunikane Ha. Yes, later Hosho´s are rougher, and there are often masaware, but the Kantei Blade shows very good and clear masame without masaware. @Uwe, thanks for welcome! If (ONLY IF) the sujigai yasurime is a part of the original tang (and this Yasurime looks very similar to the early Kunikane´s), this sujigai is only on Omote Side (Side who you can find a signature). Above and on ura side there are kiri. So i think the Nakago was filed to fit the Habaki ( when parts of original Nakago is much bolder than the new machi okuri area). Also, the Ha machi looks very "weak", and parts of hamon are very close to the Ha.

Hello, i am new here, and i´m started with the risk to say, that this isn´t a koto blade. Yes, she looks very old. But the sugata..., i´m not sure, but in my opinion this is shinto. It seems to be the blade was polished many times and has lost much material, but i think the blade is only a little bid suriage. Also i think bevore shortening this was a regular size wakizashi about 53 or 54 cm. There is also a part of very clear and sharp sujigai yasurime, and i think this yasurime is original. With all these features together, i will say this is a yamato utsushi. I think this is one of early generations sendai kunikane. P.S. sorry for my bad english!