mdiddy

Dave, You can take close-ups of parts of the blade that are not heavily rusted. Specifically we would be looking to see the hada, or grain, and hamon, or temperline. These might not be visible given the condition. Also a better picture of the signature would help. I would not try to enhance this, just try some different lighting conditions to see what kind of pictures you can take and pick the one that is most detailed to share. Matt

Dave, Thanks for the additional pictures. I'm afraid I still can't tell you too much more about the blade. My best guess from the pictures is that based on the shape of the blade and the nakago (tang) that the sword is Shinto, ca. 1600-1700. I do not think the sword is older. I am sorry I can not shed more light on it but we would need to see more of features in the blade that are currently obscurred. If you get more clear shots of the signature and can share them then that may also help better identify. Best, Matt

Andrew, Here are a couple of websites that may provide add'l useful info: 1. http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/military.htm 2. http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/nihonto.htm 3. http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~t-ohmura/gunto_002.htm To add to what Joe has already told you, your blade was handmade, but probably mass-produced. It could be shorter for a variety of reasons. I would think it may have been made for someone operating in a cramped environment like a tank officer. Matt

Brian, That looks better. Here are some questions for you: 1. What activities can you spot? 2. What does the boshi look like? 3. What does the yakidashi look like? 4. Can you show us pictures of these? Best, Matt

Piece of tape or other adhesive maybe? It looks to very slightly hang off the ha in the 16th picture.

Brian, Thanks for sharing pics of the blade. Given the condition it is hard to make an exact comparison. From what I see (which could be a stretch since we are looking at pictures of an out of polish blade over the internet), your hamon does look to be some version of choji (or gunome). However, the choji do not look as clustered as they do in some of the examples by Yasuhiro we see. I will concede that most of the examples you are going to find on here, in person, or eslewhere on the internet are likely of the first generation. But they should be a guide to the type of workmanship exhibited by Yasuhiro. Keep digging and researching (and reading)! Matt

Which one of us is Georges?

Mei on the tanto is Uda Kunihisa. Depending on whether it is shoshin, your date may be accurate. 6 generations of Kunihisa from Oei to Ko-ji: http://www.sho-shin.com/hoku15.htm. Can we see pictures of the hada, hamon, and boshi?

I wish people would stop copying my dance moves

Sounds like you are probably headed in the right direction. I was going to add that you may want to inspect the mekugi-ana for its age, whether it was drilled or punched, etc (assuming it is ubu).

I agree that its a katana. And thats about all I can tell you. Most, if not all, appreciable features are obscurred. Signature looks worn and sketchy. Can we see an overall picture of the blade looking top-down and not at an angle? Matt

Brian, Can we see pictures of the blade? See if you can 'light up' the hamon and take a photograph. Bitchu Yasuhiro has a very characteristic choji midare hamon. Concentrate on comparing the workmanship in the blade to known good examples. Franco provided good examples. Googling should turn up more. Matt

Tobias, I see no reason to disagree with the seller. Looks like a nice Edo period wakizashi in good polish, healthy, and ubu. There are two generations of Kashu Iehira listed in Fujishiro. Nidai Iehira has a 'big' signature. Matt

Nio Kiyosada if shoshin.

Dave, If I remember correctly from the original thread, the original saya was wood with a leather weathering cover and a metal ashi hanger correct? If so, you could have a new lacquered saya made (maybe even just plain wood) then carefully remove the leather weathering cover and metal ashi from the original and place it over the new one. This might detract from a new lacquer saya but would give an 'authentic' look without compromising the integrity of the inside of the new saya meant to protect the sword. You would need to be very careful in transferring the leather cover though as it will come apart if not handled delicately. You could have a wooden tsunagi made to connect the old saya with the new rewrapped tsuka and leave the sword in shirasaya. If you were going that route and wanted to display the old fittings why not leave them in their current condition as a testament to their story. Lots of options and approaches... Matt

For shirasaya, I have only had personal experience with Samuel Rediske but my togishi facilitated. I have seen and handled outstanding examples by Moses Becerra and John Tirado also. I know Fred Lohman can also facilitate this. You may want to ask around for others input or wait for their response also.

You would need to contact David to find out if he does shirasaya. I'm sure you can find someone who "does it all", and maybe for a better price, but my recommendation would be to find people who specialize in each area to ensure you get the highest quality. For this type of work I recommend valuing quality over price. And be prepared to be patient as each restorer will likely have a waitlist. Quality is worth waiting for. If your blade is in polish and does not have a shirasaya, then yes, I would suggest that needs to be your first step to ensure the blade is adequately protected. Also, if you are going to be shipping it around for different restorations then having the blade in shirasaya will be a big help. Matt

Dave, I would recommend David McDonald for rebuilding your tsuka in WWII Shin Gunto style. He is a member of the board so you can find him through the forum, or you can find his website here: http://www.montanairon.com/swords.html. He has helped with several tsuka for me and I am continually impressed. For shirasaya, my togishi have always had connections to sayashi and facilitated that aspect for me. In the U.S. I think they worked with Samuel Rediske and I was happy with the quality of the sayas. I know there are other qualified sayashi in the U.S. You may want to check out John Tirado and Fred Lohman for additional info on mountings. Both have websites accessible through the links section of the board under the 'Restoration' heading. If I were having an authentic mount custom built for a blade I would spend a healthy amount of time considering different styles from different eras and historic locales. I would spend more time collecting the absolute best/right fittings to help achieve the aesthetic I want. Then I would perform healthy research to find the right person for the work. I would be very open to sending to Japan and leaving there for a long period of time. Finally, I would not let cost get in the way of achieving something really nice aesthetically. Matt

Brian recently posted a trove of scans from the National Archives that contain all kinds of information on the management of swords during the occupation ca. late 1945-1946. There is a lot of detail on the Japanese perspective of what was going on with swords then, including messages from Junji Homma et al to Allied leadership regarding what they were experiencing on the ground versus expectations Allied leadership had set. I highly recommend it: http://www.militaria.co.za/articles/WW2_Archives.pdf.

I agree that museums are graveyards for Nihonto ... except the Frazier in Louisville, KY (viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13307)with its current exhibit that I have yet to see. I think giving items to museums is a bad idea. Particularly since they deacquisition for profit which I'm sure was not patrons' intent. Ken - it is a good point. I was thinking about all of the swords in the West that were brought back from WWII. Would you consider these looted?

Hello, I recently read this article from the New York Times regarding how museums and auction houses are starting to tighten their policies with regards to what items they allow to pass through their institutions: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/arts/ ... wanted=all. Most notably is an accepted guideline that items must have a documented history prior to 1970. I expect such a requirement would have an impact to the collecting, displaying, and trade of Nihonto in the West. I was curious if any Nihonto collectors have experienced this shifting attitude, either in donations to museums or more directly in their dealings with the leading auction houses. What are your thoughts? Matt

Peter Bleed, Is your article available online? I myself am curious if Namban tsuba are more of Chinese origin, Dutch origin, or both. I particularly like the examples with VOC logo which I think were previously discussed in a former thread... Matt

Bob, Judging from your photos the sword looks to be in really good condition. It would need to be seen in hand but my current opinion is that it does not need a costly restoration. However, it does need the care and treatment that Franco pointed out in his link. If you diligently follow the guidance in the link you will be able to preserve the sword in the same good condition. Having papers/'Origami' might be nice for selling. I found this link to a similar military mounted Hiroshige sold at Christies in 2002: http://www.christies.com/lotFinder/lot_ ... ID=3932661. Matt

Bob, I think I can help. Here are my answers to your questions: 1) The yellow painted 787 is most likely a warehouse number painted on as the sword was fitted in the Shin Gunto mountings ca. late 1930's. 2) I do not think so. The signature matches closely to examples by Hiroshige. I do not think it is likely to be gimei (copied signature). 3) Edo blades mounted in Shin Gunto mountings are rarer than blades made in the 1930's-1940's mounted in Shin Gunto mountings. However, they are not altogether uncommon. 4) The smith is considered 'Chu Saku', or average, in Fujishiro's classic reference. Not a famous smith, but a more desirable package than a Shin Gunto with average 1940's blade (showato). 5) Per forum rules, values are not typically discussed. 6) My opinion is the whole package would be more valuable than the blade alone. Just my $0.02. I hope that helps. Matt

Those look like hagire to me. Do you have a picture of the same location on the other side of the blade? When I have had hagire they look very similar, but were evident on both sides of the blade. Matt