zetozeto99

Would you happen to have any pix of your old collection? Sorry to revive this thread. :| Does anyone have any more insight they would like to offer? Thanks in advance...

Plain and simple.... this is a fake. It is clearly "antiqued" to make it look older than it is. Cheap Chinese junk sword. Not even a machine made "parade sword". Sorry to burst your's or anyone else's bubble. Hope you didn't pay too much for it.

Interesting... Is that koshirae for a kabutowari ? Or is that some kind of tekkan?

Yes. Definitely longer than the one's I have seen personally and in books. I measured the blade at just over 36 cm with the nakago at just under 11.5 cm. For reference: This one doesn't appear this particular hachiwari was folded and I see no hada through my very amateur eyes. Not sure if any other pieces out there were ever folded. I would love to see some pix if you have any! I've been trying to collect any and all pix on the net for reference. I think they were made from simple steel and not tamahagane. Basically because it was more utilitarian than real nihonto. I think your right... One question that has risen. I had originally thought maybe this particular hachiwari could be Edo period... however, as I researched more about hachiwari the ones I see that are supposedly Edo-period are the "one-piece of iron" tekkan style. All the hachiwari I see that have koshirae/mounts seem to be older... any input/insight? Thanks in advance.

BTW: I am pretty sure this is an Edo period piece. You don't see many older than that....

Greetings, Forumites! New member here! I've been an on again and off again collector of Japanese swords and related items. After regretfully selling the majority of my collection over the years I am starting to get back into replenishing my collection. I have always had a fascination with the lesser known (lesser popular at that) samurai weapons and have been on the look out for a hachiwara (or kabutowari) for a few years and finally came across a piece that was perfect for me: I acquired it from a gentleman who in turn acquired it on a trade in Okinawa a few years back... not much history to this piece other than that. I plan to mount it some how... not sure if I will go the traditional hachiwara mounts or possibly mounting it as a wakizashi (which was rare but still historically correct BTW). I'm now looking for yari projects until I'm ready to graduate back into a nihonto. Just waiting for that perfect one!