NewB

Bizen yokoyama school? J.

Tough to tell from that angle .. it looks unbreakable I like these tools for the range only. Had Kalashnik0v on my back for 18 months, enough is enough 😀 Clearly off topic. My bad.. couldn't help but to notice J.

Is that a 40 cal? Pick your poison huh? Lol. Cool 😎 J.

Steve, @Okan suggests that as there is a designated area in the forum for blades in military outfit where most of the experts in the field gravitate around. I'm sure the post will be moved there by an admin eventually. Just a thought P.S. Slough's book has examples of medium to high grade showato also. oil quenching is a non traditional but IMHO safer way to harden hot steel that eventually transforms into a curved blade. Cheers J.

👋 I'd like to offer a totally out of the blue guess based on few things I noticed in the OP's recent photographs. Owari Shinto Cheers J.

Hello Tensho was my gut check but I'm in the beginning of my studies so don't quote me on it. If it's pretty thick and without any flaws that warrant an expensive restoration And if you didn't spend much And if you truly want to know - April Shinsa in Chicago is coming pretty fast. I'm sure many would be willing to submit it if you want an expert's answer. Then you'll have a papered blade. Not bad overall Cheers J.

thank you @SteveM i must have brought a bit of confusion. I posted it just to compare the patina to the original post’s nakago always there to help, thank you again j.

I'm sure you guys know more. My take comes from the photo attached. Same chisel outlines and aging inside the Kanji IMHO J.

Thank you. I was wondering whether there's more to it in the books that I don't currently own unfortunately Appreciate the time nonetheless J.

While my forum name clearly states my level of knowledge I disagree the nakago was altered unless the date and signature was added later. The Kanji look very crisp with the appropriate 'dimples' as outline that clearly warrant a sharp chisel work. In an event of grinding no such 'lips' would be present but rather flat and sharp edges. Just my observation J.

Hello the books are pristine. One still has the plastic on it. No stains, no tears. The covers show a little patina but they are solid with slightly roughened edges. $845 plus fees and shipping J

The burn mark that was brought up is a great observation and a serious concern IMHO J.

Hello there I think most of the folks won't be willing to open these files. If there's a way for you to attach the photos , I'm sure you'll get your answer pretty fast. J.

Maybe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karagöz_and_Hacivat J.

👋 Dear forumites Could anyone help me by providing more information on Higo (hishu?) Ju Minamoto Morimitsu Kumamoto 1926-1989 "The Toko Taikan values Morimitsu at 1,000,000 yen. He is listed in the Nihonto Meikan as a student of Yoshimitsu. He is listed in Token Bijitsu, Showa 24." Any awards, competitions? Thank you in advance! J.

100% J.

Very good! Look up 'oil for nihonto' on the forum - small investment but it'd preserve it until you decide what you want to do with it. Someone more knowledgeable than me will definitely tell you the best route to go! I'd keep it haha P.s. I know second character above the 'hole' is 'mitsu'... still learning hahaha J.

Nicely done!!! I'll leave it to the experts but it is signed (and dated). Are the black spots in the blade (and in your photos) on the surface or indentations that go below? Like tiny holes in a sense? P.s. since i dont see any stamps this is definitely worth having examined by an expert IMHO. J.

Thank you. I appreciate the information. It makes me question the definition of some 'hi' types that make references to certain Era and schools. I presume some folks know how to tell the difference. p.s. I guess identifying the rust and the suriage possibly contributed to such conclusions/determinations? Tough lol J.

You're right overall but Not Gassan Sadakazu's swordsmaking days, that is for sure! J.

Hello and welcome, FIRST, read a bit about how to take care of nihonto - do not try to clean anything and please do not touch the steel with bare hands. You can use any non abrasive cloth while trying to disassemble the blade from its outfit (usually they are held by a wooden pin that is located right in the middle below the guard. If you are able to expose the tang by yourself then snap some good photos of both side along with: -Vertical photo of the whole blade 'naked' (please do NOT set it on the floor, any material would be better than leaving it directly onto a hard surface). -pictures of the tip (both sides) - pictures of the folded steel - try area where there's no scratches and rust. Playing with light angles could be exhausting but there's no other way around it. I usually have a dimmed light in a dark room at about 45' of light towards blade angle for best results. If you can't remove the tang cover please supply photos of the location right below the guard where the pin is, for further instructions Cheers J. P.S. do not hurry up and read a bit on it. Plenty of information on the forum Also I'm referring to the first and last vertically positioned blades in your photo.

At a first glance A lot is off - yasurime, nakago jiri .. But as everyone usually would suggest - same quality photos of the blade in as much detail as possible. Cheers J.

+1 Buy books and study about what constitutes a good purchase.. OR buy papered in recent polish after thorough research of the smith/school and price evaluation. The rest is throwing money away. Your money, your call though. There's nothing you can 'do' with this blade unless you're a bladesmith and you're buying the steel to create your own blade. Do not attempt to polish or cut/beat it to a pulp, it'd be disgraceful! J.

I found that interesting also as a suggestion as far as hamon goes http://www.sho-shin.com/sanyo11.htm J

Last attempt before reverting to meditation kai mihara? J.