Lareon

I have a type 98 with a perfect tsuka still in the original white cloth wrapping it came with. So it's definitely something that can happen.

No need to apologise, I love seeing the updates in our collective knowledge.

Taking a look at it now, 1. The bulk of the ferrule isn't magnetic, there's some slight magnetism near the latch but i think it's from where it joins. As for material, I'm unsure, I guess aluminium with plated copper 2. I'm pretty sure it's plated . Mine only seems to have the two layers (the difference in colour on the bottom image is the reflection.

@Kiipu So I've popped off the tsuka and after close inspection it does have the m/w mark. Very small beneath the 250. Also every seppa fuchi even retaining clip had the 250 too

I'll have the blade in hand on Saturday so will check for you then. From memory I do not remember it having any other stamps though, I went through my photos of the sword and didn't see any so ill take another look saturday

you need to post more photos of the entire blade, but from what i can see it looks in bad condition

Well, I got round to taking some photos of the sword yesterday and while the Hamon is very hard to see generally, I managed to get some good angles with some studio lights where I could see it properly. Now that I had time to sit and look over it properly I noticed some things I hadn't before. The Hamon is actually konote gashiwa quite distinctly. The condition the sword is in, isn't the best. there's a fair few scratches on the blade and a little bit of spidering. Threw in a few pictures of the gunto mounts it's in; as they are high quality. The habaki moves a little bit (1cm) but is slightly damaged on the inside and doesn't slide off the nakago anymore or i would of taken photos with it off.

Forgot to say the hada is ko-mokume but is quite hard to see. @SteveM yes I could see that fitting. I'll take some photos as best as I can on Sunday. To add to these.

Hi All, I picked up an interesting Gunto a while back and am just getting round to spending some time examining and studying it. The mounts are quite interesting in themselves but the Nakago is O-Suriage tachi mei and only part of the signature remains. The date is Shōchō 1428 so early Muromachi. so the date i've got Shōchō Gannen I can't make out the last kanji on the date maybe Roku ?? Actually it's Hachi The signature i've got Bishû Osafune and now i can't quite make out the last kanji again The sword has a ko-notare hamon the sori is 3cm Nagasa is 60cm Total length including the nakago is 76cm (16cm nakago) There is no yokote I need to take some photos of the blade itself, it's out of polish and the hamon is very faint, the hada is hard to see but i will try and pick it up. any suggestions on a potential smith? I will add pictures of the blade this weekend when i have it hand again

I meant id usually see it as a negative but in this case I didn't thus I bought it

Apologies for the late reply Bruce! yes it's a small adornment that looks to be shaped like a kabuto. That was how it was sold . I've been away for about a month and when I'm back I'll take some photos of it with my camera. I've never seen anything like it before which usually gives me a pause (in a negative way) the whole sword actually was interesting. the blade is in poor polish and from 1428 but the signature is quite hard to read as it's partially lost (O-Suriage) the date is readable though. the Saya had been wrapped in leather cord too which is quite brittle so i haven't handled it too much. I've included a photo. I wont be home to look at it for a couple of weeks so i'll just use this one for now

I've got this Mon here. If kanji I think it's Takeuchi ? Seems to be a common surname

that really is mint condition

Lovely koshirae there. Really nice

I think it's the mixture of different camera focal lengths is making the size appear to elongate on the kissaki. The kissaki is 3.5cm long and 1.5cm from the geometric tip of the yokote to the back of the sword. I've taken a few more from that side just quickly with my phone as the light conditions are good to bring out the hamon Also got the boshi here