GeorgeLuucas

Whether it be quenched with oil, water, or treated with acid… looks like maybe a hamon is present? Looks interesting to me, I like the shape. A shame it doesn’t have its koshirae

Thank you very much @Ray Singer that helps a lot. It was a nice looking sword I wish I could have purchased thanks again! I appreciate all the help

At a militaria show today, and a man brought in a nice type 98 he’s curious about

Thanks for sharing Chris, your photos are really impressive! They look professionally done, and like they belong in a Nihonto magazine I really dig the koshirae also. I hope to see your photo setup one of these days! Cheers, -Sam

It's my understanding that many togishi have incredibly long waitlists. Having them constantly field newcomers with rusted swords can't be helping that; I imagine. For what it's worth, and from personal experience, googling anything Nihonto related is really confusing unless you've have the basic vocabulary down. So hopefully people at least learn not to attempt an amateur restoration themselves. -- Maybe that's all the initial advice that should be given. I think your suggestion is good, Grey. Knowledge and learning should always come before spending the big $

I see that you're the seller. I would suggest taking some of your own photos in addition to the ones you currently have. Also take a photo of the torokusho next to your sword, rather than a screenshot photo from a phone. Right now, without any selling history, it looks like you've taken screenshots of a sword off the Internet and decided to list it. Which is something eBay buyers definitely lookout for. Best of luck, -Sam

Might be one of the most poorly defined mon I’ve come across. On an army parade saber. Fake?

At least Vegas is more affordable than SF. That's if you stay away from the slots of course I wish I could make it this year. Maybe next year

I agree wholeheartedly. I hope my prior comment didn’t imply any disagreement with that idea or Jacques. And that’s a great link with tons of great resources and info I learned more in a weekend at the SF sword show than I did with a year in my books. There’s no substitution for a knowledgable guide with good swords, and I hope to learn more that way going forward Cheers, -Sam

If you don’t have it, “the connoisseurs guide to Japanese swords” is a great place to start. I’ve heard people say, that the first ~$1000 dollars you spend on Nihonto, should be on books, and I think that’s great advise. Keep in mind that this forum hosts Nihonto enthusiasts that have the highest of standards. Many of whom have been studying and collecting for decades. That’s what makes this place such a wealth of knowledge. It’s easy to forget that most people have to deal with vastly different incomes, legislation, and availability outside of our own respective locations. I’m not familiar with the ways of Norway, but it sounds like your options are limited. Hopefully there’s some other members here from your country that can help out. Point being, don’t be discouraged! The hobby requires patience, and everyone starts somewhere - and your sword is real Best of luck, -Sam

Hi Bruce, I've had mild success on a similarly out-of-shape blade with alcohol, oil, and some patience. After a thorough wipe-down with isopropyl and a microfiber cloth. I then apply a generous amount of pure clear mineral oil. I then cover the blade with 1 layer of saran wrap, so the generous amount of oil stays in contact with the blade, and the problem-areas. Then I let it sit overnight. Be careful to angle/prop the blade, so oil does NOT drip down onto the nakago, but rather drips toward the kissaki. A day later, I remove the saran wrap, and wipe the blade with microfiber cloth. I then apply oil to the problem areas, and very gently wipe clean until nothing "comes up" onto the microfiber. Obviously this is no substitution for a polish from a trained togishi. BUT it has worked for me to remove some gunk and active rust. I've heard of people doing this method, and also using a piece of horn or bone to "scrape" away at the corrosion, but i've always been too afraid to try that method. I'll be following along with this thread to see what others have to say. If this method brings up any red-flags to anyone, I am all ears and here to learn! Cheers, -Sam

Hi Mike, I think you've come to the right place, as there are several Nihonto enthusiasts in the southeast USA I'd reach out to @Ray Singer or Moses Becerra @ https://nihontoantiques.com/about/ I hope they don't mind the recommendation, Best of luck, Cheers, -Sam

AFAIK, If both are available, shirasaya is always the safe and preferable option Pics?!

Could we see some closeups of the damage? Very doubtful someone would carry a sword with this kind of damage into WW2. I imagine it will be near impossible to tell where the damage came from, whether it’s wartime or afterwards. Maybe a Japanese soldier whacked into a rifle barrel. Maybe a kid in the 90s tried to cut a tree down, or slice a metal bar in half Fun to imagine the cause nonetheless. I would try to ask some militaria/WW2 collectors their thoughts on price Best of luck, Cheers, -Sam

I absolutely agree; and you said it better than I could/did! The interaction of science and art is complicated for me. I make beer for a living, in a very popular "beer making area". I've been running and operating breweries for my entire adult life now (not that long, but over a decade). I went to school for the science of beer making; and now my job is to turn that science into art. A perfect beer for me, is not a perfect beer for my neighbor / A perfect sword to me, is probably not a perfect sword to you. I actually regret turning my beer making hobby into a career; because it's hard separate the work from art. And sometimes, makes art into a chore. I wonder if any Nihonto venders have felt similar feelings? Anyway, I've got no point to make here other than agree with you. Here's a quote that I've always found relevant: "Sciences provide an understanding of a universal experience, Arts are a universal understanding of a personal experience... They are both a part of us and a manifestation of the same thing... The arts and sciences are avatars of human creativity" - Mae Jemison, Astronaut and engineer I am enjoying reading the replies here! Cheers, -Sam

Thanks for the photos! Personally, I think it’s traditionally made. It looks like a Nihonto to me Definitely not a gunto tsuba. I’m not comfortable speaking to the price, just because I’m a novice compared to most on here, but I’ll list out the pros and cons that I see Cons: mumei, unpapered, neglected condition, chipped hamachi to the point that it’s missing, fingerprints all over the blade, the red rust on tsuba and nakago (could be remedied), the lack of photos of the kissaki and it’s condition looks concerning to me Pros: some visible activity, interesting looking hamon, probably traditionally made, has koshirae, that unique green fabric Personally I’d save my money for a different sword in better condition. I’ve seen some go for similar prices lately. It might even be worth posting in the “wanted to buy” section and see what other forum members have for sale. Best of luck, cheers, -Sam

The only Gunto component that I can see, is the saya and leather cover; and maybe the Ito color? It looks more like a civilian sword, outfitted for WW2. Or even just a civilian sword that had a ww2 saya added later. A closer look at the fittings would determine whether or not my theory is correct.. The guard looks like it could be an iron tsuba. Never seen the green fabric before, but looks interesting! The hamachi looks like it has some chipping damage. I am not knowledgable enough to estimate it's possible age. Although, the red rust and condition of the Nakago leads me to believe it's not particularly old. May I ask what the asking price is? The more knowledgable here might be able to tell you if it's a good deal or not, Best of luck, -Sam

Unfortunately this looks like a Chinese fake to me

I have a prime example of what you’re describing. A technically wakizashi sized blade, in a katana size saya. It’s likely a muromachi blade, in type 98 fittings. It’s also been speculated that the saya may not be original to the blade (Not my photo, photo from the seller I got it from) Id get a better photo, but I’m at work right now.

I just got a set of these flashcards, and they are really well done. My only complaint (not really), is how incredibly thorough they are! It will be a daunting task to learn all these characters. ...About as daunting as all things Nihonto Highly recommended and I've already learned a lot! Cheers, -Sam

I noticed that too The original poster deleted the content of his post with the edit tool; and replaced the title with a “.” I think the mods deleted it for good after that. You’re not that daft yet! cheers, -Sam

Hi Vincent, To my novice eye, it looks authentic, and probably antique (although impossible for me to tell how old) Looks like a very crude and low quality shortening of a longer blade - probably to appeal to the tourist market. The nakago looks bad, and the spine/mune look pretty funky. Personally, I would avoid it unless it were being given away... And i've been known to buy swords in less than ideal condition/quality. Just my two cents, Best of luck, -Sam Edit: Brian beat me to it! And he's more knowledgeable than me Cheers!

@Alex A Interesting! Thank you for that! I'll have to investigate my sword a bit more, and maybe compare it to my Yamato koto blade in the sun - to maybe get a better idea of the steel color. Now i'm beginning to wonder if that blue hue is a reflection of the blue sky... Anyway, thank you again! Ya'll have given me a lot to look into! Just comparing the sword between Sue-Bizen and Mino has been informative and helpful Next I'll investigate the koshirae a bit. I'd like to freshen up my knowledge on WW2 sword fittings! Cheers, ya'll have been a big help as always -Sam

That’s true! I guess it technically is a wakizashi. It “feels” very much like a katana with all the type 98 mounts, but the blade measures just under 24 inches Do you think it’s ubu? I thought suriage because the hamon runs into the nakago patina. I know that’s not always the best identifier though Thanks for pointing that out! cheers, -Sam

Thank you both! I also suspect it to be older than Shinto - just because the patina and shape feel much different than my Shinto mino katana. But that’s just my very novice observation That last photos are 100% natural sunlight, so that blue hue is hopefully a representation of steel color. That’s so hard to capture, but it does appear to have a blueish look to it Thank you! -Sam