John C

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Hello: You could have it polished, however some of those chips are fairly deep. Honestly, with the price of a polish and the amount of damage on the blade, I would just hang it back on the wall and revel in the history of it. Maybe clean the handle with a soft brush. John C.

Very nice collection - all with the same purpose I believe. The first example in the pic would be a bokuto or chato, however given the context of the others I would guess bokuto. The second and third items are "clubs" in the form of a fan and extra heavy kiseru. At one point, the extra heavy kiseru were becoming prevalent as weapons so they were banned. Instead, folks would carry large and heavy yatate as a substitute. John C.

I like Dawson's because it is well rounded with examples of both high-end and pedestrian examples. I think Plimpton's collection was mostly high-end, though he does have some rare stuff. John C.

I tend to agree. I've seen many "crossover" pieces, especially the ornate ones, that could go either way. I suspect their intended purpose defines their label. In the case above, the signer actually used the term bokuto, however in most cases we can't be sure. Daruma magazine issue 7 has a short but informative article on them if you can find a copy. John C.

Wow, Hiro. Showing the hiragana and kanji next to their script form is really helpful. Thank you! John C.

Most literature refers to doctor's swords as bokuto. I suspect some may be chato, however. But the poem, once translated, may give us a better clue. What's interesting about this particular piece is what appears to be an African or Islander figure holding a scythe. Not very typical. John C. p.s. the name Doctor's Sword is actually somewhat of a myth. It's often said that they came about because doctors could not carry swords, however this is not true.

Is the maker Masanao? Bokuto are always on my wish list John C.

On that one I don't think so. Of the 40 or so yatate I have, only 10 or 15 have the slot for the kami-kiri. And of those, only 3 came with it - all in very rough shape. Pictured is one of my other ones that came with the kami-kiri. Note the finger slot that helps push it out. John C.

Another less-common yatate. This one stands out because it is made of wood (boxwood, I think, because of the tight grain) and is signed (Hirokazu). Signed pieces are not common with more "pedestrian" yatate like this one. And while wood was used, they too are less common later into the edo period. Brass and copper were just easier to use. I could not find a record of this artist on any of my lists, however the Greek Key carving is very intricate and well done. The ink bowl is copper and the hinge is some metal. The ojime is also cast metal (non-ferrous). Please excuse the white powder in the carving that someone used to highlight for sale. I haven't brushed it out yet. John C.

Ah. So Hiro and not Kan. Thank you, Uwe. Vielen dank, John C.

Hello: I'm not sure of the translation (To...something I think), however I have seen these marks on Arisaka rifles used in schools for drill and ceremony. Could be that. John C.

I believe this yatate is signed Kanwa (寛和), though I'm not sure of the context. Am I correct? Also, would that be a proper name, an era, or a factory? Thank you for helping, John C.

Just musing here...I've often wondered what percentage of a restoration/preservation project is acceptable before it becomes just a brand new item. I have no problem fixing parts or adding some repro parts to make something presentable, however I often see projects on cars or particularly vintage airplanes where almost every part is reproduced or repaired in some way. To me, this is just a new item using parts of an original item as a template. Not sure I have answered that question for myself. Just depends on the individual project, I guess, or possibly it's historical significance. John C.

Tough question to answer. As John mentioned, it's probably oil quenched, which means it's not a gendaito in the way we use the term. It is technically a gendaito, though using the literal translation "new sword." So it probably falls somewhere in between. To answer one of your questions directly, I don't think it would be worth the cost of a polish. I would leave it as is and maintain it as a piece of history. John C.

Thank you for the explanation. Makes sense. The rough part of getting old for me is the mind still thinks its 22 when I could run a sub-4 minute mile. A few steps to the mailbox reminds me I'm now on social security!! John C.

Firstly, I would be petrified I would miss and stick an arrow in one of the palm trees in the background. But actually I have a question. I recently read that the width of the stance has something to do with the length of the arrow. If this is correct, could you explain it? John C. p.s. I have a similar issue with neuropathy. I've been running for 50 years, dealing with the problem, and recently had to stop because of it.

Jo James: This last bit looks like part of the date. All that I can see is a day (auspicious) in the eighth month. I don't see the era or year listed above. John C.

Thanks, Sam. He must have just put it up because I checked yesterday! 5406 is new to the list. Interestingly, it's closest number, 5419, uses the same stamp. John C.

Unfortunately, the kogatana appears fake as well. It has the shape of a steak knife rather than a legit kogatana. In terms of recognizing a fake (or reproduction), like others have said it just takes time and study. An analogy would be studying BMWs for years, knowing their history, manufacturing plants, where their parts are sourced, body styles, series numbers, etc. Then a friend shows you a volkswagen and asks if it is a legit BMW. You can see in a second that it isn't. John C.

This may not be what you are looking for, however here is a nice article on their history that does list several of their artists. https://jacksonsantique.co.uk/insight-the-komai-company-Japan/? John C.

I was thinking pre-war (Taisho era) and converted to gunto. But agree not standard gunto and not very old. John C.

Sure. Next time i'm in a "deep valley" I'll swing by. Actually, the whole thing looks like a pretty straight forward restoration. I think the sticky parts are going to be repairing the hinges. I'll leave that up to a metal worker like yourself . John C.

If the distribution of type 95s as reenlistment gifts were a common practice, it at least gives us another explanation as to how swords were brought back other than as "war trophies." John C.

@Bruce Pennington Not sure if this article would be helpful as I don't know what the caption means by "souvenir." But if you have or can get a copy of this Dec 45 issue, there is a picture of "souvenir" swords being given to soldiers for reinlistment. Can you tell by the pic what kind of swords they are? John C.