John C

A postcard I have from early 1900s (1904, I think) showing the Ainu. There is also a new Museum featuring the Ainu on Hokkaido. https://ainu-upopoy.jp/en/ John C.

An: You are correct. The "skin" should look like this; small and uniform. John C.

It's difficult to tell zoomed in, but could that possibly be a bullet strike? Did the polisher say anything about it? John C.

Thanks, Matt. I'm tracking the painted number scheme to see if I can identify any patterns (e.g., which smith/forge used which color paint or number series, etc.). Personally (I know I am in the minority here), I think there is something to be gained by figuring out the exact numbering system. I may be able to use the information as an additional verification tool. John C.

Ed: I agree with Ray. These dark areas could indicate oil quenching. John C.

Just an interesting note...I too bought a Kanehide gendaito from Matt with the same green and blue painting scheme. "A" series with both the katakana and western A but different numbers. John C

No translation here, just wondering if the writing is new? It looks like it was done on top of the staining. John C.

No doubt cut. Just thinking the reason for the cuts may have been due to deterioration as opposed to some other symbolism. John C.

Here is a pic of the one that came with my type 98. It had been stored around too much heat and moisture and was literally crumbling. The pic was from when I was trying to restore it and stabilize it. As you can see, it was the blue threads there were crumbling and falling off, however the brown threads were breaking as well. John C.

Auctioneer's estimate is 50-80 GBP? What am I missing. Does the auction house think they are repro's? John C.

The condition of the blade was throwing me off a bit, but it has the pierced tsuba and string sarute so I was thinking maybe an early one. John C.

Saw this on shopgoodwill. Is this a type 94 or 98? The blade looks off a little but can't place it. Could it be an older blade? No picture of the nakago and at 1,100 dollars already I'm not interested. Just curious about the type. https://shopgoodwill.com/item/172000143 John C.

No swords...but waiting to be refueled (circa 1990). John C.

I think it is a full sized sword (36 inches at the waist even if you are short). Unrelatedly, the different shades on the tassel would indicate a blue and brown one I think. So lieutenant or captain? John C.

Dan: Thank you for the link. Got mine on order. John C.

The tassels on my 98 were in really rough shape when I got it (from poor storage). They were literally crumbling off. I managed to preserve some of it but I can see where someone may cut them off due to damage. John C.

Agree! Wasn't planning on buying it, just curious about gendaito signatures. John C.

True. But seller notwithstanding, I was wondering about whether or not all new blades had to be signed. John C.

Hello: This sword is being auctioned as a mumei gendaito. But I was under the impression all new swords being made in Japan had to be signed. Am I misunderstanding this? If they do have to be signed, under what circumstances could this be taken out of Japan and be sold in the US? Just curious, so thank you for taking a look. https://www.ebay.com...6:g:nsMAAOSwNYdkpwYp John C. p.s. the Damascus pattern looks reminiscent of something from China, however I know nothing of the modern Japanese blade making process.

Are you talking about the squarish piece (habaki) or the oblong spacer (seppa)? If it is the habaki, set the tang (nakago) on the carpet or other soft surface and have someone carefully hold the blade end vertically (use a thick cloth - it just needs to be held in place). Then take a piece of wood with square edges (for example a cut chopstick with flat ends) and place it just on the edge of the top of the habaki where it butts up next to the blade. GENTLY tap on the wood, alternating each side until the habaki starts to slide off toward the nakago end. You should be able to then pull it off with your hands. I use a 3/4 inch square dowel and another piece of thin wood to do light taps. John C.

Could the second kanji be tama? John C.

Is the one picture dated October 10th, Showa 29 (1954)? John C.

I'm still collecting data on that. Not sure what it means exactly, however "assembly number" doesn't seem to tell the whole story. Most folks aren't interested in the mystery, however, so when I get enough data to figure it out I'll give it a shot. In the meantime, I have identified some patterns in the use of colors with certain smiths/shops and the use of western vs Japanese numbers. John C.

I would agree with Bruce. But I would also add that if people are willing to buy them, assuming they know what they are buying, they do have some intrinsic value. I suppose that is true of anything; value is set by the invisible hand of the market (Adam Smith, "Wealth of Nations"). John C.

The YA 677 serial number matches the year (1942). I think you did well. John C.