mbrown62

Hello All, Joined the forum a few weeks back and neglected to post here, apologies. I have always been fascinated with Japanese culture and history, a month or so back I well and truly fell down the Nihonto rabbit hole when a friend asked me if I could tell them anything about an old Wakizashi they had. This was my first chance to really examine a Nihonto outside of a glass case in a museum. I jumped at it!! After weeks of web searches (which lead me to this fine forum) and books I now know without question just how little I know, and this is GREAT! The little gemei wakizashi that started it all is very likely, as I had suspected, a relatively young (late-Edo) low quality but genuine nihonto. I may attempt to acquire it (within reason) as I have strangely developed a sentimental attachment to it and to commemorate this next phase of my fascination. Thanks for the help already provided by forum members! I look forward to the journey.

Thanks, that is what I thought.

Thank you both! This confirms where I figured this was going. I knew the blade was middle quality at best, but age was a real challenge. The gentleman is a friend of a friend and is selling/auctioning off a number of items from his military collection including this wakizashi. I am trying to set reasonable expectations. Is there any potential value in this item? Thanks for any assistance!

I was shown a wakizashi that a antique collector had picked up some time ago. He did not know much about it but he was told it was from the mid-1600's by a swordsmith named Matsumora. I am interested in Japanese swords so I have been doing a little digging on it and could really use some expert assistance. Basic info: Nagasa=38.3cm, Sori=0.62cm, Moto Haba=2.96cm, Saki Haba=2.18cm mounted in a plain wooden resting scabbard. On the shorter side for a wakizashi, maybe a ko-wakisashi. Blade shape is Hira Zukari with a low peaked Ihori-mune. With a 26% taper and 2% curvature. The nakago shape looks like funagata with a iri-yamagate jiri and visible file marks (sujikai style, I think). It has a mei, but just a 2 character one (no other stamps or symbols on either side). Looking at the Kanji, I am pretty certain it does not translate to "Matsumora". The first character seems likely to be "Mura". The second could be "shiro" or "nichi", or possibly a blocky version of "masa". I highly doubt this could be that "Muramasa" (the mei does not match known copies), maybe a forgery??? The blade is a light grey, with a masame hada, there appears to be a hamon, but, the blade has an overall hazy finish and needs a good polish (but I don't think it has been un-professionally done) so bit hard to see. There are some flaws: ware and some surface pits and light rust stains. My thinking is that it is real and could be mid-late 1600's but probably an "every day working sword" such as a merchant or craftsman might carry. That said, I could be totally wrong...!! I can provide additional info and/or higher res. or different pictures (trying to keep under the posting limits) if helpful. I am definitely an amateur nihonto enthusiast, so, any assistance is greatly appreciated.