Mark Green

Is that a crack 'Hagire' in the last pic??? Mark G

Very fancy fake at that!!! Sorry dude, don't pay real money for this one. Does the seller claim that this is 'real' Nihonto? If so, please post his name and ebay name. Ask if you can pay fake money for it Mark G

What do you guys think? I think the one small spot may be core steel, as it is very close to the mune.

Zuiho, Do you still have the gimei tadayoshi? Could you send me some pics of the mie? Thanks, Mark G

Yes The sword is a wakizashi, and yes I have never seen one not signed as mine. I still remain very mixed on the mie. The sword is near being tired, as I now have cleaned it up a bit, I have found what I believe are a few well done umegane in the shinogi ji. I will post some pics if I can get some. Or, it could be core steel starting to show out. Not absolutly sure at this point. Looks more like umegane to me. very well done at that. This just makes me think that the mie may be good. Umegane is a very expensive, and tough thing to do. Not something done on just any old wakizashi. But a real Tadayoshi, maybe. Still, "read this all you new guys". The sword seems about 50/50-60/40, to be a 'real' Tadayoshi 1. It is a very fine looking sword that matches up well with the smith, but may be getting to it's very last polish. Some of the chips and slight pitting may need to be a perminent part of this sword due to it's condition [ making it less valuable) The sword has umegane, or core steel showing on one Shinogi ji ( less value] The cost of sending it to Japan for polish, habaki, shirasaya, papers, shipping, and fees, likely $3500+ Now, assuming I was ably to aquire this sword for say less than $1000, that woul mean I would have $4500+ into this sword when I got it back from Japan. If It came back with good papers to Tadayoshi 1, and say the polish went well, and all was good, than I may have a sword worth what? Say 8-10000$ maybe. But, say it came back with big gimei pink, and more core steel showing through, than I may have a sword worth what? 1000$ That is the big delema with a sword like this. If it is a good mei, yeh, a gem. If the opionion on the papers turns out wrong, or not good. Still a nice sword, but paying 4-5000$ for a sword with a big name gimei is a big ouch. So, we shall see what all my peeps have to say before any sending on will be done. 70/30 would be better. Mark G

Well, Roger feels like I do. Tadayoshi 1 or one great Gemei. Could be down to it's last polish though. It only has to take one more. I guess it will need to be looked at in Japan. Anyone going over to take some swords to Shinsa? Who do you guys trust the most? Who has the best pakage deal? Polish, saya, papers. Thanks for the help sword bro's Mark

Hi Mike, Great looking wall rack! Mark G

Ive looked at about a hundred oshi. of Tadayoshi 1. I'm with you, it's a hard one to call. About as close as it gets without a 'sure bet' though. And on a sword that matches up about as well. It does have a tight Itame/kunika hada, and that great chu sugaha with a fat nie line, and even komaru boshi with a nice turnback. It has been polished a good bit. Not yet tired though, as the hizen thin skin can make a sword tired fast. I sent Roger some pics. he wants some tripod, hi res. I'll send them off tomorrow. That's a good sign though. he didn't say Gemei. I think it would be hard for anyone to say that from what I have seen over the past few days. Some friends in Japan think it is worth sending on as well. I have a nice Yoshitsugu going through polish right now. It is a great looking wak, very much like this one. With a suguha that looks like it was made with a ruler. And the hamon was bright white through the worst rust and grime I have seen on a sword in years. I may have to start a Hizen collection. Very close to Bungo :D

I was thinking a bit later as well. The sword looks more mid-late 1600's to me. Maybe 1700's. I have sent him the info. Thanks, Mark

That graf. is just way too cool. NICE

Oh yes indeed!

try this one

another pic

Thanks Darcy, It could be I guess. I will send you some full length pics by email. It is a very powerful looking wak, in that shiny pre-war polish. With a good bit of grime, and a few rust spots, and nailbiter chips. Nothing bad. Very bright, wavy chu-Suguha. Standard Ko-maru boshi, can't tell about the turnback. Very fine, looks like kiri, Yasurime. Or maybe slightly Katta-agari? Could be a keeper. Mark G

A friend of mine pulled this out of the attic. Nice 20.5 in wak. Shinto for sure. Can't see the hada. I know what I think, what do you guys think of the signiture? Thanks, Mark G

If the sword was in WW2, it could be the results of a quick 'broken tip', fix. Or just a bad polish. I talked to an old Japanese marine, who said you were lucky to have 2-3 stones in the field. If the CO's sword snapped a tip out in the boonies, it likely got fixed in a hurry, with whatever they had. Or just a bad tip fix period. That is not an easy task. Most, if not all, the steel to be polished away it hardened. It destroys polishing stones. That is why a broken tip will normaly add 2-300$$$ to the cost of a polish. Mark G

Oh, Sorry dude. My bad. I wouldn't worry about the patina much. Just let it age out. It is a good looking sword. Would likely make a great cutter for someone. I know tanic acid works well on repitina jobs. I had one guy tell me that he just used very strong tea. Painted the Nakago with it every day for a month, rubbing it down every 3-4 days. This did a very fair job of turning the steel very dark, with a natural look. The powdered tanic acid works the same way. You get the nice dark color, but you can't get the 'Rust'. That just takes a few hundred years, unless you do some big cheating. I have seen many swords that are less than 200yrs old, with tangs that looks koto as heck. Big cheating going on there. That had to be some form of salt water bath, or strong acid, or something like that. Or maybe just a long stay in the south pacific, or Washington St. Mark G

And your reason for sandblasting the Nakago was??????? I know a bunch of people cringed at thet sight mate. Please don't do that on any old swords. Mark G :?

You cannot over pack a sword. I like to use strips of hardwood if no saya is available. bags of foam and tape. There seems to be enough boshi to fix the tip "again". This will need to be the last time, and I'M not sure the shape of the fukure will be the same. But, it does look fixable. Polishing this is the 'ONLY' way this can be fixed. Sure a heck, no heat is involved. That would destroy the temper of the boshi that is there, and would ruin the sword. I have seen much worst fixed. Not a bad little sword. If it papered at last fall's shinsa it must be a gem. You guys work it out. It was likely dropped by the shippers. Give them hell first. go all the way to the top. Regestered letters. Mark G

Old and used maybe, but I doubt that there has been any acid used on it. Louis has gotten very good at that hadori work. Not an easy thing to learn. What on earth makes you think "acid"???? Mark G

OH, I'm sorry, I couldn't see the sugniture. I missed that in the text, my bad. That's what I get for looking at 1am. Still a great looking sword though. Mark G

Sweet!!! Great Hadori job. Been mounted a few times eh! Good old workhorse. Mark G

Great Looking Sword Bill! It was common for Shinshinto smiths to "copy" the styles of koto blades. Your guy did a wonderful job at that. I do suspect that a patina job may have been done on the Nakago. jmho, Did I miss the dementions? Please post the size of this gem, for the true sword geeks to ponder. It's great that it doesn't have some gemei signiture on it. It would seem to have been a good cantidate for such a thing. Or maybe it did, and that is why there is a patina on it. Are there any good pics of the mei side? Mark G

looks Mino to me! Mark G

What a cookie screw-up by the faker. I have seen a few other silly mistakes before, but you would think someone would at least do a bit of research before making a gemei-goob like this. Mark G