Yumso

Here. I've once talked about this- to be short, 60cm ~ 60.5cm nagasa is somelike grayzone. Technically it would be wakizashi but what it was called and seen before is more important when it comes for labeling. Length classification that we use right now was artificially fixed in Edo period, so I think that's why those grayzones exist. Therefore I'd say that blade is a katana.

濃州住兼明作之 Noshu ju Kaneaki saku Kaneaki of Noshu made this.

They used it more like hitting rather than slashing or stabbing.

https://sword-auction.com/ja/product/25894/as24304-tanto-muramasanbthk-tokubetsu-hozon-token/ The price is right now 8,500,000 yen ladies and gentlemen. But look at that mei, it's soooo well preserved...

Lewis, Great activity I see in that sword! Those pictures are so awesome... I'll try more. John, Oh, a fellow Shinto starter! The smith is quite known isn't he? I remember Nobuyoshi mei having kiku stamp on top of it, although I'm not sure what generation is. Sam, Those shows are something I always only dream of... since I can't go. Please show us some pictures of your blade after polishing is over, if you don't mind. I think we all will be thrilled to see it! Jarrow, I think swords in a good polish are the best ones to start- like yours! Good to hear you've bought this blade at the good deal.

Jean, Sorry for my bad English. English isn't my first language so I think that made this whole confusion. I meant Torokusho & Hozon origami both say this is katana, and thats why I also call it a katana. It seems like NBTHK records the length as "二尺弱(bit shorter than 2-shaku)" for this kind of occasions. But yes, it is short and it might be less desirable for some potential buyers who want to buy a good katana. That would also have been one of the reasons why the price was quite low when I bought it. So, resale would be hard, but ironically my country kinda bans individuals selling their swords(we have to find an agent for this)... guess this one here is stuck with me forever.

This is very embarrassing, but I think I'll need to confess something- that bad photos were the most recognizable ones of total 500 shots. Trust me, I've tried under many conditions. Turns out that I just really don't have photograph talent. Still, will try to get better photos! And for the polish... I'm just oiling and preserving the blade what it is like for now. Getting new polish is quite hard here, we also have somekind of Torokusho which makes really hard to send blades out to polish and bring them back in. Though I'm also curious how it will look like after polishing. About the length, you're right about it being technically a wakizashi. But it was marked as katana in Torokusho. I also couldn't understand about this first so I've researched a bit- seems like blades that are 60cm ~ 60.5cm could either be a wakizashi or a katana. If the blade was called and seen as a katana before registration that makes it recorded as a katana(like picture below!). If it was seen as wakizashi, then that makes it recorded as a wakizashi. So this one actually has an Hozon origami as a katana, but is technically wakizashi size, which is quite funny and awkward at the same time.

Awesome tanto there! Tanto with horimono is actually something that I secretly desire... It just looks so good!

Nothing special, I just wanted to show everyone what my first nihonto was and talk about how your first nihonto purchase was like. My first nihonto was this 60.4cm Shinto katana by Fujiwara Tsunayuki, made in Genroku period(1688 ~ 1704). Sori is only 0.9cm, so it's quite shallow. I've bought it at about 1300$ in Yahoo Auction. That time I was really happy to buy a katana thinking that this was a bargain, but now I think the price wasn't that cheap compared to the state of the blade. As you can see it is not in a good shape - old polish, can't see boshi, so many flaws at kissaki, quite weird length for a katana, rust here and there. I'm not really sure about the tiredness; the boshi problem always ticks in my mind when I see it. At least I'm sure I won't buy blades that are in worse shape than this later. Still, it's my first nihonto! I know it's not the best blade you can get- or to be honest, even a good one- but I still want to show and talk about it with everyone. I've started to make some hobbies from it. Soon as I've got my blade, I've been searching about the smith. Searching was quite fun- one of his work had a lotus leaf horimono that really caught my eyes. Cleaning and oiling blade once a month have been my new relaxing time too! So, I think this was what my "first experience" was like. How was yours, and what nihonto did you buy?

國安 Kuniyasu

That shape seems like it was originally used as a katana(or wakizashi... or tanto...) but somehow later been used as a shinai tsuba? Though I've never seen an iron shinai tsuba...

I've seen some nihontos that have bubblely nakago just like that at Yahoo Auction but is it... I don't know, normal?

Kinbo Masazane(金房政真)? The link under calls the name like that, don't know why it isn't called Kanabo Masazane. https://www.nipponto...words11/KY338049.htm Mei does look similiar.

Gods, you're right Chandler. Why did Masafusa come out from my brain...

Hmm I think mei is written Echizen juu Masafusa(越前住宗次) though that mei seems choppy for me.

Suriage gimei wakizashi, I think.

応明弘需 正寿作之 応明弘需 -> 明弘(Akihiro probably) requested this tsuba 正寿作之 -> 正寿 made this tsuba I think this is Owaza Masatoshi(小沢正寿)'s work. His way of writting 寿 is like that. https://www.e-sword....tantou/2310-3035.htm https://www.Japanese-sword-katana.jp/未分類/1610-6001.htm

Two perspectives, I think. Some would think they are just the caretakers of this era, therefore their job is to preserve the blade in the best condition for later peoples. Others would think nihonto is an art but also a weapon, limiting its usage only as an art would be bit of waste. I personally have always thought nihonto as an art AND a weapon, well due to my historical reasons, so I do understand your point. If nihonto is only seen as an art shouldn't fancy shinto or shinshinto have much more value then how they are seen as then now? A weapon, that was made to harm people. An icon, that was made to show gratitude and promise for another. An art, that was made to study and appreciate its form. And a pride, that was made to show one swordsmith's lifetime earned skill. These are all shades of nihonto. If one is going to use it properly(not as a some kind of a joke) I'd say sure why not? The choice is yours. Just remember koto is likely to be weaker than nowaday's steel blades.

Nah, usually it's just a simple wooden tsuba. That's probably for decoration.

Wish I could go to Birmingham Arms Fair one day. They look so great!

$95? Maybe I would try. I don't think $95 is too expensive for about 2 months of joy that I would get from participating the auction and waiting for it. It's not like I won't spend my money at weird things even if I don't buy this one afterall.. But I do think hi near the habaki is too wide. Also, I would think the gamble as success if that is NOT a WW2 sword. Too short for it.

I think it's the cotton gin. You put the cotton ball inside, and it seperates the seed. Inside I believe they are doing the cleaning progress. Cotton ball itself isn't that soft and clean when you first pick from the plant. Maybe you could search something like "traditional cotton yarn making" at Youtube.

https://iidakoendo.com/3140/ https://wakeidou.com/pages/624/ Found 2 sites, think the first one gives better info about the swordsmith himself.

Type : 刀 -> Katana Length : 六四.三cm -> 64.3cm Sori : 一.六cm -> 1.6cm Mekugi-ana : 弍 -> 2 Mei : 無名 -> Mumei There's something written under Mumei but I can't really read it.. Omote zaya?

I believe it's just plainly written "We certificate this tanto, attributed to <Kanemasu(兼倍)>." No gimei mentioned. Don't know why the seller listed that blade as Kanenobu(兼信)'s work though.