Tohagi

Realy, realy beautyfull ! I love it !

That's the issue with fukure, when you have bubble early in the folding process, it's spread anywhere when foldind... it's like folding to make bread... I have a sword with the same flaw at the same place... a pity. Best Eric

Very helpfull thank you very much !

Apparently the linck is not avoiable for Europe, I'll try with vpn later. The work on the waki of the video is very close. Unfortunably the nakago is not shown. What was the meï ? 越前住人兼則 ? Thank you for your help! Very appreciated ! Best, Eric

...only one I found is 越前国住人兼則 but it is Echizen kuni junin Kanenori... Maybe a gimeï cut down to look Soshin after all.

Thank you for your answer, I was feeling lonely... I found no example Echizen junin... on index or web. Maybe the nin kanji is another kanji being cut ?...

BTW tsuba is a decent Kagamishi tsuba... (miror makers).

@Rivkin, I feel it ko mihara too, on this picture you can close up the kissaki, I guess a long waterfall kaeri...

If it is usefull, I can provide more pictures... By the way, what is the point of cutting down such a waki on the middle of the mei ? It was allready quite short ...

Suguha hamon, shows a little of good hada (despite out of polish and spider rust)

Hello gentlemen (and Lady), I have a cold case for our nihonto detective's community: In 2012 I won an auction at Tajan's, a nice little waki out of polish. I let it as it for 13 years... Saturday, my nephew and godson is getting graduated as officer at St Cyr Coetquidan (kind of french Westpoint). I wish to give him this waki as a gift. There is part of a suriage mei: Echizen junin... I was told by a relative at the time that somewhere betwen "not so many" and "few" smithes of Echizen used junin... Here is the case

Very nice tanto !

Yes, authentic but not top grade and in poor condition... Is it for a training sword? Best, Eric

Very impressive ! I'd used an old halogene spot in a black box to have a "out from shadow" effect, but it only gives close up's details... Best, Eric

Same advise: no samegawa (kind of plastic fabric), new synthetic ito, cast tosogu, the tsukamaki shows a light "carton box" shape near the edge you find on non-Japanese work... Best, Eric

IMO, the polishing quality (and the money it cost) gives a strong clue!

Hello Jeff, Really appreciate your state of mind. If gentle soapy bubbles didn't work you could try "dry cleaning" using Essence F. Thid solvent will solve the fat and must of the stain. It is used in professionnal silk cleaning. As before, no soaking or rubbing, just stamping with a clean piece of cotton cloth... Best, Eric

Hello Kevin, Really beautifull swords. Fantastic shape and hada! Pictures seems to stronger my feeling that the original maki was at the level of first mekugi ana (just under). You can see a polishing bolt, a change of patina and the place were antique habaki could be. The place of the meï could be an issue and you can't exclude it been suriage twice... I don't know why, but it feels Oeï to me. Just an intuition, nothing to put into the balance. Best, Eric

Very nice koto shape and nakago matching, 3 mekugi ana which looks legit, nice bohi, very good kaigunto mounts with silver high grade habaki... Interesting both nihonto and militaria collectors. Well...the price could rise up more. Best, Eric

Lovely sword ! Kongobeï is quite rare with long meï. Hope to see close picture of the hada... Best, Eric

Hello, If the sword is TH Kongobeï Moritaka saku, you should have the generation on the paper ? This will give you a time scale. My feeling is that it is 3 fingers maki okuri (originaly 4 fingers over the 2nd makugi ana). You can see a deep change in patina color betwen the two mekugi ana. Best, Eric

Sorry, impossible to see of there is utsuri in the actual polish of that blade... Best, Eric

Hello, Please avoid steam on mountings. Japanese craftmen use rice glue that is very sensitive to steam. Best regards, Eric