Hello. Opinions on this Gendaito.

[usfpaul82]

Hello all. My name is Paul Rothlisberger and I live in Florida, USA. I am fairly new to the Nihonto world and am currently working on making my first purchase. I have researched what seems to be endless online reading and read numerous threads on this great forum. I would like some opinions on this sword that I am currently working out a deal on.

 

According to the seller, he believes it to be Gendaito but he is not 100% sure. He has been using it for martia arts studies for the last 5 years and was purchased from one of his instructors. The mei is just two characters and appears to read Kanemichi. From all the research I have been doing on the sword, it does appear to be made by Kojima Kanemichi in the eary 1900's, possibly one of his early works. There are no other markings on the nakago. The seller describes the hamon as straight and very subtle. The tsuba also seems pretty old with a signature, but I do not know the translations.

 

Here are the pictures taken by the seller. The ones of the blade are not great as you cannot really see the hamon. So what are some overall opinions and observations on this sword? A good candidate for a first nihonto?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you,

Paul Rothlisberger

[pcfarrar]

It needs a polish badly, unless its very cheap your better off looking elsewhere.

[runagmc]

Paul, you won't be able to enjoy studying the characteristics of a sword that's out of polish, and the process of getting a sword polished is expensive and difficult for someone inexperienced.

 

My opinion, for what it's worth, would be to find something in good polish. The polish doesn't have to be brand new or pristine, but good enough to study the sword and enjoy the beauty of the craftsmanship.

[Brian]

The only hints at Showato/Gendaito are 2 marks that appear to be carbon pits, and what looks like a proper polish done many, many years ago before the hamon was obscured. By themselves, these indicate a possibility of it being a Gendaito, but that isn't much to go on at all. You would need to examine it under correct light and see if you can see nie, hada and/or hataraki.

The advice given by others is good. Perhaps if it will cost you a few hundred $'s....but that is still a risk. For Iai...maybe.

 

Brian

[usfpaul82]

I thank you all for the responses. Not something I was hoping to hear but good to know. So the general consensus is that this sword in it's current condition is only worth a few hundred dollars? The price I am negotiating is substantially higher, but alot lower than most fully mounted gendaito I have seen out there for sale. Unfortunately my budget for my first nihonto is not very high, roughly a max a $1,600. Because of this, it has been hard for me to find a katana to purchase. I was hoping this one might fit the bill.

[DirkO]

Hi Paul,

 

Maybe one of these? (some are wakizashi) - maybe you can haggle it down to your budget?

 

http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/katana/11507.html

http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/wakizashi/12168.html

http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/wakizashi/12310.html

[usfpaul82]

out of curiosity, what is a ballpark figure on what an experienced polisher will charge for a new polish?

 

-Paul

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Paul,

If you find a fully mounted katana for $1,600, unless the seller is silly, it won't be much to get excited about. That price for a katana in shira saya is possible but, again, the quality probably won't be much. A good katana in shira saya, one you'll be happy to own and can learn from, should cost at the very least $2,000 and likely a good bit more. Mounts boost the bill.

A fully mounted wakizashi, happy with and learn from, might be doable on your budget. A wakizashi in shira saya: definitely for $1,600.

You can wait till you have more money to spend, or you can spend the money now on books, become an authority, and buy swords a dime on the dollar whenever you like. Just joking about that last, but might not be a bad idea.

Figure $100 an inch of cutting edge for polish, plus a few hundred for new shira saya and habaki if necessary.

Best, Grey

[usfpaul82]

Yeah, I have realized that my budget will not really allow me much room to find something. I am in no hurry so I will just have to keep looking. Thanks again for the responses.

[cisco-san]

But anyway, Kanemichi is a well know smith

[usfpaul82]

Yeah, I also found that information with my initial research. I think the main question I have is if this is a real traditionally made blade, not machined or oil quenched.

[paulb]

Hi Paul

as discussed in email I think the problem is in this condition. you cant tell much. based on Slough's book this smith made both Showato and Gendaito. Unless you can see any detail in it is pure speculation as to which this might be.

If it is a Showato it might be valued at 100's of dollars as a low-ish grade war made Gendaito in polish it would be worth more, but the cost of the polish would be more than the price of the blade.

I think Grey's advice is very sound (although waiting is never easy) but to learn something from a sword you must be able to see some of the detail.

Good Luck

Best Regards

Paul

[cabowen]

The fact that it is in iai mounts and sports a simple two character mei would make the odds that it is a showa-to fairly high.