Rai School wakizashi possibly?

[CurtisR]

I apologize for the poor quality pics but hope they give enough detail...I found two possibilities based on the hamon - Rai School or Ayanokoji School, but the Nagako seems to either have been shortened, or the smith tried to copy the hamon style. The fittings are very nice, but I'm guessing Meiji period?

 

I had to look closely to be sure it wasn't 'machined hamon' and it doesn't appear to be. Any thoughts are appreciated - it's an odd one .

[John A Stuart]

Minoto, sueKoto, early Shinto. John

[Mark]

the pictures of the hamon give the impression that it runs off the ha, maybe it is just the pictures but check that closely. I agree with John

[Jamie]

Looks tired, hamon is really close to the edge in multiple places and looks like it might run off in kissaki

[Jiro49]

It kinda looks like the hamon runs off in the valleys(tani) staff to the right of the zipper?

 

It could be the pic?

[Jean]

Curtis,

 

We are going to make this topic a bit educationnal

 

Have you ever seen a Rai school blade/hamon? If yes, please, explain in what sense, for your eyes, this totally out of polish blade can fit Rai Den? Same for Ayanokoji.

 

BTW, it is Nakago and not Nagako

the Nagako seems to either have been shortened, or the smith tried to copy the hamon style

 

Can you explain this sentence?

[raaay]

Hi Curtis

 

At a very quick glance the hamon looks like to "me" sanbon sugu - poss, Mino Den ! Kanemoto - i'sh

 

but what do i know.

ray

[kusunokimasahige]

I am very interested what makes John think it is Mino-to, Sue koto and Shinto.

 

The shape itself ? Since I cannot tell anything for sure looking at the Hamon.

 

KM

[Brian]

Really? The hamon is the biggest giveaway...pointing straight to Mino. If it was a Showa sword, it would be Seki. This kinda "sanbonsugi" hamon is the easiest kantei there is...pointing to at least a school if not a smith.

 

Brian

[kusunokimasahige]

Thank you Brian. To your trained eye it might be the easiest kantei, but to me the hamon looks strange, probably because the sword is out of polish. I will check Nagayama later today.

 

KM

[Jean]

Ray and H-J,

 

For the moment please if you want some info on John's kantei, just PM him. We are waiting for Curtis Kantei and the why of the Akanoji or Rai school

 

Ray, it is not sanbonsugi, it looks like but it is very irregular

 

H-J, because it is a typical Mino hamon, you must absolutelly look at blades if only on websites, just to digest the schools' hamon, this one is typical often used in the 16th century. Now these kind of shortened uchigatana are coming from at 90% from end of Muromachi and beginning of Shinto, I let you guess why.

[Brian]

Sorry Jean, but I propose that this is indeed sanbon-sugi....fairly textbook. Although ideally it should be perfect and even, you can see the peaks and then 2 smaller ones, and then a high peak....sanbon sugi doesn't have to be exact and regular, but still give that impression. It's not gunome..not midare as such...I think sanbonsugi comes as close as anything in describing it

But of course these things are open to individual interpretation and there are no 100% rules. I am happy to be corrected if necessary.

 

Brian

[nagamaki - Franco]

Sorry Jean, but I propose that this is indeed sanbon-sugi....fairly textbook.

 

Below is classic sanbonsugi.

 

[Jean]

Hi Brian,

 

When I say, it is not sanbonsugi, I mean by this that it is not regular (from the picture Hamon 1), I'll say it is a mix of sanbonsugi and gunome. In fact, sanbonsugi is a kind of gunome :D. Kind of successive togaris

 

BTW, sanbonsugi does not belong only to Kanemoto lineage, a lot of smiths in sue Muromachi have used it (Kanehisa...)