Your opinions, please!

[hxv]

Hi,

 

I have been offered a trade with a seven-day inspection period. I would like to get your highly regarded opinions, please! I'm undecided on whether this is a good trade for me.

 

To my dismay, I was told that the previous owner did his own polishing. So, I apologize for the condition of the sword. Because of the amateur polish, I can't tell what the hada is. It's all obscured. By the same token, I can't see any hataraki in the hamon other than saka ashi. Other features may or may not be there - just can't tell. I do have the blade in hand, so if you need more pictures, please let me know. To start the discussion, I'm leaning toward Shinto, Ishido school.

 

Osuriage

2 mekugi ana

Yasurime: kiri

Nagasa: 64 cm

Nakago: 15.3 cm

Motohaba:3 cm

Sakihaba: 2 cm

Motokasane: 6.3 mm

 

Abundant ko nie.

Hamon: saka choji.

Saki ashi

Boshi: Ko maru

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[hxv]

More pictures

 

Regards,

Hoanh

 

[cabowen]

Hard to say if it is a good trade without knowing what you are giving in return....

[hxv]

Dear Chris,

 

The daito comes with shirasaya, and the total trade value is about $3k. Your opinion about the sword and school, please?

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Bruno]

Ha machi looks weak, it seems the blade is tired and there seems to be a big kizu on photo 4.

 

My very 2 cents! :D

[hxv]

Very sharp eyes, Bruno. School, period?

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Bruno]

School, period?

 

Ko-to maybe It'd be better Chris answers.

[cabowen]

I don't think it is all that old. The blade clearly was heavily corroded before it was "polished". Now, because of the corrosion and amateur attempts to repair, it is very difficult to say much from the photos. There are spots on the nakago that have not suffered from the heavy rusting and they look fairly fresh. The hada seems very tight and there is little activity within the hamon. I would lean towards shinshinto but wouldn't be surprised if it was a gendai a la Hokke Saburo Nobufusa.

[J Reid]

I wouldn't value this blade near 3k. I would say if you had a sword (3k value) you were willing to trade, I would ask for this and $1000 minimum ( based on condition and your doubts) I would say late shinto- early shinshinto. Maybe even a nobufusa as chris is proposing! I don't think gendai though unless it made and designed to deceive.. earlier generation? They do have similar features.. I don't know..

[hxv]

Chris & Josh,

 

If it's in fact shinshinto or gendaito, mumei with an altered nakago, ... definitely the kiss of death. I'll call the other party tomorrow and arrange to send the sword back. Thanks a bunch, guys.

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Gunome]

Hello,

 

From what I can see : looks like ko itame or ko mokume with shinogi ji en masame.

I don't think this could be shinto ishido school with such ara nie in the habuchi. Ishido blades are in nioi deki.

[hxv]

Sebastien,

 

There is no ara nie that I can see. I can see lots of ko nie, though. The macro pictures are made under high magnification.

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Gunome]

you must be right, the close up in my screen appeared big and I make the confusion

[cabowen]

Ishido school usually has a fairly constant width to the hamon with a more consistent shaped choji....though there are probably exceptions, like everything else.

[zatoichi]

Has the nakago been filed at a later date? the two areas with less rust seem to have file marks that do not go in the same direction

Justin E

[hxv]

Justin and Chris,

 

The nakago is not in good shape at all and it doesn't help in dating the sword. There must have been a lot of pitting and the previous owner did his amateur "restoration" job, sigh... If (and this is a big if) the sword is Shinto, I would think Fukuoka Ishido would be a good bet. Here is what Nagayama-san said about the Fukuoka Ishido School:

 

"Hamon: Choji midare which somewhat resembles that of the Ichimonji school, but which then becomes saka choji mixed with an unusual midare shaped like a squid's head. The width of the hamon is not regular. In the narrow area, the hamon becomes ko-choji midare with ashi, and in wider areas some yakigashira of the choji midare reach the shinogi. There are hataraki such as ashi and yo. The main difference between the Fukuoka Ishido and the Ichimonji schools are that the choji midare of the Fukuoka Ishido school is not in pure nioi deki, but tends to consist of nioi and ko-nie, the yakigashira is hard, the hamon is mixed with togari-ba, and masame hada is noticeable in the ji."

 

It doesn't sound too far off from what I see in this sword, except for the missing utsuri, which should be there if this sword were from the Fukuoka Ishido school.

 

Thanks to you guys, I pretty much concluded that even under the best circumstances (that the sword were Fukuoka Ishido), it's not worth the $3k trade in its present state: mumei, altered nakago with lots of pitting, in need of a professional polish.

 

Once again, thank you very much gentlemen. I appreciate your time, your honest assessment, and your vast knowledge as always. I'm sending it back.

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

IMHO this hamon resembles more at Naokatsu's (that doesn't mean it is a Naokatsu's work).