Help identify this sword please.

[DubbDiesel]

I have inherited this sword which had previously belonged to my grandfather. My grandfather fought in Iwo Jima and it is believed the sword came from there however my grandfather never spoke of how he had obtained it. I did remove the handle and I cannot see any type of markings on the tang. Any information to point me in the right direction would be much appreciated. I can take more photos of anything specific if need be.

 

I apologize ahead of time because I am very new to this and know next to nothing about swords. I have been doing a lot of reading since I have inherited this sword however I realize that I have a lot to learn. I have no intention on selling this item at this time because it has become a family heirloom that has been passed down from my grandfather to my father and now to me. I would like to know if it is worth anything for insurance purposes and more importantly I would like to know some history of the sword if at all possible.

 

Thanks for any help in advance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jeremy]

Im guessing mumei (unsigned) shinshinto period sword (1800's) . The experts here may need more info like thickness and length and width of the blade.

 

Kind regards,

 

Jeremy

[John A Stuart]

Please sign your posts with a given name so you may be addressed personally as per SOP. John

[almeister]

Hi ,

The habaki/collar appears to be rusted on ???

If so , oil it well & gently work it to try & remove it in case there's active corrosion under it , on the mei side of the lower pics of the nakago there appears to be some markings/strokes coming out from under the habaki/don't look like file marks/maybe corrosion ??

Don't touch the blade with bare hands/fingers & keep it well oiled - sewing machine oil works well

Cheers , AlanK

[DubbDiesel]

I apologize, my name is John, thanks for the advice and input thus far.

 

Thanks,

 

John

[DubbDiesel]

To be honest about the habaki, I'm not sure if it is rusted on or not, I did not try and take it off as I was not sure that it came off when I took it apart. When I get a chance I will take some measurements of the blade and see if the habaki will come off. Again I apologize this is all new to me and I'm doing my best as this will be a serious learning curve.

 

Thanks,

 

John

[DubbDiesel]

I got the habaki off and this marking is on it, not sure if that means anything or not. Also the overall length of the blade is 37 3/4 inches.

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

John

[almeister]

Hmm .. That's something different ??

With a well oiled rag , wipe the rust stains away from the blade towards the nakago - so you don't scathe/scratch the main area of the blade . Post pic of the other side & a close up of the (emblem/mark??) The shape of the nakago seems a little peculiar/could be the pic , could it have had some work /ground down done to it - is the mune upper edge under habaki straight or does it appear to be stepped ???

Interesting .

Cheers , AlanK

[runagmc]

This sword has several large openings that appear to be from loose welds which would effect it's value and collectability. It's possible that these could be improved by a professional polisher...

 

Maybe the best thing would be to keep it clean and lightly oiled, but otherwise leave it as is...

 

The fuchi and kashira appear to be decent shakudo nanako... I can't really tell much about the other fittings...

 

Just from taking a quick look through the pics, I would guess the package might be worth around $500-$1000 in current condition, in my opinion...

[Grey Doffin]

The openings are too large to be helped. The sword will never be worth what a proper polish would cost so best to leave it as is.

Grey