Old wakizashi...? My first mei translation

[Zoom Rabbit]

With the maker unknown, my goal is to determine at least what century it was made. Kanemitsu was working in the 1300's; if this is a Bizento from that time period, I would be happy with that. Any opinions on age or school of make?

 

What is needed is more pics. Of the blade.

 

A shot in daylight which shows off the one good spot of gunome shining through.

 

The edge under fluorescent light.

 

The kissaki. The yokote can be teased out on both sides, but doesn't hold still well for the camera. The bo-hi goes all the way to the (gi)mei on the tang.

 

Another view of the edge. The hamon is visible, but a polish is needed to bring out any detail.

 

The mune. The suspected 'parry marks' are visible.

 

I would like to get the sword sharpened and polished. One can see a few nicks in the edge, and the point is actually missing, which need attention. I'll have to save up for a while first, because the bill for all that would be large...

 

Overall blade length is 20 inches, 23 to the end of the tang.

[Jean]

Jim,

 

Except for very very rare exceptions there were no wakizashi in Nambokucho. Probably sue Bizen.

[Marius]

No shinogi zukuri wakizashi, to be precise

[Zoom Rabbit]

Got it. I've learned a lot about my sword over the course of this thread, and I thank you guys.

 

My sword was forged (probably) in the village of Ofasune, sometime during the 1400's. If I could go back in time, I would find the village itself quite busy with the production of sword making...like a Solingen, Germany or Toledo, Spain. My sword was made by a smith whose name was later removed when an unscrupulous owner chiseled over it to make it appear that Kanemitsu, one of Masamune's ten disciples, had made the sword a century earlier.

 

The sword was used, fought with...bled upon. And then it was retired to shira-saya, where it stayed until the 20th century when occupying American forces confiscated it, and it was brought to my country. It was pulled out often over the course of several decades, not cared for and allowed to rust...then finally wound up in the pawn shop where I found it.

 

I returned the sword to mounted condition and have been privileged to care for it these last few years. Although it still bears a lot of rust, much more has been removed with uichiko and 'elbow grease.' I keep it oiled, and seek to find better koshirae for it some day. I would like to get it repaired and repolished. The most important thing I've done is:

 

I found out its history as best I could. And my sword is older than Europeans in America! That's pretty cool all on its own.

 

Again, thanks guys, especially to Jean.

[Marius]

More like late 1500s. Still respectable, especially for people with a knack for all things romantic

[Brian]

Yep...late 1500's.

[ROKUJURO]

Jim,

if you could go back in time you won't find the village, because the name is OSAFUNE. And it is not at all safe to assume that it was forged there, and when. Anyone could have faked the signature in the time after the manufacture. 

I understand your desire to have a history of your WAKIZASHI but you have to keep cool and not invent stories you would like to hear. It is possible and even probable that your blade was used in combat, but I think the dents on the MUNE are not from an adversary's blade, as was already mentioned. And a blade is not retired in a SHIRASAYA but usually rests there as long as it is not needed for combat.

The blade should be respected as an old piece of arts and crafts combined, but age is much less important than quality! So one day, when it is brought back to life by a polish and a Japanese KOSHIRAE, it may be well worth of admiration.  

  On 10/29/2015 at 11:55 PM, Zoom Rabbit said:

........My sword was forged (probably) in the village of Ofasune......

The sword was used, fought with...bled upon. And then it was retired to shira-saya......

......I found out its history as best I could....

[Zoom Rabbit]

Late 1500's. Well, it does pre-date the Tokugawa shogunate. Cool factor!

 

Rokujuro:

 

I misspelled Osafune. That is life. This could also be not from Osafune, but it is likely that such a blade was chosen to fake a Kanemitsu...if that is what happened. Also, if this is a Bizento, well...

 

I have inspected the dents on the mune, nicks in the edge and what appear to be blood stains in the steel. One may quibble over what is meant by 'combat,' but I am confident that it experienced misadventure of some kind.

 

Shira-saya? You're absolutely right; the samurai kept their swords in shira-saya unless they were using them for combat. My bad.

 

Thank you for mentioning the need for a professional polish and koshirae from Japan; I had almost forgotten. Meanwhile, I will admire the sword for what it is in the here and now.