Kamakura/ Nambokucho/ very late Nambokucho

[johnb]

More on the sword from asia... more pics and more data...sorry Jean not quite the sheet you hoped for. As I said it turned up in high quality military mounts with a full wrap tsuka and a very nice silver mon. I have very carefully opened up a small window, but not as open as I'm sure you'd all like. Hopefully enough to give more of a clue...again crap pics. It's 66 cms to the mune-machi and the nagako is 18.3 cms. Looking closer at the nagako I reckon it was originally 77 cms which puts the second mekugi ana in a strange spot. Maybe it's been shortened twice. The the motokasane is 6 cms and goes to 5. It's 7 cms where I reckon the original habaki may have been. The question is...leave it as it is or is it worth spending money on?

Thanks Chaps.

 

I'll have to ad the last two pics in the following post...they won't load

[johnb]

the last 2

[Darcy]

It was shortened at least twice.

 

If the rest of the sword comes out as good as your window, you will have a Juyo Token on your hands.

 

But of course, who wants to go to all that trouble and expense, what a waste of time. I'll be glad to relieve you of this terrible burden. I do my best to be nice.

 

Is it mitsumune or is that a photographic artifact?

[Darcy]

Also I think it looks like Soden Bizen. Look at the jigane and hamon on my Kanemitsu and compare to your sword. I think you found something very nice that already seems to show superior quality (Jo-saku or higher).

 

http://www.nihonto.ca/kanemitsu/

 

Not all of the swords in this group have o-kissaki. Could also be one of the related groups like Omiya, that could be a good call. Keep your eyes on the lookout for utsuri which would seal the deal. More activity in the hamon will put it closer to core Osafune Soden Bizen, less will push it to Omiya and other related groups.

 

Look for chikei to come out. Also get the sword outside on a sunny day, sun coming from over your shoulder, and with a tree between you and the sun (to filter out most of the sun's rays, not so you're in complete shadow). Look at the ji and the hamon, see if it is full of sparkling nie.

[Darcy]

The middle part of the hamon inbetween the two lights shows some ashi that remind me of this Omiya Morikage:

 

[johnb]

HOW NICE THIS IS!!! Darcy, thank you for the offer but this is one of those things you hope for when scurrying around looking everywhere for swords...and that is that something nice turns up. It came out of Manado and was brought to my office buy a guy that had heard I was looking for swords. He's on the hunt for more. Let's hope the next one is as good. It's not mitsumune, just the light doing that. The similarity to the Omiya Morikage is much more evident when you see the sword in the flesh and you can see what I can't seem to photograph.

Where should I send it and how much is it going to cost me is the next question?

Any indication of it's value would be appreciated.

[Darcy]

I'm just teasing you about the taking it off your hands, that would help me not you. You should retain ownership of this sword, at the very least until it is restored and you know what it is, but it looks nice a nice classic Nambokucho piece to me so far. The jihada looks like it is very well forged and tight and this is usually a sign of good skill. How much activity comes out of the hamon, and whether it shows itself to be notare or midare and how much is nie is going to end up making the attribution.

 

My feeling is that when it gets a proper polish all kinds of little chikei are going to come out.

 

I think that you should make arrangements with a good polisher and send it in. I am not sure what you did to open a window, but you did a credible job of cleaning it up.

 

I use Bob Benson and Kenji Mishina for sword polishing. Bob will get it done faster. Mishina sensei I think makes the most beautiful polish I've seen.

 

Either of them can submit it to the NBTHK for papers afterwards.

 

Mishina sensei:

 

http://www007.upp.so-net.ne.jp/m-kenji/

 

Bob:

 

http://www.togishi.com

 

Mishina sensei was selected to polish the guardian tanto for the new Crown Prince. I think that is rather high praise. Highest I suppose, when your polish is meant to protect the future Emperor :-).

[johnb]

This is very exciting Darcy, $600 well spent! The Jihada is very tight from what I can see of it and yes there are lots of ittle chikei that you can pick up in the right light that aren't showing in the pics. I will get in touch with the polishers you have reccomended. Thank you so much for you help and advice.

 

John B

 

Do you think the Shinto sword I posted earlier is worth a polish and a paper?

[Darcy]

Doesn't seem to need a polish. You could submit as-is. Submit it if it is worth $800 to you to find out their opinion... could be anything.

[Darcy]

So what did you choose to do in the end?

[johnb]

Hi Darcy, I've spoken to Bob and sent him the images also sent them to Mishina sensei who agreed the sword would look very beautiful polished.

I'm waiting to hear back from Bob, and then I'll make a decision. All depends on the cost.

Thanks very much for the advice. It's much appreciated, I will keep you up to date with the progress.