stevel48 Posted October 31, 2014 Report Posted October 31, 2014 Is it easy enough for an experienced polisher to do? Just picked up asuspected koto soshu katana for 1k that I knew would need a polish to remove some pitting and small chips. Just came in and there is a bend in it as well. Interested.to also know if the sword is worth keeping. Quote
hxv Posted October 31, 2014 Report Posted October 31, 2014 Yes, easy for a professional togishi to straighten out a bend, but there is always a chance that a hagire will result. There are no guarantees. Regards, Hoanh Quote
stevel48 Posted October 31, 2014 Author Report Posted October 31, 2014 Here it is. So I paid a grand for it. Suspected koto soshu but with a beautiful hamon and an excellent forge. Bad parts are many small chips on the ha, some pitting and this bend. Is it worth keeping? I bought it knowing the Polish would run 2k. Quote
hxv Posted October 31, 2014 Report Posted October 31, 2014 Do you have close up and focused pictures of the sword (boshi, hamachi, hada, hamon, nakago, etc.)? It would help a great deal. Does the sword currently have good-fitting shirasaya? If not, and you decide it's worth a new polish, you will need to get shirasaya made to protect the expensive polish. Once you have it in good polish and shirasaya, you might as well get it papered as the cost of papering it is incremental compared to the cost of a full restoration. All these costs will need to be factored in. It will end up being closer to $4k than $2k. Hoanh Quote
stevel48 Posted October 31, 2014 Author Report Posted October 31, 2014 I do. I will post them soon. Yes it will need new everything. I bought if for the blade. It is in poor gunto mounts now. It will be expensive in the end but everything else is secondary to the blade itself. Quote
stevel48 Posted October 31, 2014 Author Report Posted October 31, 2014 more photos. also has an opinion paper form George welch. Quote
kusunokimasahige Posted October 31, 2014 Report Posted October 31, 2014 I also have a warp in my sword which I would not touch myself. Experienced polishers have the wooden tools to straighten a bend but there indeed always are risks. KM Quote
hxv Posted October 31, 2014 Report Posted October 31, 2014 Steve, What gave clue to the (Sue) Soshu call? I don't think we can make the call one way or the other from the pictures. I have seen so many swords for sale by this seller, claiming to be the widow of a long-time collector, trying to sell off her deceased husband's collection. Each sword would come with a kantei by a renown Mr. George Welch, of whom I have never heard. I have not found a single kantei of Mr. George Welch's to be believable, other than the reading of the mei. You might want to send it to a professional togishi to get his opinion before deciding what to do with this sword. That way, you get an independent, believable opinion (at no cost other than round-trip shipping). Regards, Hoanh Quote
stevel48 Posted October 31, 2014 Author Report Posted October 31, 2014 Ha. You nailed it. I saw that as well but I did find some info here on Mr. Welch here before buying. People did know him and he was a collector but his opinions were his own. I can return it but I only have so much time to inspect it. The boards are my only help in deciding to keep this or not. I wasn't looking for a full polish ready to go nihonto. I like the restoration pieces that you can make your own. Quote
stevel48 Posted October 31, 2014 Author Report Posted October 31, 2014 I had a chance to talk to David Hofhine and send photos. That looks like a nice older blade in reasonably good condition. It should be completely restorable. That might even be a koto (old sword) period blade. Should be interesting. Ss long as it is being polished, straightening is not a problem. Most blades I receive are not straight enough for polishing (ie. perfectly straight). Straightening can put some scuffs in the surface, but as long as it's being polished anyway, that is not a concern. Quote
Grey Doffin Posted October 31, 2014 Report Posted October 31, 2014 Hi Steve, The bend will not present a problem if you get the sword to a properly trained polisher. You haven't done that yet. Grey Quote
John A Stuart Posted October 31, 2014 Report Posted October 31, 2014 That is nothing to fix. I had one that the post bent on the way to polish and was 30 degrees. Nothing is guaranteed, but, was restraightened with no shinai. John Quote
cabowen Posted October 31, 2014 Report Posted October 31, 2014 Pretty sure this reads Sesshu, not Soshu...摂州 Should straighten without any issues. David has straightened a few blades for me that were bent much more severely than yours. But. as others have said, anytime you straighten a blades, there is a potential for hagire to occur.... Quote
mr botanical Posted October 31, 2014 Report Posted October 31, 2014 I know you didn't ask for this opinion, but if I think of this blade as for sale for 1000 just the blade from what I can and cannot see, I wouldn't buy its just not showing enough and is showing too much at the same time, but did catch a small glimpse of potential in one pic but was so vague Personally I'd send it back if that is still an option, for just a little more $ you could find much better overall But your $$$ so your call Question, Can you get the Yakiba to pop if you shoot pics from different angle, down the blade at roughly 30 degrees like if was to inspect in hand?, can you see utsuri ? I'm curious for research sake Quote
Ed Posted November 1, 2014 Report Posted November 1, 2014 Agreed, the little bend in your sword is nothing to fix. I have a couple of straightening jigs I use on large Bowies. Sometimes they warp a little during heat treating. I have also straightened several reproduction Japanese swords (Paul Chen, Last Legend) etc., which were bent during tameshigire. It is no big deal, though as others have stated there is always some risk. Quote
stevel48 Posted November 1, 2014 Author Report Posted November 1, 2014 Here are some shots. I'm still unsure about the mei.m I may go back and renegotiate the price. We'll see..especially if it not soshu. Quote
cabowen Posted November 1, 2014 Report Posted November 1, 2014 The mei reads: Sesshu ju Yamato (most likely "no kami") XX.... You have half the mei. You need to find out which smiths in Osaka used the Yamato no Kami title.... Quote
stevel48 Posted November 1, 2014 Author Report Posted November 1, 2014 Can't find a smith so far. Could Yamato be daijo instead? Quote
stevel48 Posted November 1, 2014 Author Report Posted November 1, 2014 Chris. I value opinion so thanks for posting. Do you mean no kami could be daijo? I was wondering if the last two kanji Yamato or could they be daijo. Quote
cabowen Posted November 1, 2014 Report Posted November 1, 2014 Compare the two and see what you think: Yamato: 大和 Daijo: 大尉 Also, keep in mind that titles do not start with "daijo"....You can have Yamato no Kami or Yamato Daijo.... Can you post a photo of the entire nakago? The blade looks nice but the nakago looks oddly shaped... Quote
stevel48 Posted November 1, 2014 Author Report Posted November 1, 2014 Will do. So far I have only 2 smiths with Ju yamato in their name. No sesshu though 城州住大和大掾藤原忠次 jōshū ju yamato daijō fujiwara tadatsugu Tadatsugu (1st gen) ID TAD258 Province Yamashiro Other Residence Echizen Era Shōhō (1644-1648) Active Period 1644-1648 And 城州住大和大掾藤原忠次 jōshū ju yamato daijō fujiwara tadatsugu Tadatsugu (2nd gen) ID TAD259 Province Yamashiro Era Kanbun (1661-1673) Active Period 1661-1673 School Shimosaka Teacher Tadatsugu Lineage Image / Interactive Quote
stevel48 Posted November 2, 2014 Author Report Posted November 2, 2014 Any othe guesses? I can't match a smith at this point on the nihonto club mei database. I assume there are many undocumented smiths? Quote
loiner1965 Posted November 2, 2014 Report Posted November 2, 2014 http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/ ... p?t=643266 does this help edit.....ooops it appears it is your sword from awhile back Quote
stevel48 Posted November 2, 2014 Author Report Posted November 2, 2014 It's looking like. 城州住大和大掾藤原忠次 jōshū ju yamato daijō fujiwara tadatsugu Nothing else matches with a shu ju yamato Quote
cabowen Posted November 2, 2014 Report Posted November 2, 2014 Could be an unrecorded smith.... Quote
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