Took a flyer

[Surfson]

Hi All. With a rush of blood to my head I bought this tanto on eBay.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Japanes ... 339aa895c3

 

There are lots of issues, including some pitting, a poorly cut mei etc., but I like the shape, age and hada of the blade.

It appears to be signed Hishu kikuchi ju Kuni Fusa or Kuni Toki. It's clearly not the big name - Enju Kikuchi Kunitoki, but there are a number of generations and I could not find examples of most. Do any members of the NMB have examples of any of these other generations? I would welcome any observations about the blade as well. My plan is just to study it for a while and probably move it on. At the price I am in to it, I don't think that I will get hurt too badly, and it will hopefully be a nice study piece. I don't mind blunt or harsh opinions about it, so let it fly. Cheers, Bob

[Eric H]

Fresh from e-Koto-Meikan

Eric

[Mark]

Bob

 

When I looked at it in hand it seemed there was temper along the first 1/2 of the blade from the machi but the upper half is hard to see, I could sort of "imagine" it on one side but the other certainly looked like it was gone. I think it is Kunifusa and dated Oei 15, but it is hard to read so maybe I am wrong. The tsuba is horn and has worms have nibbled some, the menuki and f/k are ok. Nice old tanto but not sure it is restorable. Let us know what you think when you see it

[Surfson]

Thanks Mark. Sorry to hear that you held it in hand and presumably had a chance to buy it and didn't! I did figure the tsuba to be horn or wood, and was wondering about the hamon. Cheers, Bob

[Surfson]

By the way, the menuki were not shown in the listing. Are you saying that it had menuki? Cheers, Bob

[Mark]

sorry brain freeze, confused it with another, no it did not have menuki still the same as it was, sorry. My other comments were my memories of the correct tanto.

[Surfson]

Sorry to revive this thread, but the tanto is back from Mishina San and looks great to my eye.  When Bob Benson looked at it at the show a couple years ago, he thought it had a Nambokucho date.  Maybe one of you can sort out the date.  Anyway, the big relief is that the hamon is intact and the hada appears to be what one expects from the Higo Enju school.  Apparently shinsa has been delayed due to coronavirus, but we will submit it as early as we can.  

 

 

[Ken-Hawaii]

Looks pretty good, & hope it does well at shinsa - some day.

[Tom Darling]

Mark,

 

I have never seen a blade, where you see the hamon on one side, but not the other. This is news to me.  Thank you.

 

Tom D.

[Bazza]

Oh, Bob, never say sorry to revive a thread, especially if it shows what a neglected blade has become with the right eye to "see" it and the willingness to chance a polish.  Congratulations on reviving an honest, old blade and give it new life.  I expect the next time you revive this thread will be with the Shinsa result.  Signed and dated Koto, what's not to like?

 

BaZZa.

[Mark]

Congratulations, happy it turned out well.

[Surfson]

Thanks Ken, BaZZa and Mark.  Mishina San told me that the hamon does come a bit close to the ha in places, so the blade was not unscathed by the many centuries of its useful life and associated polishing.  

 

Tom, if you were to take steel wool to a blade, you could make it so that none of the hamon is visible on either side.  Yet, if the blade were polished, the hamon would come right back to life.  

[tokashikibob]

Congrats on rescuing the blade,  I really like the hada on it!