Shirasaya With A Little Pizzazz

[tokashikibob]

Gents,

    This fresh pick has a little old hemp banding decoration.   I don't think I have noticed another shirasaya nihonto with the banding before.   Anything to note since it's banded rather than unadorned?  A particular Artist mark I would guess?

 

Best regards,

   Bob

[SwordGuyJoe]

Does that look like a welded nakago or is it just the pic?

[hxv]

I have seen this type of bandaging once on a shikomi-zue I used to own. It's pretty charming (for me). Joe already noted that the nakago looks a bit funky.  The mei seems to read "Izumi no kami Fujiwara Kunisada." Although the nakago ana is placed correctly with respect to the mei, the kanji look too far off from shoshin mei - my 2 cents.

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[SAS]

I can't speak to the mei, but I would definitely try to clean off that thumbprint ASAP.

[tokashikibob]

Fellas,   Thanks for the info,  I'll take a closer look at it tonight and do some cleaning on it.   The nakago is pretty grimey,  I'll look under magification for a weld.

Best Regards,

   Bob

[Guido]

Looks like an amateur attempt at trying to prevent the shirasaya from constantly splitting open.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Bob, you do know not to clean the nakago, grimy or not, right...?

 

Ken

[tokashikibob]

Too late Ken,  I already buffed it out.  

 

      Just kidding,  just had it out to oil it and get some of the fingerprints off.   I was looking closely at the discoloration on the nakago where the polish ends.   The mune and ha sides look normal there but there is a odd black color on the flats,  do not see any obvious signs of a weld or joint just the odd patina between the filing and the polish.     Nice hamon,  masame had under the patina from what I can see.

 

Thanks for looking,

   Bob