Any Guesses? Fun Time !

[1tallsword]

hello all. its fun time.... now that this auction has completed I will post it here for a learning exercise so to speak. This is a good example of "if something is too good to be true" or a "price seems too good to be true" it probably is.  alright folks here we go.. any guesses as to why this wakizashi sold for 1/3 the price it should have? there are a couple issues that can be seen but one major one that if not looked at closely may go undetected.. any guesses ???  here is the link   ( 141690532438 )  or  http://www.ebay.com/itm/WAKIZASHI-ANTIQUE-Japanese-SWORD-NBTHK-TOKUBETSU-KICHO-UNSIGNED-SUKEKANE-EDO-/141690532438?nma=true&si=iZ%252F7a1j9iJTMmBrqQhr%252FAQbqs5c%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557     just copy and paste.. or simply click on link

[Gilles]

I think that I see like a major kizu on one side of the boshi, at the kaeri, like a tsuki no wa which follow the hamon.

[Brian]

Possible karasu guchi (hagire in the kissaki) but need to verify if it is as it appears.

 

Brian

[Jean]

http://www.ksky.ne.jp./~sumie99/flaws.html

 

Look at cracks in the hamon (yaki-ware), second drawing.

[SAS]

Looks like saiha in some of the photos.

[paulb]

I havent looked it up but from memory blue papers appeared fairly late on the scene, not long before they moved to the present system in the 1980's. Does anyone know whether they actually existed in 1972?

[1tallsword]

thank you all for tuning in. I agree with what gilles,Brian and jean have stated. It certainly is a cause for suspicion in this area and would need further in hand inspection to be 100% sure, but from photos provided it sure appears that way. Jean thank you for providing that link to a great resource on flaws. Paulb I believe they are stating papers as Tokubetsu Kicho which were in place from 1950-1982 .. blue papers koshu tokubetsu kicho were from 1973-1982 .  now have a closer look folks in pictures 8 and 11 look in the transition area of the blade and nakago, look just behind the mune-machi and ha-machi also look at the Yasui-me ... any guesses as to what im trying to point out here ???... I studied these pictures for over an hour and on 3 different computers and one in high res... it is way more noticeable in high res. op to a old standard computer screen.

[Grey Doffin]

A welded on nakago, I bet.

Grey

[1tallsword]

BINGO.. you are correct Grey .  In my eyes a clear  "cut" case of a welded nakago... pun intended..

[Brian]

Not convinced personally. Nothing that can't be explained by a slight machi okuri with repatination. I don't see a welded nakago. But would need far closer pics to judge.

 

Brian

[1tallsword]

well this is why its such a great world of learning, disagreements and discussion such as this. Thank you Brian for your comment. Brian, I did take into consideration in my study the possibility of the ha machi and mune machi  had been moved up, after looking at the hamon at the hamachi and taking that into consideration  and the terrible patination and sloppy file marks its clear something is going on in this area.in picture 11   it shows in the middle the mune of the blade and the right side and left side. clearly one can see the very clean precise horizontal line that is visible on the right side, then on the mune and continues onto  and through the left side. now i see fresh patination over it that does not match the rest of the nakago, Kiri and suji chigai and  buffing,rubbing and what ever one might call all the erratic file marks.. certainly not Kesho...  I see in my eyes a welded nakago.  FYI .. as mentioned in my previous post the weld that I see was not as noticeable on my desk top as when i viewed it in high res. on my 24 inch flat screen..