Is This Japanese Made Shinsakuto? Or Production Blade?

[Kam A]

I would think it's gimei, yes.  Japanese smiths don't typically just sign 3 characters with no date and the way the shinogi wanders in the nakago just isn't how these things are done.  also, the yasurimei are very different and the boshi is basically invisible with that polish.  on the other hand, the mystery blades that are showing up which are presumed to be gimei are almost always finished in exactly this fashion.

I tend to agree with Drjoe, he has listed the questionable attributes and they are definately "questionable".

On the other hand good going doing your home work and the observations you have made concerning the strokes in the mei. I think the real give away however as many have pointed out is the acid tripping Nakago. I also understand your sentiments regarding this and I have witnessed some terrible shinsakuto with muji hada and dead hamon but the lines are relatively straight. I have seen some terrible Nakago including one that looked like an icecream stick and another that looked as if the smith decided to let someone else worry about finishing it off. . but it was still fairly straight. Even then. . who really knows whats going on even in Japan. . . I wonder how many people here have fell victim to Daimyo54's fake yari that often have saya that come from china

 

Kam

[gauze3539]

Hi. Kam

 

How are you doing? I believe I've got fooled by the complete sellers intention that why he refund me without a question for 200$ when I asked it by saying it's from China. It had those suspiciouse characteristics of the listing such as quite blurred photos, not showing jihada well etc but I didn't check it well for some reasons because of the cheap price and believed it as such an educational study piece for togi, smith or sort of such that has some flaws here and there but entirely not so bad. Again , I deserve the bad result not checking it well proactively before the purchase , but at about 600$ now it's all cool like I mention before. I like it as it is. I have 2 shinto hozontos and both have suriage nakagos and have been deeply polished down so those wouldn't give me this nice thick healthy strong blade feeling. Moreover, if I buy a Japanese shinsakuto and make full koshirae, I know my self eventually I would not use it ( how could you ruin a shiny nice pricy Japanese shinsakuto polishing and blade?) so I needed a blade such as this for tameshigiri. I am going to PM you something about Kam. Thank you very much for your insights.

 

Jason

[gauze3539]

Just my opinion, but it looks like one of the many "gendaito" blades sold on eBay by Komonjo. Here's the link: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/11762-its-raining-gendaito/

 

 

 

There's a lot of speculation about the validity of the blades.

In fact Joe, I didn't know Komonjo sell something like you said. I thought Komonjo sells genuine ones but in very bad conditions but after I heard your words and check him out, OMG he has full of blades almost identical to what I got. In my eyes, the nakago of it and his bare blade listings have pretty much the same defect nakago style. I am glad I got mine for $600, but I see now many of his listings' price soar up to 1.5k or so.......

 

Jason

[drjoe]

actually, while the finish and polish look identical, the hamon and the hada of yours are rather different from the new blades that komonjo (mike yamaguichi) offers.  those tend to have what i think are an impressively tight itame hada that you don't see in chinese blades, with a hamon from blade to blade that is very recognizable despite different mei.  yours has a very different hada and a different hamon too.

 

i recently spotted another seller who is also offering similar blades, with a slightly different feel altogether.

 

but this horse is sufficiently flogged.  the blades are weird, they don't represent the quality of "real" Japanese shinsakuto, which is why they sell for what they do.  but a cutting blade?  sure, why not?