Short Katana/long Wakizashi?

[hddennis]

Just picked up a buke zukuri mounted sword. Either late koto or early Shinto. Scabbard was leather wrapped at on time and it has a WWII metal ring hanger and remnants of a leather snap so it was carried in WWII but everything about it is several hundred years older. It has a 23 1/2" blade but looks exactly like a katana but just a hair shorter. Since it appears to be all original and never shortened what is it called?

Pictures and tang rubbing to follow  after I get home from the holidays

 

Thanks,

Howard Dennis

[Guido]

23 1/2" blade

 23.5" = 59.69 cm = 1 shaku 9 bu 7 sun = wakizashi

[Bazza]

Katate uchi???

 

BaZZa.

[Guido]

Katate uchi???

 

That's the way a sword is intended to be used, with one hand - which probably is the case here. However, it's not a proper length classification; on a tōrokushō - or shinsa papers - it most certainly would by called a wakizashi.

[Bazza]

My goodness me, the last person I want to engage in verbal joust is Guido, who has I'm sure forgotten more than I will ever know!! (Bows).  Of course, by definition such a blade is indeed a wakizashi.  However, I'd just like to elaborate on my simple and of the cuff response to the OP.  It revolves around his words "It has a 23 1/2" blade but looks exactly like a katana but just a hair shorter."  I immediately thought late Koto, one-handed sword, which is a distinctively different fish, say, to an Edo period wakizashi.  So we do indeed need to wait on more information.  Just for interest in the context of this discusion, a friend of mine has a 70cm katana with a "one-hand" nakago.  It is papered to Eisho Bizen Yukikane and would appear to be a katate uchi, as Guido says, intended to be used with one hand.  Two shaku 3 sun!!!

 

BaZZa.

[hddennis]

Just looking to further my education here and learn more about my latest addition. Definitely an amateur I still have been dabbling in swords for almost 30 years and this is the first one I've seen push the accepted measurements so closely. Why would a sword purchaser pay for better than average mounts , a signed blade, tsuka almost 9 inches long and not pay for that last 1/2". I'm 6' 3" tall and this sword feels perfect in a two handed grip although I'm no expert in what is proper technique. Just wondering if there is more to this seldom seen size than a purchaser who ran out of money? When I first started reading about Japanese swords I seem to remember something about short katanas meant for quick draw or fighting in close quarters. Was that just legends passed on as fact?

 

Thanks for your responses,

Howard Dennis

[Stephen]

I would like a re-measurement please kissaki tip to munemachi?

[seattle1]

Hello:

I think the essence of the question posed is directed more to the functional purpose of the blade than the arbitrary distinction between katana and wakizashi. The 60 cm rule for designation as a katana is an artifact of the modern legal need to draw the line somewhere, and while Guido is technically correct,the missing 0.31 cm would hardly disqualify it for use as the longer of two blades if a samurai were carrying such a blade as part of a daisho.

Arnold F.

[hddennis]

I would like a re-measurement please kissaki tip to munemachi?

I only have a large tape measure now but it is just a tick short of 23 5/8 inches.

 

Howard Dennis

[John A Stuart]

I have a sword 1 shaku 9 sun 1.4 bu that most definitely was cut to this size to meet allowable length for merchant class. John

[hddennis]

 

 

Hope someone can read this for me please?

 

Howard Dennis

[John A Stuart]

BTW, 23.5" is 1 shaku 9 sun 7 bu. Yes?

[hddennis]

I only have a large tape measure now but it is just a tick short of 23 5/8 inches.

Howard Dennis

 

[Mark]

Howard

 

Bizen Kuni Ju Osafune Kiyomitsu saku

[John A Stuart]

Bizen no Kuni ju Osafune Kiyomitsu saku. I believe. John

[Stephen]

Thank you Howard was posting the mei but two came in at same time, agreed.

[John A Stuart]

23 5/8" is closer to 1 shaku 9 sun 8 bu. John

[Stephen]

Not taking into account of amount of polishes it may have had in its life ....Id say Bizen uchigatana

[hddennis]

Thanks Guys. So what exactly is an uchigatana? Does it pin this down to a certain time period or style?  If the signature is good how  does this smith rank?

 

Howard Dennis

[Stephen]

Another way of saying one handed sword, Good smith: was going to copy and  paste, but too many to pick from, is it dated?

[hddennis]

Another way of saying one handed sword, Good smith: was going to copy and  paste, but too many to pick from, is it dated?

 Thanks Stephen, no I posted all of the signature, the other side is blank.

 

Howard Dennis

[Stephen]

KIYOMITSU (清光), Eiroku (永禄, 1558-1570), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni Osafune Kiyomitsu” (備前国長船清光)

 

too bad its not dated, more shots of blade are in order

[hddennis]

Sorry for the poor photos but I'm not home to use my digital camera, all I've got is a cellphone which doesn't do very well. Howard Dennis

[Stephen]

very nice pick up, well done

[hddennis]

May sound crazy to some but does anyone know if there is a way to reproduce the leather saya cover this had during WWII? Probably most would choose to restore this as buke zukuri mounts but it's WWII usage history would be lost and I'd like to preserve it's last true usage as a weapon.

 

Howard Dennis

[SAS]

Those leather saya covers are sometimes found for sale on ebay.

[hddennis]

Just noticed the rather plain tsuba on my sword has a signature.  Can anyone tell me what it says?

 

Howard Dennis

[Bazza]

Right side ECHIZEN JUU

Left side KINAI SAKU

 

BaZZa.

[hddennis]

Thanks for the translation. I must admit I was really surprised to find this plain iron disc signed. Apparently this is from a good school of fittings makers that made mostly sukashi or open tsuba.  Any idea why this would be signed? I've never seen a plain tsuba like this signed before has anyone else? 

 

Howard Dennis                                                                                                                                     

[hddennis]

Fellows, I just submitted this blade to the 2016 Tampa Shinsa where it got 75 points and a kantei:

 

Tenbun 1532-1555 Kiyomitsu . Can anyone tell me how to find out more? I'm trying Signature Search online but haven't turned up this signature nor a match for the time period. Strange thing is I also submitted another blade for a friend and his paper reads the same so I really like to know how to pin these guys down.

 

Howard Dennis