Katana

[charles heesh]

Sorry for some reason photo's did not load first time.

[SwordGuyJoe]

I am sorry to tell you but that isn't a Japanese sword. Likely a Chinese (or some other country) fake

 

Edit: Perhaps too hasty - Let's see pics of the blade. The signature is certainly fake and applied with a dremel tool

[Brian]

I don't think this is a fake at all. The inscription is pretty fluid too, doesn't look like Dremel work, but not conventionally cut either.

Let's see more pics of the sword.

[SteveM]

祐久　Sukehisa  is my guess. There is a Sukehisa from Bizen Osafune, but the characters are very different from this. The signature from Bizen's Sukehisa is here

http://bizenya-katana.com/?thoken=%E5%82%99%E5%B7%9E%E9%95%B7%E8%88%B9%E7%A5%90%E4%B9%85

 

The characters on the right side of the tang in the sword of this post are a bit of a puzzle.

[Greg F]

Most chinese swords ive seen havnt got quite as much meat on the nakago but interested to see more pics either way.

Charles I hope for your sake its Nihonto. All the best.

 

Greg

[SwordGuyJoe]

I am sorry to tell you but that isn't a Japanese sword. Likely a Chinese (or some other country) fake

 

Edit: Perhaps too hasty - Let's see pics of the blade. The signature is certainly fake and applied with a dremel tool

Who ever wrote this must be a nincumpoop

[Grey Doffin]

With the mei beginning above the yasurime and the yasurime being cut sloppily, I question whether this sword was made by a properly trained Japanese swordsmith.  Not saying it isn't Nihonto but not sure it is.

Grey

[charles heesh]

Hello all, Thank you for the interesting discussion.

I agree it is not a Chinese or other country look alike.

Pictures will, I hope bear this out.

This sword was given by a family member to the young man who owns it. It has been in the family since end of the war.

Sword appears to be WWII or a bit earlier due to two Nakago Ana the lower one fits the present Tsuka.

Sword is unsharpened first few inches after brass Habacki, standard cutting edge 26 inches.  

Hamon is visable in a few places, is Sambon sugi, maybe able to see this in one of the picts.

file marks are straight across on Nakago not the usual hawk feather style we see on many Guntos

Appears to be hand forged, but the polish it is in poor condition due to neglect and I am unable to see and activity in the jihada.

I think this cursive style of writting is called Go sho?  I have seen this style of Kanji but not often

Hope additional pictures will help.

Thank you for your reply and I will pass it on to the family member

[vajo]

Charles it looks like exciting for me.

 

I can't remember but i think i have seen this signature on a unique Japan sword that pablo kunz sold.

 

I try to find the catalogue.

 

The signature is hammered. If you look on it you see the very fine work. 

 

Chinese didn't have time to do something

[charles heesh]

Ok Thanks for the opinion Vajo.

I am very curious about this sword.

Alot of unusual aspects.

Look @ hamon in the new pictures. see the wave or irregular pattern? But it is only in the Hamon. These sort of wavey lines for lack of a better term, makes one think it looks like Chinese but its not in my opinion. Can't see much else due to surface discoloration.

What do others think? C

[Brian]

Looks like it's real...but still not sure about the mei.

[vajo]

The signature is i. o. hiragana written. 

 

1. いれ o re

2. ろ ro

3.  ??

 

but i have no idea about it. I didn't find the catalogue from unique Japan (pablo kunz) with that kind of signature but i'm sure that i have seen it there.

 

I believe it's an real old blade. Very interesting.

[ROKUJURO]

Vajo,

please sign all your posts with at least your real first name and an initial as is the rule here.

I don't see any HIRAGANA on the NAKAGO.

Charles,

as far as Japanese genuity is concerned, I would not want to venture a guess on the basis of photos of a part of a NAKAGO alone. The YASURI ME is sloppily executed as well as the MEI and the MEKUGI ANA, the brass HABAKI seems simple but o.k. The structure in the YAKIBA is strange and not typical.

This together with the absence of any patination could all be hints to a recently (<80 years) and hastily made blade, but as Chinese fakes are getting better, I would not even exclude this possibility. More good photos are needed for a better judgement, in my opinion. 

 

[vajo]

Sorry Jean,

didn't know this. 

 

For myself it looks like hiragana. I can only view it from my point. 

[ROKUJURO]

Chris,

thank you and welcome on board!

[charles heesh]

Good mornin to all and thank you all for your insights / opinions

Vajo (Chris) thank for your efforts, I O Hiragana maybe not correct, but at this point more than I had.

However Chris is is not an old blade, workmanship is not that good, tang lacks patina, Mekugi anna is

drilled. I believe this is a WWII period sword and am further that it was made in a arsenal of

mill steel.There are no arsenal stamps on it, but as we know stamps were not used initially. maybe the

sword was made before that time. one of the puzzles with this sword is why the mei first Kanji is so high on the tang that it is covered by the Habaki.

 

As for Rokujuro's, (Jean's), I agree with most of your comments but do believe it is WWII era sword.I will post some additional photo's of the tang, Nakago in awhile.

Please understand - the sword is not for sale I am not charging the young man for whatever I can learn. Just trying to help him find out what he has. Thank you all again, has been an interesting puzzle so far which is why I love following this group discussion. Hopefully we all learn. Take care, Charlie

[charles heesh]

Photo 1 of Nakago.

[charles heesh]

Second photo of Nakago. Hope it helps. Charlie

[k morita]

Hi,

 

[Brian]

Fantastic Morita san!

Does this look like it was cut by a swordsmith, or added later?

[charles heesh]

Thank you Very much Morita san.

This is what I was looking/ hoping for when I contacted this group.

This Mei has been a challange and I have learned from the experience.

The young man who owns this sword will be very pleased. As am I.

Thank to all who contributed, this is a great group of folks just trying to help us less educated.

Brian, isn't this what its all about?

Thank You again Morita san, Sincerely, Charlie

 

Now back to just watching and more learning.