Munenaga Wakizashi Edo 1660's In Koshirae From Katana-Maeda Ebay Seller

[T14]

I am Alec, I just recently bought my first Nihonto, a Munenaga Mino School Wakizashi Edo 1660's period in Edo Koshirae made for this sword in late Edo period from katana-maeda ebay seller for $1565 shipped. Did I win auction at a good price and is this a good Nihonto? 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WAKIZASHI-ANTIQUE-Japanese-SWORD-SIGNED-MUNENAGA-MINO-SCHOOL-EARLY-EDO-/131777059437?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=XQSu%252FQbxSlIwcMGyF0t6LSPRNPM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

[Alex A]

Hello, as long as there are no Hagire (cracks), I think you done well, I like the blade.

 

One point though, better to know what its worth BEFORE buying in future.

 

Be careful on Ebay.

[ggil]

I didn't try and verify the mei at all, but this looks like a nice blade and ok fittings. I especially like the hamon in the boshi with the masame lines. 7.5 mm thick for a 400 year old blade is impressive for mokume hada. Either the smith knew how to forge tight, the sword was made super thick originally, or this has been cared for very well over its life. The big question is: do you think you got a good deal for $1500. Everyone here wisely assumes gimei w/o papers. Does that matter to you? Everyone around here would say that eBay is not a good way to go for a bigginner, but in my VERY UNKNOWLEDGABLE opinion you didn't do poorly, unless there are flaws we aren't seeing. The temper seems reasonably controlled and the ha-masame has me hoping multipart construction. The big kissaki is nice but the boshi isn't super spectacular (but probably cooler than any of my blades). Again the question, do you (still - as you made the bid), think it's worth it. If you found out it isn't gimei (gotta assume it is though), then you did freaking phenomenally. Anyhow, again it's pretty damn nice in my noob opinion.

 

I think maybe only a couple hundred of your bid was gamble, if any, but it's is a nice blade In battle mounts. I just want you to be happy because after all: it is nihonto and I do really like your new blade.

[Geraint]

Dear?

 

(Board rules require a personal name on your post, easy to add)  You certainly did well with this but.........   O kissaki in 1660 would be unusual as would midare komi boshi.  1660 one would expect Kanbun shinto sugata and hamon, this sugata suggest either earlier,Keicho shinto, or much later in shinshinto, as does the hamon in the boshi.

 

Some research to do and a fountain of knowledge just waiting for you.  The sword itself is nice and will repay much study.

 

Enjoy your examination of it and your journey.

 

All the best.

[T14]

I didn't try and verify the mei at all, but this looks like a nice blade and ok fittings. I especially like the hamon in the boshi with the masame lines. 7.5 mm thick for a 400 year old blade is impressive for mokume hada. Either the smith knew how to forge tight, the sword was made super thick originally, or this has been cared for very well over its life. The big question is: do you think you got a good deal for $1500. Everyone here wisely assumes gimei w/o papers. Does that matter to you? Everyone around here would say that eBay is not a good way to go for a bigginner, but in my VERY UNKNOWLEDGABLE opinion you didn't do poorly, unless there are flaws we aren't seeing. The temper seems reasonably controlled and the ha-masame has me hoping multipart construction. The big kissaki is nice but the boshi isn't super spectacular (but probably cooler than any of my blades). Again the question, do you (still - as you made the bid), think it's worth it. If you found out it isn't gimei (gotta assume it is though), then you did freaking phenomenally. Anyhow, again it's pretty damn nice in my noob opinion.

 

I think maybe only a couple hundred of your bid was gamble, if any, but it's is a nice blade In battle mounts. I just want you to be happy because after all: it is nihonto and I do really like your new blade.

I think I did ok on the auction based in comparison to many of the other wakizashi nihonto auctions that I have seen,maybe bid a little more than I should of but I really liked that unusual o-kissaki mint blade, it looks so wicked and I like the koshirae even though the tsukaito and sharkskin were changed recently. I think the sword is still worth the money even if it is gimei as its really a nice mint blade and the koshirae seems to be of a high quality. The fittings and Tsuba look like more expensive higher end fittings than many of the other wakizashi with koshirae that I have seen. Its important that this koshirae was originally made for this sword in the Edo period based on what seller says. Also interesting that the pair of menuki is gunbai military leader's fan so this sword might of belonged to a shogun or some kind of high ranking samurai military official or general.

 

Also added more pictures.

[T14]

Dear?

 

(Board rules require a personal name on your post, easy to add)  You certainly did well with this but.........   O kissaki in 1660 would be unusual as would midare komi boshi.  1660 one would expect Kanbun shinto sugata and hamon, this sugata suggest either earlier,Keicho shinto, or much later in shinshinto, as does the hamon in the boshi.

 

Some research to do and a fountain of knowledge just waiting for you.  The sword itself is nice and will repay much study.

 

Enjoy your examination of it and your journey.

 

All the best.

So the seller most likely got the time period that the sword was made in wrong? I really want to find out what time period the sword was really made in,was this style of o-kissaki wakizashi more common before or after 1660's period? I also want to find out if the signature on my sword is gimei or not.

[Brian]

Also interesting that the pair of menuki is gunbai military leader's fan so this sword might of belonged to a shogun or some kind of high ranking samurai military official or general.

 

 

No. The theme of the menuki here has nothing to do with the owner.

[Alex A]

A few Mino Munenaga listed around Kanbun.

 

Nakago condition matches the age, to me.

 

If you look around you will find Kanbun wakizashi with O-kissaki.

[drbvac]

The blade looks like you made yourself quite a buy = will you let us know when it arrives from Japan .??

[T14]

The blade looks like you made yourself quite a buy = will you let us know when it arrives from Japan .??

Yes, sword should arrive late May or Early June.

[Surfson]

Nice starter sword.  Plenty to study and when you move it along you should get most of your money out of it.  I like the O-kissaki, and it's in full polish, though it's hard to tell how good the polish is (the reverse coloring on the hamon in the boshi suggests to me that it wasn't a top flight polisher).  But hey, just getting the thing polished would be about what you paid for it!  I hope you enjoy it and buy plenty of books, read on the NMB and start to build a base of knowledge about nihonto.   I suspect you will get great pleasure from inspecting it.  

[Surfson]

By the way, notice how it tapers from the nakago to the blade as you look at the mune.  It appears to have been polished many, many times.