New member, found a wakizashi

[Jimmy N.]

Hello everyone,

 

I recently found a wakizashi that my father brought back from Japan in the late 50's/early 60's. I've been searching for information on it, and posted over at sword forum. One of the members suggested that I post over here also, so that's what I'm doing. It does look like, from what they've said, that it is an authentic, antique Nihonto.

 

As a note, I know some of the pictures aren't the best, I will try to take better ones, but I'm currently in a different state from the wakizashi and won't be able to take more pictures for about three weeks.

 

RE: the posting guidelines, I absolutely intend to keep the sword and will not be selling it, so no replies will be used for commercial purposes.

 

I became interested in Japanese swords a while back. At that time, my father told me that he had brought back "a Samurai sword" from Japan some time in the late 50's or early 60's, and that he was sure that it must have been in his parents' (my grandparents') house somewhere, but he had looked quite a bit and had concluded that it had been stolen. He was very insistent at the time that it was "real" and that it was folded steel.

 

Two weeks ago, my family was cleaning out my grandparents' house, and I came across a shipping crate in the attic that had a bunch of my dad's things in it from when they moved in the early/mid 60's. In that crate, which apparently had not been opened since the 60's, I found a wakizashi, which I assume is what he was talking about. Unfortunately, he passed away several years ago, and his parents years before that, so there's no one who knows any more than what I have already written down - that the wakizashi was brought back from Japan in the late 50's or early 60's.

 

You'll have to excuse me if I use any of the terms relating to Nihon-to incorrectly, as I had not seen most of them until about two weeks ago when I started trying to find out more about the sword.

 

It is decidedly NOT in polish, which I would guess makes it a lot harder to tell about the sword.

 

Some measurements:

 

Overall length, with tsuka in place: 26.5" or 67cm

Cutting edge, from end of habaki to tip: 20" or 51cm

Blade thickness at habaki: .24" or 6mm

Blade thickness at yokote: .16" or 4mm

Blade width at habaki: 1" or 2.5cm

Blade width at yokote: .75" or 1.9cm

 

It's funny, I guess I'm more like my father than I thought, because I really like the size, shape, and balance of the sword, and the koshirae is among my favorites of the ones I have seen.

 

I was really hoping that someone could translate the mei for me (and the signature on the fuchi). Also, if anyone has an idea about when it might have been made. Thank you for looking and any advice you may have.

 

Some pictures (I just changed them to thumbnails... click the little picture to get a big one):

 

The whole wakizashi:

 

A closeup of the kissaki:

 

A closeup of the edge, showing hamon:

 

The nakago with mei:

 

There are some more pictures of the blade (several closeups) and nakago (closeups of the mei) at:

 

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v494/jnewman606/wakizashi/

 

To view the images in the photobucket album full-size, click on one of the images, then click "full size" near the top-left corner of the image.

 

Thanks,

Jimmy

[Jimmy N.]

I'd also like to learn more about the koshirae... I figured that since I already had this thread here, I ought to go ahead and post them in this thread. If I should start a new thread in the Tosogu subforum, please tell me. Specifically, I'd be interested to know what the menuki are (I can't tell) and what the signature is on the fuchi.

 

Some pictures of the koshirae (again, changed to thumbnails... click the little picture to get a big one):

 

A closeup of the tsuka:

 

The rain-theme habaki:

 

The menuki:

 

The tsuba:

 

The wave-theme fuchi:

 

Signature (I assume?) on the fuchi:

 

The wave-theme kashira:

 

Thanks again!

[sencho]

HI Jimmy,

 

Welcome to the board, mate

 

Looks like your sword mei is

 

BIZEN NO KUNI TOMOMITSU

 

備前国住朋光

 

I can only see one Tomomitsu (using this kanji) in Hawleys.... and he was Rikuoku and didn't apparently sign this way.... so now I am suspicious about the TOMO kanji.....

 

The Fuchi says INABA with a kao after.... don't know much about fittings though

 

INABA.... 因幡

 

by the way the sword doesn't look so bad....

 

Cheers

[sencho]

also AKIMITSU is a possibility.... but I can't find a smith signing like this either.....

 

AKIMITSU

 

明光

 

cheers!

[Bungo]

and the tsuba looks Namban

 

p.s. how come no vet. ever brought back a good ole signed Bungo blades ? :D

always the goodies.....Bizen and such

 

 

milt the flying ronin

[Gabriel L]

Hi everyone. I bumped Jimmy over here from this SFI thread. I originally thought maybe Sukemitsu 助光 or the kanji for "Myo" -mitsu 明光, which Jacques pointed out would more likely read as Akimitsu, but Hawley's had none of the above singing "Bizen kuni ju ___mitsu."

 

Good call on Tomo 朋, but as you say it still doesn't help.

 

Tricky.

[Bungo]

a quick check on the toko soran ( the small thick handbook with no illustration ).........

come up ONE hit.

Tomomitsu...........koto, one person listed.

comment.......... period, kuni ....... not clear ( unknown )

 

but this one is signed Bizen sword............ummmmmmmmmmm,

 

milt

[Gordon]

Hi,

 

The signature is Akimitsu, but it does not look good.

 

Gordon

[Gabriel L]

Gordon,

As in gimei? Because the mei is weak, unreferenced, or both? Just curious.

-GLL

[Nobody]

Based on my instinct, I cannot deny "Sukemitsu".

 

助光

[Jimmy N.]

I forgot to post these here... I do have two pictures that are a little closer of the mei, if it will help at all. I also have been advised to try a rubbing or better lighting for the photographs, which I will do, but I won't have access to the sword again for about three weeks.

 

Top part:

 

Bottom part:

 

Thanks for the comments, everyone. I'm pretty much clueless on kanji and Nihonto, so while I have done some reading recently on sword care and all the different parts and their names, I don't know much about what any of it means in a practical sense, so I appreciate any comments and advice that are offered.

 

Does anyone know what the menuki are?

 

Also, Bungo/Milt, it was not actually a vet bring-back, none of my recent ancestors have been military. My grandfather was a pilot for Pan American, so they could fly wherever they wanted for free, so they did a ton of traveling. The sword was purchased during a tourist trip to Japan in my father's youth. I think it would have been late 50's, might have been early 60's.

 

Should I make a thread for the koshirae in the Tosogu forum? And what is a kao?

 

Thank you,

Jimmy

[Bungo]

menuki looks like butterfly on top of flower...............just guessing here.

 

show us a pic of the tsuba with the center hole pointing upward ( pointy end up, that is ) and I am sure we can figure out what it is.

p.s. by the way, the fuchi/kashira looks very good.

milt the flying ronin

[Jimmy N.]

I will take the picture you recommend, but I can't do it for a few weeks.

 

I am a college student in engineering, and found the sword over Thanksgiving break. It stayed home, and I won't be back until just before Christmas.

 

Thanks,

Jimmy

[Gabriel L]

Hi again Jimmy,

 

A kao is like a maker's mark/monogram/logo/flourish/seal. You could cross-post this in the tosogu forum if you like, it could get some more specific attention although this site is small enough that many people read all the sub-fora.

 

As you can see there's a bit of uncertainty as to the smith's name (although I'm glad to see Koichi-san is reluctant to rule out my original "Sukemitsu" reading ). This won't practically mean anything unless we can pin down the smith and then get more information, or else decide the mei is gimei (false) which isn't a big deal.

 

And re: the menuki, butterfly makes a lot of sense, I didn't see the back trim on the wings giving it that shape. I had guessed flying fish. :lol:

[sencho]

Ahhh.... thanks Moriyama san... I had thought of Sukemitsu but did not have the courage of my own convictions to put it down..... :lol: I was even thinking about a very dodgy NORI at one point!!!

 

The kanji does not look right to me for SUKE, but I cannot recognize a style of kanji handwiting like a Japanese person would......

 

 

A bit like Milt's prescription pad.... Cannot recognize a single word, but it is English in there..... somewhere!!!

 

By the way Jimmy with regards to the signature (MEI) the first two characters are BI-ZEN (備前) (province), then KUNI JU (国住) which basically means "lives in" and then SUKEMITSU (助光) smith's name. (so SUKEMITSU LIVING IN BIZEN PROVINCE)..... correct me if I am wrong anyone

 

.... I have taken Moriyama san's appraised mei to be a safer bet than anyone else including myself!!!

 

cheers!

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

I'm quiet sure there is a Josaku Sukemitsu on Koza or Fujishiro around

1550 that signs with these words but seems this signature lacks

something after Ju.

I'm now at work but I've to check it when at home.

Anyway Ithink it'll not match with the strokes...

[Jimmy N.]

Thanks everyone for the comments.

 

Given that the mei is questionable, is there any way to estimate how old the wakizashi might be?

 

I assume it would be worth having polished at some point?

 

If/when I do get it polished, would it be worth trying to get papers from NBTHK or another organization? How questionable is the mei?

 

As an update, I have ordered several books on the subject recommended by Gabriel Lebec, and also a cleaning kit. I'm looking forward to learning what I can about all this.

 

Thanks,

Jimmy

[Brian]

I have taken Moriyama san's appraised mei to be a safer bet than anyone else including myself!!!

 

Nigel....don't forget that we also have a translation by Gordon Robson earlier in the thread too, and an opinion that it doesn't look good. In the sword world, that opinon ranks pretty darn high :D (FYI - http://www.ny-tokenkai.org/shinsa-in.htm ) Not sure which Akimitsu this would be though, maybe in other references?

 

The close-ups of the mei do seem to show that there may have been kani cross-strokes that have worn off, but I 'm not qualified to judge properly.

Would likely only become clear if the sword is seen in person.

 

Why don't we get the easy ones anymore? :D

 

Brian

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

 

I questioned an expert whom i know about this mei, he says this mei reads Akimitsu and it is false.

[sencho]

I have taken Moriyama san's appraised mei to be a safer bet than anyone else including myself!!!

 

Nigel....don't forget that we also have a translation by Gordon Robson earlier in the thread too, and an opinion that it doesn't look good. In the sword world, that opinon ranks pretty darn high :D Brian

 

 

 

 

Gordon, sumimasen onegaiashimasu... Gomen'.... watashiwa bakakohai desu.....!! :lol:

 

Thanks for the link, Bri.... now here is a question.... is a smith that signed BIZEN KUNI JU AKIMITSU documented? I can't find it! Also if not documented or existed, why would a faker bother to fake AKIMITSU and include a location where there was (apparently) no AKIMITSU. Seems like he would be inventing a smith to include on the nakano..... :?

 

Cheers!

[Gabriel L]

As has been discussed before on this forum, sometimes we find "small name" gimei, since they're less traceable or documented, as opposed to "big name" smiths who attract a lot of attention (maybe too much?). I can imagine faking an inexistent smith as well just to claim the blade was made in Bizen, for instance. But I'm in the dark on this particular blade, so thanks to all who have contributed so far.

 

Jimmy, once you get the piece back in your hands for more photography, an shots of the bare blade (especially if it's been cleaned up slightly, and if you can light it well enough to bring out the activity) will help, as will shots of the entire nakago. By the shape and color of the nakago, the area where it transitions into blade, the overall shape of the bare blade, and the character of the activity (hamon/hada/etc. if you can get it to show up), it may be possible to make some reasonable educated estimates of age and provenance. From the piecemeal photos currently posted it is more difficult to do this.

 

If you get it polished then it would definitely be worth putting through shinsa. All this will be expen$ive, however, possibly outstripping the value of the blade itself. One option would be to get a window polish, a small area of the blade worked on to see what's visible, before committing to a major restoration. After shinsa, if the mei is gimei then it can be removed by the polisher.

 

Shinsa by the NBTHK or NTHK would be your best bet for getting a definite answer of the age and provenance of the blade. Even without a mei the experts of both organizations have the experience, knowledge, and resources to authenticate and identify bare blades, sometimes even down to a specific smith. On the other hand there's no guarantee, sometimes it's difficult to pin down even the school.

[Brian]

Gabriel's advice is solid, that's what I would recommend too.

If you put it through one of the USA shinsas, would they require a gimei removal before giving an attribution though, or might you at least get some info such as age on it first?

Either way Jimmy, you have a nice sword there with decent fittings and a couple of hundred years on it. You did well, and as most collectors will tell you, gimei is not a train smash.

 

Brian

[Jimmy N.]

Thank you for the response.

 

I have a cleaning kit on order, and I actually should be getting a better camera for Christmas. I also have been meaning to set up a light box for photographing small things in good light. I'll get the photography equipment set up when I get home, I'll clean the blade up as well as I can, and I'll take all the pictures you could want .

 

There's a lot more to this subject than I ever would have guessed. I'm learning a lot, and I'm looking forward to getting into the books I have ordered.

 

I'm impressed with (and thankful for) the amount of time and knowledge you all have shared with me.

 

Thanks,

Jimmy

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

now here is a question.... is a smith that signed BIZEN KUNI JU AKIMITSU documented? I can't find it! Also if not documented or existed, why would a faker bother to fake AKIMITSU and include a location where there was (apparently) no AKIMITSU. Seems like he would be inventing a smith to include on the nakano..... :?

 

Hi Nigel and Gabriel.

Apparently is the keyword here. We are supposing such a smith didn't

exist because of he's not mentioned in our sources but maybe that

Gordon has sources we haven't access to. Easier solution .

[Gabriel L]

...but maybe that

Gordon has sources we haven't access to. Easier solution

Undoubtedly. :lol:

 

I should have mentioned Jimmy that there's no law that says you have to get it polished an appraised. As much as I would love to see that happen, I'm not the one paying for it. The only thing I would say you should do is to get it looked at (possibly just at a sword club) to see if there is any active rust, because getting that neutralized could be important for preservation's sake.

 

A full restoration and shinsa would be a nice move for your own benefit - you could appreciate the artistry and history of the piece that much better - but considering the expense and time involved it should definitely remain a personal decision made because you want to, not because you think you're supposed to.

 

Cheers,

-GLL

[sencho]

now here is a question.... is a smith that signed BIZEN KUNI JU AKIMITSU documented? I can't find it! Also if not documented or existed, why would a faker bother to fake AKIMITSU and include a location where there was (apparently) no AKIMITSU. Seems like he would be inventing a smith to include on the nakano..... :?

 

Hi Nigel and Gabriel.

Apparently is the keyword here. We are supposing such a smith didn't

exist because of he's not mentioned in our sources but maybe that

Gordon has sources we haven't access to. Easier solution .

 

Absolutely, Carlo... I would be interested to see if there is any documentation of a smith signing this way....

 

My point before (which wasn't laid out particularly well because of last night shochu!) was how can a signature be gimei, if the signature is of a nonexistent smith....?

 

 

:D cheers!

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

According Tanobe Sensei, these kind of mei is called Shiire mei.

In the Edo period (without computer and internet :lol: ) Existed some fakers (gimeishi) who bought (=shiire) many mumei blades and signed them without a careful study of the characteristics of each smith.

[sencho]

Thanks Jacques!!! :D

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Another solution more then possible.