Long Wakizashi - Uchigatana? Ww2 Bringback In Shirasaya

[FletchSan]

Hi All,

 

I picked up this wakizashi in shirasaya that was a ww2 bringback by a New Zealand "J" Force veteran.

 

It is a very long wakizashi with a nagasa of 57cm and seems to have a fairly decent active hamon under the rust.

 

Looks to me like an uchigatana. The patina on the nakago seems to suggest a fairly old blade?

 

Interesting find anyway and interested in your thoughts as always.

 

cheers,

 

Ben

[Shugyosha]

Hi Ben,

 

Looks like an interesting pick up.

 

The patina on the tang does suggest a koto blade to me. Is there a second mekugi ana near the nakago jiri that has been filled in? I can't make my mind up as to whether it is just a blemish on the tang but it does seem to have a corresponding one on the other side. 

 

If so, then that might give an indication of the original length of the blade and a clue as to whether your uchigatana description holds up, however, another element that might be of interest is the blade's curvature. I may be imagining some koshizori but that might be due to the osuriage having altered it's appearance or due to my wall eye.

 

Koshizori would point towards a tachi rather than an uchigatana I feel but I could easily have that bit wrong. Anyhow, far more interesting than the average bringback blade and I'm sure you'll get some more informed comments than mine shortly.

 

Kind regards,

John

[FletchSan]

Thanks John.

 

I thought the same thing about the potential second mekugi ana. It does look like there may have been one that was filled in a long time ago as the patch matches on both sides.

 

I rotated another photo vertically to give an idea of the sori - perhaps it was a tachi that was shortened to a wakizashi at some stage?

 

Ben

[Stephen]

one would hardly think wakizashi. 

[FletchSan]

Hi Stephen,

 

Do you mean that it must have been made as a katana or tachi and shortened and not originally made as a wakizashi?

 

Happy to promote it to a Katana though its just under 60cm. If I can break that rule then my collection of Katanas has suddenly increased

 

A few high res scans showing the nakago and kissaki in gory detail. You can also see the pattern of the hamon though of course not the detail with a scanner.

 

cheers,

 

Ben

[Stephen]

Ben, others may differ, IMHO it did not did start as or is now a wakizashi. 

[Alex A]

I will take a stab at Early Muromachi.

[SAS]

I see  or imagine koshizori, a previous mekugiana, and the old machi.....looks like an old Koto tachi to me. Needs some TLC but very interesting sword.

[Alex A]

Its hard from pictures (but fun), I see Koshi-zori due to O-suriage. Saki-zori before suriage. Difficult, my eyes not much better

[FletchSan]

Beginner question. What are the telling signs of o-suriage outside of the possible second mekugiana ?

 

The bohi tapers off in the nakago and I have previously seen suriage swords with the bohi running all the way through.

 

Could this have been modified when the sword was cut down from a tachi?

 

thanks,

 

Ben

 

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hello Ben,

 

Yes, normally one looks for the bo hi running all the way through for o-suriage. A bo hi stopping short indicates that it may be only suriage. Although, on this sword I wonder if the original mekugiana might not have been filled in and is that dark spot roughly an inch above the nakago jiri? Other signs to look for are changes in the metal and tsuba wear along top and bottom of the nakago. On better condition swords sometimes you can see indications of the hamon running well into the nakago.

[Jean]

Ben,

 

To understand the process you should read Nakahara book "facts and fundamentals of Japanese swords"

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/20407-facts-and-fundamentals-of-Japanese-swords-book/

 

Considering bohi, generally you have an adjective before bohi which indicates what kind of bohi you are seeing. When you have a bohi which does not reach the nakago jiri, when a blade is O suriage, the bohi won't be symetrical at their end. One will be shorter.