Wakizashi

[EdWolf]

Let me begin with a short story. I have collected ww2 helmets for quite a long period. A few years ago, I lost interest in them and sold many helmets. Now, I have only a few of them left. Recently, I made a deal with another collector to swap two helmets for a navy sword. (pictures of the sword are posted in the Military Swords section). Because the value of the two helmets was just above the value of the navy sword an old wakizashi was added. This wakizashi brought me to this forum. The nakago was signed. Now I know (thanks to this forum) that the blade is signed Ietsugu. Unfortunately, the blade is not in the best condition. Because the sword was just for closing the deal I don’t expect the sword is valuable but I want to learn as much as possible from it. Like time-period, how to preserve the blade from further damage, etc. All information about this sword will be highly appreciated.

Regards, Ed

And a thread without pictures is no thread here are some pictures of the sword.

 

[Jean]

Ed,

 

I have really seen worse, it could polish out well (in spite of some ware and "holes") but I am not sure it is worth the cost (between 1 to 1,5k$). The blade being out of polish, you can uchiko it, wipe it and coat it very lightly with some sewing machine oil.

 

Have a look at this topic:

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/21327-care-and-cleaning-by-tsuruta-san/

[EdWolf]

Hi Jean,

Thanks for your reply. Interesting videos. The polishing costs are high and without more information about the sword not a real option.

Regards, Ed

[Stephen]

Cost of a stateside polish worth two or three helmets, that being a WAG*, id do as Jean says just hold on to it. In time you may change your mind. another WAG* is the tosogu is worth a helmet alone, nice sound working  Samurai's second.

[EdWolf]

Hi Stephen,
As a not native English speaker I don’t know the meaning of WAG. Hope this means nothing bad about the sword. Oil on the blade to protect the blade is probably the best option. Do you mean that the tosogu is a real bonus? Can you give me an indication of the age of the sword? My thoughts, late 19th century but I can’t find any records of a sword smith Ietsugu is this time frame. All information is welcome! I really want to learn.
 

[Stephen]

*wild ass guess

 

 

id guess 18th but may be wrong, but their in the higher end of middle class fittings 

 

WAG break down

 

kozuka with blade at least 400

 

tsuka          low end 250 but nice F/K and menuki so ill say another 400

 

tsuba  1-200 lowballing it,

 

im sure the blade is shinto in state at least 500

 

So not knowing what i use to wear daly in Nam are going for i cant give you a good answer.

[EdWolf]

Hi Stephen,
Thanks for your reply. All prices of the different components you mentioned surprised me a lot. Because I purchased it in a trade, the total cost of the sword for me is in the 300 to 500 range. Depends how low or high I could sell the helmets.
Shinto (1600-1764) era blade. I’m way off How can you tell? I have tried to look at the curve of the blade and how the blade was made. I still have a long road to go.
The menuki of a man behind a golden shield is nice.

[Tanto54]

Dear Ed,

 

You did well with this sword at that exchange price.  The gold disk on the menuki is a straw hat instead of a shield.  He's holding the hat and you are looking at the hat from the top.  Your tsuba also has a hat and a hoe on it.

[EdWolf]

Dear George,
Thanks for pointing this out. Never thought that the shield is a straw hat. It’s funny that the sword I was at least interested in turned out to be the most valuable sword. On the kozuka is also a figure I don’t recognize. Do you have any idea?
Regards,
Ed
 

[Dave R]

Hi Stephen,

As a not native English speaker I don’t know the meaning of WAG. Hope this means nothing bad about the sword. Oil on the blade to protect the blade is probably the best option. Do you mean that the tosogu is a real bonus? Can you give me an indication of the age of the sword? My thoughts, late 19th century but I can’t find any records of a sword smith Ietsugu is this time frame. All information is welcome! I really want to learn.

 

WAG

An abbrieviation, short for Wild Ass Guess.

The origin of this word is likely military, but that is just a WAG.

[Stephen]

already stated Dave...???

 

id like a shot of the kashira, the fuchi looks like it could be tad better than thought, is it signed? 

 

[EdWolf]

The fuchi is not signed. Not the best pictures. It's cloudy and almost evening.

 

[Stephen]

they look iron , right? more collectible to some, i like them, and the flower vase menuki ties in well

[EdWolf]

Stephen, you have good eyes. Yes, made of iron.

[Dave R]

"already stated Dave...???"..............

 

 

Yup, I missed that! Went hunting up the meaning in US slang, because in the UK it stands for "Wives and Girlfriends".

[Stephen]

 

[Tanto54]

Dear Ed,

 

The Kozuka probably has a boat with a fisherman and net (see photos below), but I really need a better picture of the Kozuka to be sure.  BTW, the Kogatana is shoved too far into the Kozuka...

 

 

[EdWolf]

Dear George,

 

I think you are right about the boat and fisherman.

When I bought the wakizashi the tsuba was positioned wrong. The hole (I think kozuka hitsu is the right terminology) was on the wrong side of the sword. Maybe the previous owner forced the kogotana into the kozuka.

Regards, Ed

[EdWolf]

As George mentioned the Kogatana is shoved too far into the Kozuka. It’s stuck. What is the best way to remove the kogotana without demaging the Kozuka?

[Geraint]

Dear Ed.

 

I had some success a while ago with kodzuka mounted as cutlery, the same approach might work for you.  A jar of very hot water, pop the kodzuka into this but leave the blade out, give it a minute or two to heat up and then put the blade into a vice, wrap some cloth around the kodzuka so you don't burn yourself  and slowly but firmly pull the kodzuka.  You may have to repeat a few times.  Hope this works for you.

 

All the best.

[EdWolf]

Dear Geraint,
That sounds like a solid plan. I will give it a try this weekend. Thanks a lot!
Regargs, Ed
 

[Klop]

Ed,

 

if you don't want an imprint of the vice's jaws in the blade, clamp it in a folded piece of leather (or something similar). 

 

Another trick besides the hot water in a jar is to clamp the blade in the vice and gently heat the handle with a hair drier / heat gun. Not red hot, solder can melt again :-)

 

Depends on how stuck it is, and for what reason;  simple friction, expanded corrosion of the iron tang or some sort of glue or pitch.

 

Good luck!

 

Eric K.

[EdWolf]

Hi Erik,

I just removed the Kogotana from the Kozuka. I have used the jar filled with hot water method (thanks Geraint!) and wrapped the Kogotana with a piece of leather for some extra protection. The tang was heavily rusted and was simply push to far into the Kozuka. Thanks for your advice.

Regards, Ed

[EdWolf]

The tang is heavily rusted and so far, I can see it doesn’t contain a signature. Should the Kogotana also be signed by the sword smith? Is the Kogotana always made by the same sword smith?

Regards,

Ed

[Brian]

Almost never, and signatures on kogatana are seldom real anyways. Yes..some are, but the vast majority are gimei and just homage.

[EdWolf]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the information!

Regards, Ed