Purchased a katana, shinto?

[azizaedelam]

Hello all experts at the forum,

 

I purchased a katana in mounting (saya and seppa's are new, perhaps also kashira and fuchi). But

i believe the blade has some years behind it. The blade is about 68 cm from hamachi to kissaki,

it looks quite healthy (in my opinion anyway). The saya is made very precise to the blade with a

perfect fit, but as said i think its modern. It has a very nice balance, although it doesnt have any bo-hi.

The hamon is not very pronounced, but its there and its parallell to the blade. No signature.

 

I really would like some oppinions on this blade, if its possible to say anything. Its my first nihonto

(well i hope it is a nihonto) in katana size and i perhaps intend to use it in iaido later, with

other mountings. please see pictures (if i can figure out how to add them...)

 

Best regards /Mikael

[azizaedelam]

http://img164.imageshack.us/my.php?image=6e641lg5.jpg

http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=046c1ut2.jpg

[azizaedelam]

http://img164.imageshack.us/my.php?image=448e1ww3.jpg

http://img164.imageshack.us/my.php?image=462f1vo1.jpg

http://img164.imageshack.us/my.php?image=560f1zd0.jpg

http://img164.imageshack.us/my.php?image=633c1gu1.jpg

http://img267.imageshack.us/my.php?image=96171pp2.jpg

http://img164.imageshack.us/my.php?image=a7ca1fs0.jpg

http://img267.imageshack.us/my.php?image=a7cb1kv1.jpg

http://img267.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ad231jn3.jpg

[Bungo]

pictures of the babes are very distracting !! ( click top panel )

 

Looks like a Higo tsuba , see, I did look at the sword pics.

 

milt

[azizaedelam]

Aha, sorry bout the babes (get firefox and you can block popups ) I actually didnt see them first. How can one

post images directly? (I think it was possible previously?). Thanks for info on the tsuba, how about the blade and the rest?

perhaps i should add links to some new pictures (without babes :D )

[Brian]

Mikael,

 

Take a look in the "How-To" section and all shall be revealed

 

Brian

[azizaedelam]

ok Brian,

i'll be back

[azizaedelam]

Yes, now i found it Brian, I dont know if its due to firefox, my web-browser, but the bottom tabs is very narrow in height and

therefore very hard to see. One tab, the default one, shows the "Disable BBCode", "Disable smilies" etc, the other one has the

attachment possibility, and the tabs doesnt show up with any labels, as tabs usually have.

 

Soo here come some new pics, i would be happy if someone of you havesome inforamtion about my new one.

 

Regards /Mikael

[azizaedelam]

Some more...

[azizaedelam]

More...

[Brian]

Mikael,

 

On the tabs and uploading issue, most of these are caused by that first style Prosilver. All of these issues can be solved by chosing another style in your profile (see How to section) where you can at least have a preview of the other styles first.

That Prosilver theme/style is a problem, and I am probably going to end up removing it or changing it, but there are too many people still on it for me to change it now. I urge people to have a look at the other styles and make a change if they have any problems.

 

Brian

[azizaedelam]

Ok Brian,

Thanks for info, then i think i should change the style :-)

Best regards /Mikael

[James]

Hi Mikael,

 

Out of curiousity, how much did you pay for this piece?

[azizaedelam]

I payed 710 USD, excluding shipping and tax. Someone has some info to share about

this item?

[azizaedelam]

Thank you milt for information about tsuba, but i would like to hear about the rest of the item,

if someone has some info to share?

[Mark]

I agree the tsuba looks Higo. The tsuka looks like it was wrapped in early 1900's, the fuchi/kashira look antique, the menuki may not be "old". The saya has either been restored or it is modern. The blade looks newer than Shinto to me. The steel "looks" Showa era, but maybe it is the polish, the nakago looks to be either Showa or Shinshinto at the oldest.......... only my opinion based on pictures. The price seems fair.

[azizaedelam]

Thanks for reply Mark,

Interesting info about the stuff, the kashira has really nice details, but the fuchi is plain, although perhaps

it has some years. The menukis match the kashira (dragons). I agree the blade in the pictures looks lika showa, but i think its the polish, i must try to get better details, beacause there are some hamon and hada and some very small, hariline-thin openings that look old to me, at the back (block side) of the blade. I have had a koto-blade so i now how it looks. I dont say this is a koto-blade, but if its not shinto i would have guessed on shin-shinto? I thought showa blades didnt have that kind of nice nakago? Also, as the tsuka has a perfect fit for the nakago, and its wrapped traditionally, so i guess the blade at least must be as old is it.

[azizaedelam]

Hi,

With some recommendations i have tried to take some new, better pictures of this blade, soo i would be happy if you can add some info on it, the blade length is 69 cm and the fittings are very precise to the blade. Previously the fittings have been dated to about beginning of 1900 something, and as the saya, tsuka and tsuba are very precise (fits perfect) to the sword i would believe the blade must be at least the same age. But please inform me about it, i like this blade a lot and i intend to use it for iai when my instructor let me use a sharp blade. Soo here the pictures come, and excuse me for them not being perfect, hard to take pictures on shiny things.

[azizaedelam]

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[azizaedelam]

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[azizaedelam]

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[DSweet]

The koshirae and fittings seem rather nice.

The yokote and lack of activity seem to be indicative of a showa era or gendaito mass produced sword. Though a bad polish could be obscuring what might be a nice sword. Hard to tell from these pictures

 

-Donovan

[azizaedelam]

Thanks for answer! About the lack of activity, is there something i can do to reveal activity if its hidden by a bad

polish? Also, I would like to know how the fittings can be made in the early 1900, but the blade is a showa? I can say it fits perfect for the blade. What i mean is that the tsuka must have propably been made after the blade, as it fits as said perfectly to the blade, and if the wrap was made about 100 years ago, how can the blade be Showa? beats my logics class?

[Bungo]

" Also, I would like to know how the fittings can be made in the early 1900, but the blade is a showa? I can say it fits perfect for the blade. What i mean is that the tsuka must have propably been made after the blade, as it fits as said perfectly to the blade, and if the wrap was made about 100 years ago, how can the blade be Showa? beats my logics class? "

 

well, they can use " old " fuchi/kashira, tsuba, menuki , ito on a " new " or even " re-worked " wood tsuka to best fit the nakago. The process of wrapping, of course, will have to be done after the sword was made.............. sort of like getting all the original Ford Model T parts from various auto junk yards and rebiuld the Model T in your garage.......wella, a " new " model T with antique parts.

 

milt

[USMC-LCPL]

You need to dim and angle the lighting a little bit. I'm straining my eyes like hell trying to make out a hamon...

 

Do you know if this sword was properly cared for by it's previous owner? Mirror finish polishes always mean bad things...

[azizaedelam]

I don't know how previous owner handled it? Perhaps he have made some polishing on his own? It probably

isn't possible for an amateur, but is it possible to remove the effect of the last polish in some way? I guess one have to

make a new polish then, in effect, to see if its worth polish, you have to polish it ? :? Or can i wash in some solution? Pure alcohol, like 96%? Sorry (language issue here) what do you mean by dim? You mean light when photographing? Thanks for all information anyway, much appreciated.

[USMC-LCPL]

Sometimes, when photographing a perfectly good and in-polish blade, bright lighting makes it impossible to capture the details. However, if you angle the lighting (45 Degrees works for me,) then the Hamon and Grain of the steel become much more visible.

 

However, if the blade has had a polishing agent or electric buffer taken to it, it will shine like a mirror even if the lighting is perfect. I'm just not sure if it's the lighting or the polish. Can you see a hamon if you hold the blade at an angel?

[azizaedelam]

Thanks for info :-). I will try this. I can see a hamon, but its not very visible, and it's straight, can see it in the boshi also. But all the hamon (and boshi) are kind of shiny, like it has been affected more then other parts, by a polish of some kind. Again, much thanks for all info.