My First Gunto Blade Signed

[DanielGJ]

Hello everyone, this is my first gunto blade signed in shirasaya, it is an O-wakizashi 58'5 cm nagasa and is in a very good state could be said to shine as fake souvenir and has no bumps or rust , and the hamon is clear from the machi to the kissaki, it is very collectable, a greeting to all. Daniel

[Bazza]

Hi Daniel,

 

I hope you have a tsunagi in the original (Shingunto??) koshirae ...

 

BaZZa.

[kyushukairu]

Hello Daniel,

If you were not previously aware, your sword is signed 'Noshu ju Kojima Katsumasa' (濃州住小島勝正作)
 

[vajo]

Never saw a showa-to Wakizashi.

Looks cool.

[Bruce Pennington]

Very beautiful Daniel! The smith obviously put some real effort into making this! The Seki stamp means that it was made in a non-traditional way in some form or fashion.

 

Very nice.

[Shamsy]

  On 5/10/2018 at 3:26 PM, vajo said:

Never saw a showa-to Wakizashi.

Looks cool.

I had a wakizashi with a Seki stamp a few years ago Chris. Very unusual. One of the board members owns it now. I'll see if I can find photos.

[Dave R]

  On 5/10/2018 at 3:26 PM, vajo said:

Never saw a showa-to Wakizashi.

Looks cool.

 

 They are not common, but they do pop up from time to time. There are a few posted on this this site in fact.

[DanielGJ]

hello, thanks for the comments I'm glad you like it and I did not know that wakizashi showato are not common, that makes me happier because what is not common is often said "special", a greeting to all. Daniel from Barcelona.

[Stephen]

I dont see how you guys can think this is a wakizashi. Look at the nakago. Ever see one that long? Hamachi moved way up!

[DanielGJ]

You are right Stephen, for a Westerner, could be Katana but for a Japanese, if the nagasa is not the measure of katana is an O-wakizashi, I think they are based on the nagasa not on the nakago, a greeting. Daniel

[Stephen]

Research the moving of hamachi.

 

It was katana to start with.

[vajo]

Hamon ends correct. I did not see munemachi Stephen.

[DanielGJ]

Hamon ends correct? I think so , thanks . Daniel

[Shamsy]

  On 5/10/2018 at 9:27 PM, Shamsy said:

I had a wakizashi with a Seki stamp a few years ago Chris. Very unusual. One of the board members owns it now. I'll see if I can find photos.

Apologies for the tardiness of the reply. Here is the stamped wakizashi I used to own. As mentioned, it now belongs to another board member. Interestingly the very bottom part of the saya is a wooden insert, to increase overall length.

[vajo]

Steve i had last a discussion about oil hardned blades. Maybe your wakizashi is made before the war and stamped by bring it to the war? Is that possible? Looks also nice.

[Shamsy]

I'm not entirely sure Chris, but that could be an explanation. The fittings, other than the leather cover and saya shoe are all civilian, so it could be a sword that entered service. However, I thought it was fairly well agreed upon that the stamp indicated non-traditional methods of construction? I'm really not certain.

[vajo]

What i know is that some nihonto swords before the showa period are oil hardened and e.g. non traditionell. Some say that is nonsense others say it is true. I have a shin-shinto maybe shinto sword that looks like hardened in oil. Maybe and this is speculative with this "bring your sword to war" theme, they passed inspection and get the stamp?

[PNSSHOGUN]

Commissioned piece is my take on it.