Please Help With Info And Translation

[angus]

Brought back to the states from Japan WW2.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge .
Kris.

[Grey Doffin]

I think Bishu Osafune Norimitsu.

Grey

[Bugyotsuji]

Loving the koshirae!

[Geraint]

Well I agree with Grey and Piers.  What a find!  Time to go slow and appraise carefully.   I know that if I found that I'd be very happy.

Late mounts but lots to like, especially the ladybird.  Is the kozuka dented or just worn?

 

All the best.

[angus]

Well I agree with Grey and Piers.  What a find!  Time to go slow and appraise carefully.   I know that if I found that I'd be very happy.

Late mounts but lots to like, especially the ladybird.  Is the kozuka dented or just worn?

 

All the best.

The kozuka IS dented I am hard pressed to decide if it is a feature of the art or rather through handling.

[angus]

Grey,

Thank you for taking the time to comment,

I respect your opinion.

[b.hennick]

Dream koshirae fora retired biology teacher 

[Surfson]

Kris, I think that it is in the art, since the kogai, which is solid, appears to have the same indentations.  

[angus]

Geraint,

 

How late would you place these mounts ? and the blade is there any hope of determining the age from the Mei I posted ?

 

Thanks again.

 

Kris..

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Very nice Koshirae...

[Geraint]

Dear Kris.

 

I tend to agree with Robert about the marks, particularly with regard to the mark toward the hilt end of the wari kogai.  I would guess that the koshirae is late shinshinto, most of them, that is this type, seem to be.

 

The blade has a date on the other side but I can't make it out I'm afraid.  If I had to guess I would say Sue koto but have a look here,  http://www.sho-shin.com/sue3.htm

 

From your pictures the sword appears to be out of polish but if the mei stands a chance of being genuine then I would say certainly worth a proper polish.  

 

Forgive me, I don't know how much you already understand about Japanese swords but by polish I mean that done by a Japanese trained polisher who will know how to care for the blade properly.  

I think your next step should be to try to get to a local sword society to show this to some people in hand who can advise you.

 

If nothing else then you at least know that Grey and I are a little bit jealous.

 

Enjoy.

[angus]

Geraint,

 

Thank you for the information / I have read a bit on the aspects of polishing and have found I think 100$ an inch with a 6 month wait and only if the Mei is right on.

I have had the opportunity to own several Swords from Veterans estates and this one is far different from the rest.

I almost always post what I come across here in one thread or another for ID and information.

 

 

Thanks again for taking the time.

[SteveM]

The date looks like 應永廿年二月 

Ōei 20 (1413), February 

 

The mekugi ana has obliterated the 永 part of the date, however we can assume that its 應永 because the strange kanji under the mekugi ana is a variation of the kanji 廿 (20). There was only one era that started with 應～ and had more than twenty years, which is 應永. All the other eras that used 應～ lasted for just a few years before some disaster or other thing prompted a change in era names. 

 

If 1413, it points to 3rd generation Norimitsu, which Markus notes there are few examples.  

 

As usual, none of this indicates authenticity, but it makes me very curious about the blade. 

[angus]

The date looks like 應永廿年二月 

Ōei 20 (1413), February 

 

The mekugi ana has obliterated the 永 part of the date, however we can assume that its 應永 because the strange kanji under the mekugi ana is a variation of the kanji 廿 (20). There was only one era that started with 應～ and had more than twenty years, which is 應永. All the other eras that used 應～ lasted for just a few years before some disaster or other thing prompted a change in era names. 

 

If 1413, it points to 3rd generation Norimitsu, which Markus notes there are few examples.  

 

As usual, none of this indicates authenticity, but it makes me very curious about the blade. 

 

Steve,

 

That date allowed  me to  consider the relevance of everything around me. Strange how these objects provoke thoughts of mortality on more than one level.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and to everyone for that matter who has commented.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Kris, I would also like to get a better look at the jihada & hamon. Can you please take the bare blade, & take a few photos like this:

 

 

If you can show us a couple of shots like that along its length, we should be able to tell you if the blade is worth polishing.That bright line is called the nioi-guchi, by the way, & should be unbroken from the machi area down its whole length.

[angus]

Kris, I would also like to get a better look at the jihada & hamon. Can you please take the bare blade, & take a few photos like this:

 

Bright nioiguchi.jpg

 

If you can show us a couple of shots like that along its length, we should be able to tell you if the blade is worth polishing.That bright line is called the nioi-guchi, by the way, & should be unbroken from the machi area down its whole length.

Ken,

I will be happy to take more photos of the blade in different lighting  / I will get them up By Tuesday or Wed of next week.

[angus]

I never realized how difficult it is to photograph a faded hamone.

Hopefully these photos will give the viewer an idea as to what the story is with the blade.

Thanks,

Kris.

[Ken-Hawaii]

You're right, Kris, it IS difficult to get good photos, but at least there's a bit more info that I can see. There is a midare hamon of sorts, but I can't tell if it's continuous. The boshi looks to be chu-maru on the ura side. There are a couple of minor nicks on the cutting edge, but nothing serious.

 

What you have right now is a traditionally-made blade that could well date to very-early Muromachi, but is thoroughly beaten up. As caretakers, we should be cautious of anything that might shorten its lifetime, and polishing it would likely remove a lot of metal. Even now, its mei, jidai, & even the bo-hi are difficult to identify, & cleaning up the blade will make the bo-hi even shallower.

 

With the lovely koshirae, I'd be tempted to get the blade polished, but I can't advise you to have it done....

[Geraint]

Dear Kris.

 

This would be a no brainer fr me, get it polished properly.  Given the quality of the koshirae then it doesn't even matter if it turns out to be gimei, (false signature).  I would certainly want to take the gamble; on one hand there is a chance this might turn out to be genuine and Steve's analysis of the mei makes that an interesting possibility.  On the other hand a blade in proper polish is always going to be more interesting to both you and whoever is the custodian of the sword next time.

 

Of course Ken is right the soe- bi, (small groove) is looking thin and would get thinner or even disappear in some places but the bo hi will survive just fine

 

Well it's your sword so of course your call but if you do decide to get it polished then we look forward to hearing about it and seeing it.

 

Whatever you do, do not go cheap on this one, do your research and pay for the proper polish.  It's a small investment for this sword.

 

All the best..

[angus]

Thank you both for the review and I am happy that it's a keeper if and when I have the work done I will post it here.

[Brian]

There is always the option of a window done by a qualified togishi?

[angus]

Brian,

That is certainly an option and thanks for bringing it to the table.

[angus]

Would anyone care to speculate a value for this item ? without papers and proper polish etc.

[Surfson]

Kris, I would say in the $3-4K range.  

[angus]

Thank you for the price range / it is good to know.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hello,

 

At this point I would second Brian's suggestion of having a window inserted before going ahead with the full polish. While any number of polishers can do a window, if there are no problems (including a good mei), suggest getting this piece into the hands of an excellent fully trained polisher.

[angus]

Thank you all for the information and the great feedback as far as how to progress / as finances allow I will likely move slowly and will continue updating those who have reached out to me via PM as well as this thread.

 

Cheers,

Kris S..