Authentication / Appraisal - Yoshikane

[JAF]

Hello all. 

I don't know if this is the correct forum to place this question, but I was wondering if anyone could help me identify how to have a sword authenticated?  I posted on this message board a couple of years ago some pictures of a sword I have and the response from a member identified the signature as Yoshikane (吉包), Enpō (延宝, 1673-1681), Chikuzen – „Chikuzen-jū Minamoto Nobukuni Yoshikane“

I would like to have it authenticated to see if it is real or a replica.  I live in the US and was hoping someone could point me to a person or organization that I could speak to find out the process for authentication.  I'm aware of the Shinsa process, but it seems the shows are few and would require travelling to one of their locations.  Is there another reputable way for authentication?  Any help in pointing me to a person / organization / website that I could reach out to and discuss this further?   Thank you in advance for your help and if I posted in the wrong forum I apologize.  Below are a few pictures of the sword:

 

[Geraint]

Dear Jim.

 

As I am sure you already know from the answers to your previous post this is a genuine Japanese sword, there is no question of it being a replica.  There is the question of whether the signature is genuine or not and for that you really need to get it to shinsa, either in the States or by sending it to Japan.  There are one or two people who offer a service to import your sword for you and see it through shinsa.

 

No western opinion is going to carry marketable weight, though showing it to someone expert might get you an idea about whether to send it to shinsa or not.

 

To start with have a good look here,  http://www.nihonto.com/11-7-17/  Bear in mind this is a sword already papered and in polish, neither of which applies to yours.  It is also in rather fabulous koshirae.  It might be worth it to you to have the sword imported by an agent in Japan, polished and put into shirasaya and then sent to shinsa but the money will start adding up.  You might prefer to keep it, safe in the knowledge that it is genuine but without authenticating the signature.

 

Your sword, your call but I have to admit I would be very tempted to go for the polish. Just make very sure that you only use a trained polisher, some of the people offering this in the West will ruin your sword and charge you for doing it.  Ask here for recommendations, this is not the time to think about saving a few dollars.

 

Nice sword, enjoy.

 

All the best.

[seattle1]

Hello:

 You have received sound advice from Geraint. It can be said with almost 100% confidence that the signature is correct, however many things cannot been seen via this visual medium and to get a better feeling for quality level, from which you could infer something about value, it needs to go to shinsa. It is my understanding that there will be one next February at the Tampa sword show either by the NTHK (Yoshikawa) or its more or less mirror image the NTHK (NPO). Of course it could go to Japan too.

 Arnold F.