Interesting Piece

[James]

Not sure about this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... AQ:US:1123

 

I wonder if Moriyama-san or Morita-san can help out here.

 

Note the difference in patina of the nakago from the side with the kin mei and the other side with the kaji's mei... strange.

[Hermes]

I noticed this one as well, black electrical tape always catches my eye, i was wondering about the nakago when i first looked at it, but the hole looks in the same place in both pictures, maybe someone used a cloth with oil to clean one side, for a better picture?

 

James

[Nobody]

Judging from the writing on the saya, the sword seems to have once belonged to Butokukai (武徳會). But I am not familiar with that era.

Ref. http://www.dnbk.org/

 

The inscription on the blade may be the name of a Shinto god; Susanoo (武速素盞雄命 – Takehaya Susanoo no mikoto?).

Ref. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susanoo

 

The mei reads 越之å‰å·žä½å…¼æ¤ (Koshi no mae no kuni ju Kanetane – reading?); = Kanetane in Echizen. The inscription on the other side of the nakago is a Setsudan-mei performed by Yamano Kanjuro Hisahide (山野勘å郎久英).

 

I suspect that the mei side was once cleaned and the rust is new. :?:

[James]

I've looked him up in Fujishiro's and I think it is shoshin of the Echizen Kanetane in the Shinto era.

This has made me think - would the NBTHK paper a blade that has a legitimate mei but has had the nakago's patina cleaned off?

[Grey Doffin]

I think it's pretty sure that the mei side of the nakago has been abrasively cleaned. If the nakago were repatinated properly, and if the mei is right, and if the cut test is legit, and if the fact that this Shinto blade has been shortened doesn't present too large a problem (a bunch of ifs), the NBTHK might give this blade a paper.

Grey

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

The mei reads 越之å‰å·žä½å…¼æ¤ (Koshi no mae no kuni ju Kanetane – reading?); = Kanetane in Echizen

 

I believe the mei reads Etsu no Zenshu ju Kanetane 越之å‰å·žä½å…¼æ¤.

[biobasicsglobal]

Hi, I am the seller of this piece. One person stated something about electrical tape. This is not electrical tape, it is a fabric of some kind that is wrapped around the handle. Anything anyone can tell me is greatly appreciated.

[Stephen]

I contacted the seller this AM and linked up to the NMB. he sent a email saying thanks with a phone number, after a call he said he was getting alot of mail on it and will be adding some more pix soon. no black tape just damaged ito. this may turn out to be a nice find. maybe some plan english for him on the cutting test to let him know what it says?

 

Seller Ben or Jason? please sign your post here with a name so we know who were working with. thanks

[Nobody]

The mei reads 越之å‰å·žä½å…¼æ¤ (Koshi no mae no kuni ju Kanetane – reading?); = Kanetane in Echizen

I believe the mei reads Etsu no Zenshu ju Kanetane 越之å‰å·žä½å…¼æ¤.

As you might know, è¶Šå‰ (Echizen) was a part of 越国 (Koshi no kuni = Koshi province), and è¶Šå‰ literally means the near side of 越国.

“越之å‰â€ is equivalent to 越å‰, and it naturally reads “Koshi no mae (å‰)â€.

 

BTW, å·ž may also read Kuni.

[biobasicsglobal]

I wanted to thank Grey and Stephen for all of their help. They have really given me good information about this sword. We just received a standing offer of $5000 which is what the seller is asking. If he says ok we will be selling the sword today for him. I did get some new pics taken this afternoon of the sword, but it doesn't look as if I will need to post then now. Once again, I wanted to thank everyone for helping us out.

 

Jason