Harvey Posted July 25, 2008 Report Posted July 25, 2008 Hello to all, I'm looking to purchase this and would like to know what you think about it. Is it worth $500? Sorry but these are the only photos I have. Thanks for any and all help. Harvey Quote
Brian Posted July 25, 2008 Report Posted July 25, 2008 In my personal opinion, no. The nakago is badly shaped and the machi are all wrong. The ana is badly placed and it just doesn't have the lines a decent tanto should have. It looks to me like a WW2 personal dagger, which would have this kind of badly shaped grooves and nakago, and in that case I would expect the hamon to be oil quenched and similar to a showato. No forging or hada. Just calling what I see from the pics. (edit...which were there a few minutes ago but now seem gone?) Brian Quote
Harvey Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Posted July 25, 2008 Thanks Brian, I think I messed up posting the photos. Here's another attempt. Quote
remzy Posted July 25, 2008 Report Posted July 25, 2008 I would have to agree with Brian there, looks like a "kamikaze" tanto. Far from what i would want to purchase but i hear some person collection these exclusively. Quote
Guest reinhard Posted July 25, 2008 Report Posted July 25, 2008 From an "art-sword" point of view, it looks real bad. Even if it were a blade from a "kamikaze dirk", a collector of militaria would probably expect a mounting and/or documents confirming its background. reinhard Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted July 26, 2008 Report Posted July 26, 2008 I've seen broken katana or wakizashi blade sections that have been refashioned into tanto. Would this be a possibility here, I wonder? Quote
Brian Posted July 26, 2008 Report Posted July 26, 2008 I considered that it might be the front of a longer blade, but the geometry, look and mounts are consistent with one of the WW2 personal tantos (sometimes called kamikaze dirks" and either way it doesn't appear to be a good deal unless you are after militaria and not Nihonto. Brian Quote
Mike Posted July 26, 2008 Report Posted July 26, 2008 Hi, IMHO it looks like badly shortened and reshaped wakizashi. The machi has been mooved up and nakago was shortened, it is possible to see the remains of the original (?) mekugi ana on the nakagojiri. I wouldn't touch it. Mike Quote
Hermes Posted July 26, 2008 Report Posted July 26, 2008 I have over a dozen kamikaze dirks and it doesn't really matter if it was shortened or not IMO, worth these days would be around $300 and even at that price i would pass on this one, it has a very plain home made shirasaya and a pewter Habaki with a so so blade. The prices on Ebay are down right now on WWII dirks, i bought most of mine before they went through the roof, seen some very nice ones sell for up to $1000 as soon as last year, now prices are down and i agree with this Forum, they are not Nihonto in most cases for sure, just oil quenched and plain steel. A lot of them were made after WWII to sell to GI's and collectors as War Trophies. James Quote
Hermes Posted July 26, 2008 Report Posted July 26, 2008 Here is three of mine, the top one i would say was made after the War, they used to sell for as little as $45 years ago, the center one was made during the War and came in a silk bag to hang around your neck, the lower one was made during the War as well. James Quote
Harvey Posted July 27, 2008 Author Report Posted July 27, 2008 My thanks to all for your advice and assistance. Quote
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