question to the wakisashi

[rodrig4]

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• Hello.
  I follow the advice that has been given to me and I therefore ask for an opinion on this blade of wakisashi.
  here are some features that I hope will be sufficient to establish an aproximation.
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• Jidai date: appears to be Koto period (古刀, pre-1596) based on some features of the blade.
• Sugata structure: Shinogi-zukuri
• Mune: Iori-mune
• Boshi head: Ko-maru
• Kitae hada: Mokume
• Hamon temper lines: O-midare
• Nakago tang: Ha-agari Kuri-jiri
• Yasuri-me: Katte-sagari
• Mekugi hole: One
• Habaki collar: Dual piece copper

Size (approximation):

• Cutting edge length (per registration): 44.9 cm (17 11/16")
• Nakago tang length: 14.3 cm (5 5/8")
• Whole blade length: 59.2 cm (23 5/16")
• Moto-haba: 30 mm
• Saki-haba: 21.5 mm
• Moto-gasane: 6 mm
• Saki-gasane: 4.5 mm
• Sori curve: 11 mm
• Kissaki point: 36 mm
• Fitting: 66 cm (26")
• Tsuka handle: 16.8 cm (6 5/8")

Weight (approximation):

• Bare blade: 457 g (1.01 lb)
• With fitting: 933 g (2.06 lb)

Cordially.

 

     Rodriguez.

 

[Brian]

Sounds like a high5japan eBay description.
So expect an entry level export of a sword that won't sell easily in Japan. Real, but nothing special.

[Greg F]

Hi Rodriguez, i dont know the price of the sword you've shown but Brian is right although occasionally high5 Japan do sell ok deals. I bought a nice Wakizashi with pretty good fittings for less than half it was worth but that was probably because I was lucky to get thd winning bid at a good price. Just remember that NMB is a much safer place to buy from than ebay when it comes to quality and honest sellers and not to mention it helps to keep this great place going. Good luck.

 

Greg

[SteveM]

Hello Rodriguez,

 

Did the seller say what the inscription on the tang says? And, I guess this doesn't come with any authentication papers?

 

It looks like a very typical wakizashi. It doesn't look kotō to me, but more like late 1600s shintō. The sword market is not in love with wakizashi from this period (as Brian says, difficult to sell in Japan, unless it is a very fine work from a very fine swordsmith). Therefore I'm interested in the inscription. The craftsmanship looks OK from what I can see. The description of the hamon is missing a word, I think probably o-midare chōji. The mokume hada could be interesting, although it looks slightly rough in the photos, but this could be a trick of the photography. It looks like it could benefit from a new polish. The fact that it is unshortened is a good thing. It looks generally healthy, which is another good thing. So, it is better than many swords we see (which often turn out to be non-Japanese fakes). But it would have to be an exceptionally good wakizashi to stand out from the vast crowd of average wakizashi. From the photos, I cannot tell if it is exceptionally good. All I can say is that it is not bad, and it has the potential to be something decent. 

[Ken-Hawaii]

Sugata appears Shinto. Hamon is a cross between Bizen-type choji & Mino-type togari, & with Bizen-type mokume hada. The one yakidashi I can see makes it look ubu. Nothing particularly unusual or outstanding, as others have pointed out. I'd like to see the blade after a polish, although I doubt its increased value would match that cost.

[Tom Darling]

With all do respect, I wouldn't care to see the blade after polish. Save your money. Peace.

 

 

 

Tom D.