Curved blade tanto

[Steffieeee]

Hi, can anyone tell me anything about this dagger I've bought? I love the goldwork on it and it's 'as found' . I haven't really seen this style of blade before, the back spine is pretty thick and strong. I can't get the grip off at the moment to see the tang. If anyone has the matching kashira and kozuka please let me know!

 

Regards Stef

[Bugyotsuji]

Not in very good condition, but plenty to enjoy there. The whole package gives me strong indications of Higo in Kyushu. 

 

Please be careful when removing the tsuka (hilt) from the nakago (tang). Best to ask someone who knows what they are doing. And if you do get it off, leave the rust as is for the time being. (Black rust good.) 

[Steffieeee]

Is the curved blade and flared saya tip a regional thing? Or just a fashion/personal preference? I assume this is 19th century.

 

Yes I will refrain from using my screwdriver on this occasion. It works with African stuff... Gold and lacquer work not so much

[Geraint]

Hi Stef.

 

Nice find, as Piers says Higo koshirae.  With some TLC this could be an attractive tanto.  The end of the saya is something that one does come across but it is unusual.  Look forward to seeing what the nakago is like.

 

Please forgive me if I am stating the obvious but the mekugi looks as if it is horn and should push out from the side where the kodzuka would go.

 

It should be possible to find the pieces you are missing  as the gold nunome on iron  is fairly typical for this style of fitting, a pair of menuki which do not need to match and a rebind and it should look grand.

 

All the best.

[Steffieeee]

Thanks geraint. Piers. Yes the pin is horn. The most annoying thing is the broken horn loop thing on the side (don't know the name) I assume for hanging, which almost stopped me buying it. I will keep my eyes peeled for a kashira to match

[Bugyotsuji]

The style of blade is Kanmuri-otoshi-zukuri, and according to Nakayama Kokan is often seen in blades by smiths of the Yamato province and related schools at the beginning of the Kamakura Period. (1182) 

 

The 'curve' of a blade is called 'sori' and will often be able to tell you something about its age, varying as it does both in degree of curvature, and whereabouts on the blade it occurs more strongly.

[Steffieeee]

Thanks Piers very interesting. Is it worth getting a blade like this polished or a waste of money.? Unfortunately the very point of this is damaged just like my other sword blade, slightly annoying.

[Bugyotsuji]

The wari-kogai (split side insert) is a nice feature; you are lucky to have that. 

 

As to a polish viability, I'll leave that to others. The point does not look too bad in the above shots. A good polisher should be able to advise you and answer your questions.

Can you get some angled shots under different lights along the blade (lower edge below the shinogi line) to show up any activity you see there?

[Steffieeee]

Don't think these are going to be any use at all, the blade is quite shiny.. hard to take pics. I can see a hamon going along the edge of the blade up to the tip and along the back edge too.. kaeri..? Think that's the term

[Ken-Hawaii]

Yes, kaeri is the term for hamon turnback in the boshi. The illumination is too high to see many details, Stef. Can you post a shot or two of the completely-bare blade?

[Steffieeee]

I certainly will when I manage to get the tsuka off! It's a short blade approx 19 cms to habiki. Am I right in saying this would called an aikuchi than a tanto or kaiken?

[ROKUJURO]

I certainly will when I manage to get the tsuka off! It's a short blade approx 19 cm to HABAKI. Am I right in saying this would be called an aikuchi rather than a tanto or kaiken?

AIKUCHI are a form of TANTO which have no TSUKA-ITO. Yours is a TANTO. The missing horn piece on the SAYA (KURIGATA) is not crucial and can be replaced. It is NOT for hanging the TANTO on a wall!

[SAS]

Worth a polish if the cost is not objectionable; I do not see any problems for a competent polisher in the photos.

[Guido]

AIKUCHI are a form of TANTO which has no TSUKA-ITO. Yours is a TANTO.

 

Tantō are blades of up to 1 shaku (30.3 cm). Aikuchi are koshirae (mostly for tantō) that don’t have a tsuba. Tsuka only covered in samegawa, without tsukaito, are called dashizame-tsuka.

 

The tantō in question clearly lost its tsukaito (i.e. not intended to be dashizame) and is otherwise mounted as an aikuchi.

[Ganko]

Well worth polishing, I recently saw a similar shaped one by Chounsai Toshimune. Looking forward to seeing the signature on yours.

[Steffieeee]

If the blade has any great age older than 19th century I'm going to be extremely happy! Assumed it was a 19thc thing, thanks for all your comments. Will post nakago when it's visible

[Bugyotsuji]

Be prepared for anything. There were frequent revivalist movements throughout Japan's sword history, and the 19th C saw one of the largest of these.

[Steffieeee]

Hmm. Well managed to remove it with some gentle tapping eventually. Nothing underneath... Mumei ... ????. Can the shape patina tell anything? From my own limited experience so far I'd guess this is indeed an 18th or 19th century patina, not anything koto. The file marks are pretty clear so maybe that says something

[ROKUJURO]

Steffie,

looks like 19th century to me.

Is there a lot of oil on the blade? That should not happen! Please make sure that no oil gets into the SAYA, otherwise the blade will be scratched! 

[Steffieeee]

Yes I oiled it..

[Guido]

Btw, the flared, angled sayajiri is called denchū-kojiri 殿中鐺, because it resembles a certain type of straw hat:

 

Here’s a koshirae of mine, the kojiri is *very* heavy. I dare to say that this one is more useful as a club than using the smallish blade it houses: