New Member Needing Help Identify an Aikuchi!

[warrantsto]

Good afternoon!  Please bear with me with my first post and request for information ( newly signed member).  The following information are the ones I have measured myself in regards to the Tanto:

 

Nagasa - 22 cm

Nagako - Mumei

Blade - Osoraku

Moto-haha - 4 mm

Base witdh - 23 mm

Kurigata - looks like black horn

Saya - Not sure if it’s lacquered but it has embossed butterfly.

Koshirae - Aikuchi style

 

I could not find during my research an example of this simple koshirae and the embossed design intrigues me.  I am also not sure if the Kogai is original to the koshirae.  

 

I’ve had this Tanto but did not pay attention to the details.  Now that my interest in learning about Nihonto as an art form, maybe I could learn more about this tanto.  I am really not sure if it qualifies in that category.  Any comments or recommendation will be greatly appreciated.           

 

 

 

[16k]

Not an expert but am tempted to say Koto, Mino, probably Muromachi. But wait until the real experts give their opinion

[warrantsto]

Additional photos of the Aikuchi tanto.

 

[16k]

Probably wrong about the date, more likely early Shinto. Unless the yasurime I see are not Keisho.

[Ganko]

I believe the kohirae is what is called "Topei style", it shows a european influence and was popular during the late Edo period. I think the blade with it's osoraku-zukuri  shape is probably contemporary to it. It is a dragon fly in the lacquer. A nice package.

[warrantsto]

Tom C

 

Thank you for the correction about the dragonfly.  I don’t know why I typed butterfly.

[vajo]

Welcome Arnel.

First congratulation for your good photos! 

 

The koshirae is topei as Tom said. A nice piece. The Blade is interesting in my eyes - would go for a kaiken. I would say a shinto piece. Nice bizen styled hamon. The yokote is set on the middle of the blade.

 

 

Not as much sori as this 

 

But this in the picture is a late edo piece

 

[ROKUJURO]

Welcome Amel!

An interesting and not often seen blade type! Looking at the NAKAGO (not nagako) I have the impression that it might be a very late blade - perhaps MEIJI period, but it is difficult to judge from photos. With a proper restoration, it will probably look very attractive.

[warrantsto]

Chris S,

 

 I learned another word ( sori ) and what it meant.  That tanto looks amazing.  

 

All,

 

Thank you for the information provided.  I did not realize what history lies behind the tanto I have.

[SAS]

Your blade would look awesome in polish, cool shape.

[vajo]

 

I'm not a expert but this hamon reminds my on toran styled. I would look to sukehiro in kanbun (shinto) to compare it. Your piece is very intersting and i would go for a polish too as Steve and Jean say. It could be a gem. Take care on the koshirae too.

[Alex A]

A later Shinshinto blade that harks back to Shimada Sukemune, im no expert either by the way

[Shugyosha]

Apologies to the OP and I'm happy to be shouted down here, but am I the only one thinking that there is something off about the sugata?

 

It gives me the impression of someone having added the yokote to a shobu zukuri blade. There's something not quite right for me about the way that the blade tapers significantly immediately after the yokote. Also the nakago shinogi looks like it has been tampered with and I'm wondering whether the blade has been pimped to make it a more attractive sell. 

 

Perhaps some photographs from the mune side would confirm whether the kissaki is genuine or just cosmetic?

 

I'll retreat to my bunker...

[Grey Doffin]

For what it's worth (not much) my 1st impression also was that something isn't right.  The placement of the yokote seemed artificial and the fact that the yasurime have been messed with is a red flag.  I'm not sure by a long shot of this and will be happy to be proven wrong; I wait to hear from those with more experience than I have.

Grey

[Tom Darling]

Hello, what's up with this blade, starts off with one mekugi-ana and than becomes two mekugi-ana?  Have I been in quarantine too long?

 

 

Tom D.

[vajo]

Haha Tom my picture was only to show him the place of the yokote and the different polish. With an example from the www  

Please forgive my posting.

[warrantsto]

Thanks to everyone!  It’s been very interesting reading all the commentary.  This is a good learning process for novices like me, understanding the complexity of different blades.

 

For a quick background about the tanto, I found it the flea market for $75 dollars just to keep as a conversation piece.  Not until I signed up in this forum where my curiosity gets tickled by the wealth of information available.  Whether this blade is somewhat genuine or not, I treasure more the information you all provided. 

 

There’s an interesting mune shape above the yokote/kissaki.

 

 

[Brian]

Arnel,
I don't think there is any doubt that this is a genuine Japanese sword, with a few hundred years on it. The question I think is regarding the shape. Was it altered to have a more unusual shape, or is the shape original. But for the price, you have got a real bargain anyways, and it is a real sword.

[Ken-Hawaii]

That may turn out to be the most-expensive $75 you ever spent, Arnel! Welcome to NMB, & an expensive hobby.

 

Please don't try to clean the nakago! I hope it wasn't you, but the dark "crust" provies a lot of information on jidai (age), & should never be messed with.

 

I have a Gendaito with almost exactly the same sugata & yokote placement, so I don't see anything unusual about this blade. Shinshinto Mino.

[Dave R]

 Regarding the nakago, I wonder if it has had a signature removed? 

[warrantsto]

All, thank you very much for the detailed comments, review and advise.  I will definitely take heed, hear the experts before making a decision.  It’s addicting, like my day is not complete unless I check the forum for comments to read.  Reading literature is the foundation of learning but compared to my military service, we learned a lot from other’s hands on experience, positive or negative. 

 

Ken, you are definitely right when you said “That may turn out to be the most-expensive $75 you ever spent”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dave R]

You might find this interesting, these blades could be won as part of a women's bridal outfit! In this case neatly tucked away in a special bag.

[warrantsto]

Dave,

 

That is really interesting.  Started me to read more about the traditional way the tanto could have been carried, especially by women and it’s purpose.

[Tigerinbamboo]

Warrantso,

The purpose is protection.

Like deodorant.

Only sharper.

 

I think I'm getting corono-giddy...

[Brian]

Sharp yes, but not as sharp as you Kathleen

[Dave R]

Dave,

 

That is really interesting.  Started me to read more about the traditional way the tanto could have been carried, especially by women and it’s purpose.

 

 Apparently they could be given as a wedding present even.

[Tom Darling]

  Hi Amel,  your aikuchi (tanto) blade is very interesting indeed.  There is an exact same (shape) type, illustrated in 'The Baur Collection'  (Robertson) .1980 Catalog..  # B206 cat.

 

  Grey Doffin (sword books)  might have Catalog available if you're interested. Good luck.

 

 

 

  Tom D.

[Geraint]

And here it starts!  You know that feeling where you think you might have got yourself into something that is going to end up costing you?  

 

That is a lovely book, and by chance Grey does have one for sale, just in.  But it's going to cost you a lot more than your tanto.

 

If you are bitten and want to study there are some books that we would all recommend that will ease you into the collectors library.  Mind you, if you do go for the Bauer collection likely you will never recover.  It's a feast of beautiful things.

 

All the best.