Longest/tallest habaki and the mounting of uncut nakago.

[waljamada]

Came across a sword that I just kind of find interesting, 26.5" nagasa 1.1" wide.  I thought it was neat seeing a muromachi era sword that doesnt appear to have had its nakago cut and how they mount it...I can finally actually picture the length of what "ubu nakagos" could be originally compared to the cut/shortened versions.  Secondly this sword has the longest/tallest habaki I have ever seen.  I kind of like the cut of this sword/mountings jib in a way (boshi looks gone and I can tell its been polished down a lot).  Also has a perhaps lost signature....maybe see a kuni?

 

Wondering if you guys have seen or have any other examples with really long habakis which I'm guessing is to mount it in a shorter tsuka than might otherwise be required.  Anyone have examples to share of uncut nakagos and how they were mounted?

[DirkO]

Regarding the habaki, they do pop up from time to time, but uncommon to say the least.
I have this one on file - by Funada Ikkin (Hozon papers) - so a work of art in it's own right (but used for mounting nonetheless)

 

[16k]

I really like your sword Adam. Love the katate maki on the very long tsuka. Makes it look like a real war sword. And those two Habaki are beautiful. 
 

Congrats Adam.

 

The nakago is also very rusty so looks old, but are you sure it is Muromachi? With that sugata, I would have almost bet on Shinshinto.

[waljamada]

16k I didn't purchase it, just found bits of it quite interesting and hoped to see some other examples of mounted ubu nakago.  I also really like the tsuka katate maki as it really does seem pure fighting utilitarian but still has some elegance. 

 

Im not positive of the age, going by seller description, but somewhat seems plausible.  The rust on the nakago seems younger but due to condition I assumed it could have had some rough exposure and new rust layer in recent past as I do see darker patches underneath. 

 

Also I'm not sure when the longer nakago went out of fashion but seems that most mountings ive seen even going into early edo don't seem produced at large able to hold an ubu nakago of this sort of size.  Or perhaps even this nakago is longer most ubu?  

 

The mei might be a lost cause but could help serve a better understanding of age.

 

As to the sugata its hard for me to judge as each resource I look at has slightly different standards on era shapes and I cant find anything showing how the ubu nakago were originally for each era (Maybe there never were full standards?).  I can see it looking close to a few of these eras but I agree seems closest to shin shinto actually, good eye.

 

[16k]

Like yourself, I’m not sure at all. What makes me think Shinshinto is that very long, ubu nakago with a shinobi ana often seen on Shinshinto kinnoto. Then again, I may be 100% wrong.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Glad you didn''t buy it, the Boshi appears to disappear!

[Stephen]

Magnificent Dirk!!!