Katana with Horimono and Haiku or Cutting Legend on Blade?

[Tonkotsu]

Here is a sword that I have had for decades. There is a dragon carved into the blade and I think it has a haiku or it was suggested a cutting legend engraved on the tang? Any help would be appreciated. There is also some verdigris on the tsuba. Can someone please suggest the best way of removing it without damaging the tsuba.

Thank you,

Dick

[Shugyosha]

Yes it’s a cutting test done on the 9th August in the first year of Kanbun by Yamano Kauemon Nagahisa. Cut through three bodies.

 

interesting signature on the other side: Nagasone kotetsu nyudo Okisato...very big name. 

[Rivkin]

I don't know what to say... This needs papers. To me the signature looks gimei. Very good fuchi-kashira. Tsuba is likely Nagoyamono but very good for the type.

[16k]

You know the saying:

"out of 10 Kotetsu, 11 are fake". Still, nice mountings and if real, you’ve scored the jackpot!

[Brian]

Horimono is not the best. But with that sort of inscription and a well cut mei, this is not one I would leave hanging around for decades. This needs a shinsa and/or a decent polish.
The mounts are lovely. LOVE the f/k.
This needs TLC!

[Shugyosha]

A couple of articles here by Markus Sesko on Kajihei, the famous forger of Kotetsu signatures:

 

https://markussesko.com/2019/12/31/kajihei-鍛冶平/

 

https://markussesko.com/2014/05/11/on-a-probably-fake-kinzogan-tameshi-mei/

[Brano]

The mounts are really very nice
But the sugata is, in my opinion, Muromachi

[Tonkotsu]

Thank you all for the information and comments. What should I do now???

[Ian B3HR2UH]

I don't think that this has got a hope in hell of being genuine . Years ago I saw a similar piece with a crude horimono , engraved cutting test and Kotetsu mei . I am certain that that piece was a showa fake . I would take yours to someone who knows what they are talking about for an opinion before wasting money on shinsa.

Ian Brooks

[16k]

Ian is right. Try and find someone knowledgeable (not easy I know) near you who can see it in hand. Then, there's shinsa, but youll have to sendit to the US or Japan so maybe not worth it if Gimei. That's the tragedy for us people not living in the US or Japan. You have several swords that have clear potential, but no means to really check for sure without engaging costly expenses that might be for nothing...

[vajo]

10 hours ago, Tonkotsu said:

Thank you all for the information and comments. What should I do now???

Sell it to me 😊

[Stefan]

Bad  news  first. the blade is gimei. the shape is wrong, the  horimono  is  not  in the  Kotetsu manner.  The  hori is of  no good  quality. -Atobori ? I do not konw. Signature  looks  also bad.

Goode news : The  F.K  are  realy  good, i would think  early  hamano.

[Tonkotsu]

Thank you again for all of your comments. From what I have read (being able to research the sword from all of the fantastic information members of the forum have given me) out of ten swords made by Nagasone kotetsu nyudo Okisato, eleven were fake. That does note bode well for my sword. Even if a fake I think the sword has a lot going for it from an artistic point of view. As far as the blade goes the horimono is not bad. Not the best by any stretch of the imagination, some horimono are amazing examples of the engravers art, but better than many of the images I have seen on line. I think the chiseling of the calligraphy on the blade was done by a very skilled craftsman. The characters flow beautifully. I wonder if this is the work of Kajihei who was an expert with the chisel and one of the best fakers of all times. I also think the fuchi, kashira, menuki and tsuba are very nice. All in all a sword with very artistic qualities. Thank you to everyone who has helped me in my search for information on my sword.

Dick

[vajo]

Gimei or not. I like the whole package as it is. Its very eyecandy and tastefull and the nakago chiseling is well made. Congrats to you to have that sword. With a nice polish it would look like stunning. 

[16k]

Yes, it’s a very nice package, and though I don’t have the competence to say whether it is Gimei or not, I wouldn’t necessarily dismiss the possibility that it might be the real deal. It takes a lot of skills to know a fake signature and I’m not sure there are that many people here able to do that, especially with just a picture in hand.

[Jacques]

No need to say it's 100% gimei with an horrible horimono

[Tom Darling]

I like the menuki.