Gunto information

[Edward Mahle]

Trying to get a appraisal on my gendatio beautiful blade traditionally made signed Kanetsugu in good condition with no chips and has original thickness and accessories.

 

[george trotter]

You already know the smith's name...maybe just look him up on-line? Joshu ju Imai Kanetsugu saku.

Just for starters, he is in Slough p.71.

BTW very nice looking blade/hamon.

Have fun...

[francois2605]

In case you don't have the book George mentioned.

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Edward,

Does you nakago have the star at the top, like the one in Slough's page?  How about stamped numbers at the bottom?

 

Wondering why you called it a "gunto", too.  The tsuka and tsuba are civil.  Is the saya the leather-covered wood?  Admittedly, Kanetsugu was an RJT smith, but there were actually some swords sold on the private, civil, market during the war too. 

[vajo]

That proud sword lying on a dirty trashcan makes me cry 😭

[Bruce Pennington]

2 minutes ago, vajo said:

trashcan

It’s just a plastic storage bin, Chris!

[vajo]

58 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

It’s just a plastic storage bin, Chris!

 

Makes it better? 

 

[Edward Mahle]

I already saw the trashcan thing coming I'm sorry I was at work haha. So no star stamp or numbers at the bottom of the tang but signature's match perfect.

[Edward Mahle]

[Edward Mahle]

[Edward Mahle]

Ko Mokume hada is a hard one to take pictures of, it glitters in the light gorgeous.

[vajo]

Ed it looks better now 👍

 

Give the leather some care with lanolin it will be look smooth and colorfull.

[Edward Mahle]

That is a great idea my friend, thank you for the comments I agree with you it definitely deserves a better spot then that but it was nice of bruce to have my back alittle hahah.

[Bruce Pennington]

Edward,

Thanks for the photos of the saya!  It was definitely mounted for the war, with the leather covered saya.  I've seen a couple of these - swords made by wartime smiths, mounted with civil fittings, but then fitted with a military saya for the war.  It would be interesting to know the story of the blade and the route it took from smith, to maybe a civilian, who then read the pleas from the Army for donations (the army would buy the swords from owners, too) for the war effort.

[Edward Mahle]

I think that is what makes Nihonto's a mysterious artifact is the long story behind them of how they got to where they are today. I definitely feel very honored to have something like this and I find it very important to preserve it for that reason alone, survived a gruesome war but its road ends in suburban America just doesn't sit right with me.

[Bruce Pennington]

1 hour ago, Edward Mahle said:

survived a gruesome war but its road ends in suburban America just doesn't sit right with me.

Those of us who preserve history are the living conscience of our society.  "Suburban" may be where we're located, but it has nothing to do with the importance of what we do.

 

A P.S. on the "gunto" label - I just saw an expanded view of the tsuka and can see the army menugi.  So, it definitely was a civil sword re-fitted for the war.