would love some help with identifying this katana and when and where was it made

[bcoleman]

i recently bought this katana, its pretty beaten looking and also looks like the handle got re wrapped or something as its a bit weird looking im not to sure if its real, honestly i dont really know how old it is im guessing 1500 due to shape, but not to sure would love some help with identifying who made it and when thanks.

IMG-2345-converted-compressed.pdf

[ribendao]

You would do better to remove the habaki and post a picture the sugata (whole naked blade). From the looks of it it looks like a cut down shinshinto blade. So probably newer than 1500s. Im def no expert so I could be off.

[bcoleman]

ok thank just the habaki seems to be stuck on by rust 

[Shugyosha]

Try something like WD40 to see if that will loosen it. 

[bcoleman]

4 hours ago, Shugyosha said:

Try something like WD40 to see if that will loosen it. 

yeah ok thanks i will give it a try 

[Dave R]

On 2/20/2021 at 3:26 PM, bcoleman said:

ok thank just the habaki seems to be stuck on by rust 

 

 If the habaki is stuck by rust, then it REALLY needs to come off.

[Ken-Hawaii]

The chunk taken out of the ha bothers me. If it goes completely through the hamon, it's a hagire, & kills the blade. Late Muromachi, early Shinto.

[Geraint]

Dear Ken.

 

Given what we can see of the hamon, which is not much, I would agree that the chip is a serious worry.  Not hagire though, surely?

 

 

All the best.

[Bazza]

I've been back and forward over this sword for quite some time.  This certainly isn't Daimyo stuff, but has a sort of "reserved dignity" about it.  Stretching my neck out here - does anybody think the saya could conceivably be 17th century lacquer????  Possibly the original koshirae for a Shinto blade??  The tsuba looks like the lacquer and the tsuka, simple and old.  The handle binding is in an unusual style but appears undisturbed and old.  I think the blade is Shinto, but that chip is a real killer.  I would have a window put in it.   Just thinking out loud - swish???

 

 

BaZZa.

[Shugyosha]

There’s an interesting gunome hamon going on in the last photo. Don’t think the chip goes through the hamon but there won’t be a lot left if it is taken out and the geometry will be wrecked. 

[SAS]

Throw away opinion....suriage Muromachi sword, Mino, chipped ha unlikely to be economically removed.

[bcoleman]

hi thank you all, just to mention the blade cutting edge is 120cm long, which is quiet a long blade, also i feel like the curve needs to be shown better as its was at a tiny angle there,

 

 

 

[bcoleman]

On 2/27/2021 at 3:42 AM, Ken-Hawaii said:

The chunk taken out of the ha bothers me. If it goes completely through the hamon, it's a hagire, & kills the blade. Late Muromachi, early Shinto.

its dosent go through the hamon it like 0.3 mm, so its not a dead blade

[ChrisW]

Well, that depends on if a togishi can restore the blade... such a deep chip may completely change the geometry or it may require such a large amount of the steel skin on the flat of the blade to be removed, making the blade 'tired' - where core steel is visible.

[bcoleman]

On 2/27/2021 at 10:53 AM, Bazza said:

I've been back and forward over this sword for quite some time.  This certainly isn't Daimyo stuff, but has a sort of "reserved dignity" about it.  Stretching my neck out here - does anybody think the saya could conceivably be 17th century lacquer????  Possibly the original koshirae for a Shinto blade??  The tsuba looks like the lacquer and the tsuka, simple and old.  The handle binding is in an unusual style but appears undisturbed and old.  I think the blade is Shinto, but that chip is a real killer.  I would have a window put in it.   Just thinking out loud - swish???

 

 

BaZZa.

hi thanks for feedback, what is a window? never heard of it.

 

[Rivkin]

Its rusted and not much is seen but from what is available its in Ichimonji style and boshi appears to be sugu. That can limit it either to mid-Kamakura or shinto, probably Ishido. Kamakura you would expect substantially lesser beefy blade, and the shape is a bit of a stick with some curvature, so my very preliminary guess given the condition would be 1640s, Ishido.

Would be interesting to check if boshi is really suguha. If its not, then the options are shinshinto or some koto....

[Geraint]

Dear Brian.

 

In this context a window is a small portion of the blade polished to reveal what the blade would look like if given a full polish.  The theory is you pay for a little work so that you can judge weather or not the blade deserves, and will take a full polish.  

 

All the best.