Help identifying a tanto please (Kantei )

[Mark]

I have a tanto that i am having trouble trying to understand.  It is quite "light" It is 11 1/16" overall, nagasa 8". Blade is Uchizori and the nakago has sori. it is 3/16" thick at the machi. So i think old (but how old?). It has Suguba temper.  The hard thing for me to figure out is the hada, it is unusual (to me) and distinctive, O-mokume that is clear and gives the impression of almost 2 types of metal being used. The blade is scratched and out of polish so hard to see everything.  I am hoping someone will see this and know what it is.  I thought maybe Shithara but the mokume  flows too much, it doesn't seem ayasugi so i don't think Gassan, but it gives me the feeling of something from up north. 

 

It appears there may be two kanji but i can't see enough to attempt to read, maybe someone will recognize it??

 

any input or direction appreciated.

[ROKUJURO]

Mark,

I am not of great help when it comes to KANTEI on this blade, but when you mention the 'two metals' being used in the making, I immediately thought of an old polished down blade (which is obvious if you look at the MUNE, photo 3). It might be the SHINGANE coming through. This might help our experts to locate a school as some TANTO were made in KOBUSE technique. 

[Rivkin]

I think its definitely crosses into ayasugi hada. It is not always sine waves, can be connected "O" as well. Gassan is a possibility here. Sometimes one also finds similar hada with such smiths as Fuyuhiro (possible here) or Naminohira, Kongobuye (far less likely here).

[DoTanuki yokai]

I throw one more in, the kaifu. 

[Jacques]

18 hours ago, ROKUJURO said:

Mark,
. It might be the SHINGANE coming through. 

There is no shingane in tanto.

[Mark]

thanks to all so far. I appreciate the information.  I guess ayasugi is possible but in my experience the hada is not so rough or clear, i usually see finer hada even if not exact ayasugi, this seems just to "heavy" "thick" etc (hard for me to describe).  I agree with Jacques i don't think shingane, it is too clear and organized, i would expect shingane to be "flat" dull" etc, and being a tanto i didn't think it was made with core steel. 

 

Does anyone see the remains of a mei?  looks to me like something was there but the lower hole punched through it.

[Ronin 47]

It has a bit if a uzumaki-hada or shitahara hada feel to it, but I guess it could also be Uda (宇多)? I don't think it is Gassan, the hada tends to be a bit more consistent there, even on the Koto examples. Is the habuchi in nie or nioi-deki?

 

AR 

[Mark]

seems nioi-deki  i have had shitahara hada blades before and it didn't seems like that. I will have to look into Uda

[ROKUJURO]

3 hours ago, Jacques D. said:

There is no shingane in tanto.

Jacques,

really? Never ever, 100% through all eras and schools?

I have read that composite constructions were made, although MUKU or MARU (mono steel) was indeed prevalent.

[Jacques]

Composite are used since Muromachi but not for tanto as they are too short. Kobuse, makuri,  were mainly used for economic purposes (very strong demand and stagnant steel production), it allowed to produce more swords with the same amount of good steel.

[Soshin]

Hello Mark,

 

I was thinking Uda School based upon the hamon but I had a papered Uda Kunimune tantō that didn't have such course ji-hada like your tantō does and overall it was healthier and looked more refined. This is the extent of my limited knowledge and a mostly a Japanese fittings collector.    

[Peter Bleed]

My first reaction was that this could be a much thinned ayasugi blade. I'd still bet on Gassan. Does anybody else see trace of a signature?

Peter

[Ray Singer]

Mark, I would look at 貞弘 as one possibility for the mei.

 

I think that the mune has been lowered and the length reduced, rather than this specific uchizori, nagasa & sugata being original to the blade.

 

Regards,

Ray

 

[Mark]

thanks Ray....  i will look into that next week, busy with show preparations.