Any guesses?

[Brian]

Hi all,
There is a wakizashi that I am selling for someone locally. But turns out I have a custom knife in my collection that the owner wants, and we may be able to do a trade. The waki isn't cheap...but the knife didn't cost me too much and the waki has nice fittings. So I am considering it, since there wouldn't be any money laid out. Anyways...value isn't the concern here.
It is mumei, and I was wondering if anything on this sword rings any bells as far as school or maker is concerned. The yakidashi seems Shinto to me, but maybe the sword is shinshinto?
I don't have very good pics, and it isn't in a great polish. The hamon does seem to be fairly unique though. Maybe o-gunome leaning towards hakoba? Hako-midare?
Not a lot to go on, but I was curious if any guesses at all are possible.
Thanks in advance.

[Gilles]

Dear Brian,

 

I used to have a sword like that with a similar hamon in a shin-gunto koshirae (leather covered saya). The blade was also mumei with a very similar nakago and reputed to be shin-shinto.

This one seems to be shin-shinto too.

 

Just my two cents......

[dwmc]

Brian,

Decent wakizashi, I wouldn't hesitate to make the trade!

I can't say what era the sword is, but here are a few of my Shinto nakago for comparison. If I were to guess, I would say the one you are considering would be Shinshinto.

Basically judging from nakago and yasurime appearance.

 

[Brian]

Blade isn't the main interest here I think. Here is a pic or 2 of the fittings. Not superb, but nice. It also has a decent kogai and a kozuka/kogatana.
Tsuba isn't bad either.

 

[John A Stuart]

I;ve a notion of Echizen and later shinto period, just as an aside. The pine crane fittings are very nice, the whole koshirae is rather tight and fine. Not a bad trade. John

[MHC]

From my machinist eye, the Mekugiana appears to be drilled, not punched, so not too old??

 

Mark

[vajo]

Its a nice package in my eyes. I would go with a ShinShinto utushi of an older work. Look at the hamon in the boshi. And it has a fine looking kaga work nakago.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Don't know what the custom knife is you're thinking of trading but it sure can't have as much fine work and quality as this Wakizashi.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Yakidashi on both sides indicates an ubu blade, & usually Shinto. I like the hamon, but can't hazard a guess from your photos.

 

Looking at the tsuka, I don't see any wear on the tsukimaki where they cross, so it's probably modern, but nothing wrong with that. Nice fittings, too. I'd also vote for the trade.

[ROKUJURO]

2 hours ago, vajo said:

.... has a fine looking kaga work nakago.

Not KAGA, see picture

[vajo]

For me it is an utushi of Kaga Kiyomitsu.

Compare the hamon of the waki with works of him.

 

 

[ROKUJURO]

Chris,

that may well be in the style of KIYOMITSU, but perhaps not an UTSUSHI. I meant the shape of NAKAGO JIRI. In Brian's photo, it is an IRIYAMAGATA JIRI. Typical KAGA NAKAGO JIRI is different.

Taken from MEIBOKU:  IRIYAMAGATA JIRI was named after a particular shape of woodsman's axe. It is seen on some Yamato swords, those made in the Hokuriku region, and some blades produced during the Shintô period.

[vajo]

I made this from Brians photo. Its not typical shinto to me, more shinshinto as an utushi of an older sword. These hamon in the boshi is to eye catching. So my guess was Kiyomitsu. But you are right it has not a kaga nakago, thats look different.

 

[Brian]

Thanks Chris, great pic. I'll try and get some more pics done...nice to have a digital diagram like that. Very tip of the kissaki was broken at some point and it needs reshaping. Plenty of boshi left.
I still need to add your other pic to the faq...will get there.
You keep doing nice digital oshigata like that, and you are going to find yourself with a sideline business
 

[Jacques D.]

16 hours ago, MHC said:

From my machinist eye, the Mekugiana appears to be drilled, not punched, so not too old??

 

Mark

 

It's not a valid argument, punched mekugi ana perfectly circular are not that uncommon.  

[Ooitame]

First instinct is shinshinto, but could not rule out meji.

[ChrisW]

Having no horse in this race and no expertise, I still think it is a well-made and attractive piece. Buy the blade and not the name/story as it were. Well, in this case, trade for it. But I think the whole package is attractive, even if the koshirae is fairly modern. I'd go for it!

[SAS]

Nice koshirae and decent blade, shinshinto feel, the hamon reminds me of someone, but my books are far away. i would go for the trade.

[Bugyotsuji]

If that’s Table Mountain in the Hamon, and you are not too heavily attached to your knife, then trade is surely a no-brainer. Besides, you will still have hours of sleuthing fun ahead of you.

[Brian]

For anyone who collects modern knives..it's a Shirogorov 110 Kickstop. It's an awesome flipper, and an easy $1700 on the secondary market. So the waki isn't cheap. But it fits into my main interests better, and add a kozuka and kogai, I think antique swords will hold value better than modern customs.
I'll do the deal. And then spend a few months trying to replace that knife anyways

[Tom Darling]

Hi Brian,

 

I had a sword very much like yours, many years ago, it was from the Heianjo group - muromachi period.  But,  it could be later, most likely shinto, pointing to the yakidashi, and simple boshi.

 

Regards,

 

Tom

Edited April 13, 2021 by Tom Darling
adding further info

[MHC]

Hello Jacques,

It's not a round hole that gives away a drilled hole (usually), it's the perfectly symmetric, evenly pushed out burr on the back side, that is still very thin but still has a crisp edge on the burr. An older punched hole would(should) have aged by now, without a thin sharp burr still remaining.

But it's just an observation from a small photo, so.......

Mark

[lonely panet]

Tamba school?

[16k]

I would go with early Shinshinto or late Shinto. I think the sugata looks Shinto but the very clean nakago sure rings Shinshinto.

[Rich S]

Brian

 

Just my $0.02 worth, but I'd keep the wak (very nice) any day over a fancy modern Russian folder (and I'm primary a knife guy).

Rich

[Brian]

I did
But I really miss that fancy Russian folder. Going to find a way to get one back.
The wak is showing some nice stuff under the right light. I'll try some video over the weekend. Fittings are very nice. Kogai is soft metal that bends easily in hand. Some form of copper? But it's a good one.

[Rich S]

Brian

 

Wise choice. I'll bet that fancy Shiro doesn't cut any better than my SAK Tinker or Rough Ryder flipper  (both about $20  each) 

Rich