Anyone know this Sword ?

[ZoomZ]

This blade is calling my name for some reason .

Has anyone ever seen it ?

What does the writing mean ?

Advertised as WWII Army pilot , Kanekura , Old Family ?

This might just be my very first real Japanese sword .

Sold by Showa22 on ebay .

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Kanekura Submitted by kazarena on Mon, 2007-05-14 20:13

金藏

初代

[Help]

△  寛文︱ 美濃

Kanekura (1st gen)

ID	KAN503
Province	Mino
Start Era	Kanbun (1661-1673)
End Era	Enpō (1673-1681)
Active Period	1661-1681
Lineage	Image / Interactive

 

Source	Rating	Reference/Page
Hawley	15	KAN503
Toko Taikan	¥2M	67

Signatures:

大和守藤原金藏

 

From The Nihontoclub.com

 

Russel,

I'd post this over on the Nihonto Forum so someone can give you an expert's opinion of the blade.  It's claiming to be from the 1600s and has that really flat curve, or sori, which is seen in some really older blades.  But the Nihonto guys can tell you more.

 

The fittings look new to me.  The tsuba has been terribly polished removing all the natural/original finish.  The ito, or handle wrap also look new, as does the leather of the saya cover.

 

I agree, it's a nice looking sword for something likely re-built recently.  If the blade is in fact old, and the asking price is reasonable, it's not a bad starter.

[Greg F]

Beware of this seller. If you search the board youll get enough info.

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

5 minutes ago, Greg F said:

Beware of this seller. If you search the board youll get enough info.

agree!  Run Russell!

[Brian]

He's not a scammer. The usual caution applies, but aside from amateur polishing and some flaws not well described, you usually get what you purchase. He's not in the same league as scammers like Samurai Monkey and others.

[Greg F]

Brian is right, I shouldve been more clear about it.  

Usually ykj could get better for your money here or elsewhere if you look around. Ebay can be very tempting,  Ive purchased a few blades from ebay and was very lucky to pay much less than the sword was worth once. Its almost always a much better idea to save as much as you can and buy from a reputable seller. 

 

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

17 minutes ago, Brian said:

He's not a scammer. The usual caution applies, but aside from amateur polishing and some flaws not well described, you usually get what you purchase. He's not in the same league as scammers like Samurai Monkey and others.

I would respectfully disagree.  After you have sold enough blades, then you know what flaws are, how to photograph and explain them, and you know shite polish.   Agree not as much of a scammer as Samurai Monkey, but he is disingenuous.  Maybe thats a better term than "scammer" 

[IJASWORDS]

Showa22 perpetuates the myth of the pilot/tank crew sword. These shorter swords are wakizashi's pressed into service during the time when the longer regular swords were in short supply. 

They are normally older blades, sold or donated, that have a leather combat cover placed over the wood saya. 

Some of these wakizashi's can be quite good old blades. 

If the pilot sword was a fact, then they would have been manufactured during the war for air crew. In fact waks made in WW2 are VERY RARE. 

These shorter swords were normally sold to officers with non-combat desk jobs, so length didn't matter. This is another reason that they are found in good condition, they were never used in combat.   

[vajo]

The condition of the sword is very good. Nice leather sheet and mountings. Blade looks good for me. The only problem with showa22 is that all of his swords get that terrible polish which look like brighten with acid.

[ZoomZ]

Thanks for the reply's guys .

 

Being a new guy to collecting im really confused now ! ! 

 

Anyone know a reputable seller ? , haha

[Ray Singer]

Separate from the seller, Kanekura is a rarely seen smith. I sold a katakiriba tanto by Kanekura at one point and there is a sword of his in the Compton collection catalog.

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

Just now, Ray Singer said:

Separate from the seller, Kanekura is a rarely seen smith. I sold a katakiriba tanto by Kanekura at one point and there is a sword of his in the Compton collection catalog.

well look at that, a reputable seller just commented in your thread @ZoomZ

[Shugyosha]

Yes, those listed under the links section in the info section above, those dealers who are board members listed in the sales section and individual members on here. 
 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

I’m with Ray, I really like this blade. If the price is right it would be worth having regardless of everything else.

[ZoomZ]

2 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

I’m with Ray, I really like this blade. If the price is right it would be worth having regardless of everything else.

What's the top dollar you would pay for this Bruce ?

 

Im so new to this i dont want to pay to much over what its worth .

 

Thanks

 

Russ

 

[Shugyosha]

Russ,

 

To some extent you’re buying the signature. However much you like the pictures of the blade, you need to be confident that the signature isn’t forged. Without papers or a lot more knowledge you can’t be. You’re new to this and taking a pace back and seeing what else is out there and just doing some learning won’t kill you. 
 

There are lots of swords for sale, often with authentication papers, so chill for a bit and look at what more reputable dealers have for sale. 
 

Most of us have been where you are and have bought without sufficient forethought and regretted it. 

[Bruce Pennington]

I see this is an auction, so the price will go where ever the buyers are willing to go.  Like John, pointed out, the price you pay should be in the range you can live with if the sword turns out to be gimei or the polish has ruined the hamon.  So for a standard WWII gunto, I wouldn't pay more than $1,400, and the auction price is already above that.  Now, of course, if the mei is legit, you could easily go $2,600, but the nihonto guys are a better source of pricing on that end of the discussion.

[Ed Harbulak]

I saw this sword on the Showa22 web site and if you look carefully, you can see the handle has been re-wrapped recently and not by someone familiar with how the Japanese would do it. 

[ZoomZ]

2 hours ago, Shugyosha said:

Russ,

 

To some extent you’re buying the signature. However much you like the pictures of the blade, you need to be confident that the signature isn’t forged. Without papers or a lot more knowledge you can’t be. You’re new to this and taking a pace back and seeing what else is out there and just doing some learning won’t kill you. 
 

There are lots of swords for sale, often with authentication papers, so chill for a bit and look at what more reputable dealers have for sale. 
 

Most of us have been where you are and have bought without sufficient forethought and regretted it. 

Wise words !

I decided to back away from that piece from Showa22 and look at Lonely Planet's koa isshin mantetsu in type 98 shin gunto .

I think that is going to be a way better piece for a noobie like myself and from a reputable person like him i dont think i can go wrong .

 

Thanks !

 

Russ

 

[ZoomZ]

36 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

I see this is an auction, so the price will go where ever the buyers are willing to go.  Like John, pointed out, the price you pay should be in the range you can live with if the sword turns out to be gimei or the polish has ruined the hamon.  So for a standard WWII gunto, I wouldn't pay more than $1,400, and the auction price is already above that.  Now, of course, if the mei is legit, you could easily go $2,600, but the nihonto guys are a better source of pricing on that end of the discussion.

I like your thinking and that make me feel better about LP's gunto he is selling .

[ZoomZ]

6 minutes ago, Ed Harbulak said:

I saw this sword on the Showa22 web site and if you look carefully, you can see the handle has been re-wrapped recently and not by someone familiar with how the Japanese would do it. 

Good eye  !

 

Bruce mentioned that also .

 

Russ

[Bruce Pennington]

You can't go wrong with a Mantetsu!!! And Hamish's gunto is worth buying.  Once you go Mantetsu, you'll never go back (to horribly misquote a well-known figure of speech)!