Handachi - I recently Picked up

[Lareon]

Here's a Handachi I picked up recently. underneath the neglect on the blade I can see the hamon but found it really difficult to pick up in a photo in the light conditions I have at the moment.

I can also see the hada which I've also tried the capture but again is hard to photo through the damage to the blade.

 

It has a solid nick in the blade towards the kissaki, I like to imagine this from another blade but who knows.  

The Blade is 83cm (or 32.67 inches)

whatever was written on the mei is lost / beyond my ability to record.
I'm not even sure if it isn't just damage of some kind and the sword is unsigned.

 

 

 

 

[ChrisW]

It is most definitely signed. And is the overall length 32" or is the blade edge length 32" ?

[vajo]

 

Looks like the mei was removed.

Its a nice old warrior - i like it.

[Lareon]

 

29 minutes ago, ChrisW said:

It is most definitely signed. And is the overall length 32" or is the blade edge length 32" ?

 

The Blade itself is 32"

quite the handful

[Lareon]

17 minutes ago, vajo said:

Looks like the mei was removed.

Its a nice old warrior - i like it.

 

yeah I like it, it's got quite a lot of character. will try and take a rubbing of the nakago to pick up any of the mei that remains but i can't really see anything it picking anything else up

 

[Geraint]

Dear Tony.

 

I really like that koshirae!.

 

All the best.

[Jussi Ekholm]

This is highly speculative as the signature is very faint but I would guess it could be 月山作 - Gassan saku. You can see reference signature here: Gassan with saku added after seems to be much rarer way of signing than just Gassan based on the small data I have on Gassan signatures. Gassan smiths often worked in style that is quite easy to pinpoint. Unfortunately the sword is currently out of polish so it makes identifying features bit difficult.

[Ray Singer]

I would definitely agree with Jussi here that the mei is appears to read Gassan saku. 

[Rivkin]

Being even more arrogant I would argue its shoshin!!!

There is heavy Yamato flavor in the hamon, with large angle hotsure together with what little we can see in hada - might be ayasugi.

Judging by the sugata its probably also among the earlier ones. Nice.

[Wolfmanreid]

Nice looking kirikomi on the mune. That sword has definitely “been there, done that”.  It would have some tales to tell I’m sure. 

[Franco D]

9 hours ago, Lareon said:

The Blade is 83cm (or 32.67 inches)

 

 

 

This sword deserves careful attention. Meaning it deserves a good shinsa and an excellent Japanese polish.

If it were mine, I would definitely seek out Mr. Tanobe's sans thoughts at the very least.

 

Relaying the following thoughts from a good friend, a mentor, and a very experienced collector; "Yoshikawa Koan said , with saku it is ko Gassan, and pre Oei date. The sugata kind of match ."

 

Congratulations.

 

 

[Brian]

Funny, because as I was scrolling down and came to the pics, I thought to myself "Is that ayasugi I see?" and then scrolled further and saw the Gassan answers.
So yes...you may have quite a significant find there. And this is one of those cases where an expensive professional evaluation and polish may just be worth it. Get it seen to by a professional. Don't let it deteriorate further. And ignore lowball pm offers as I am sure you will get. Good luck and keep us updated.

[Stephen]

Could we see the machi sans habaki?

Possibly ubu? Completely bare blade (sugata)

It certainly would be a find.

[Bazza]

It seems to be a tachi, yet katana mei??  A very handsome looking sword that needs top-level evaluation.

 

BaZZa.

[Lareon]

6 hours ago, Franco D said:

 

 

 

This sword deserves careful attention. Meaning it deserves a good shinsa and an excellent Japanese polish.

If it were mine, I would definitely seek out Mr. Tanobe's sans thoughts at the very least.

 

Relaying the following thoughts from a good friend, a mentor, and a very experienced collector; "Yoshikawa Koan said , with saku it is ko Gassan, and pre Oei date. The sugata kind of match ."

 

Congratulations.

 

 

 

Thank you Franco, How would I go about Contacting Mr Tanobe?


 

7 hours ago, Wolfmanreid said:

Nice looking kirikomi on the mune. That sword has definitely “been there, done that”.  It would have some tales to tell I’m sure. 

Yes I really like it, when i bought the sword the blade was unseen as it only had a single zoomed out picture, i couldn't even see the detail properly on the koshirae. When i took it out for inspection the kirikomi was to me a lovely addition.

 

 

4 hours ago, Brian said:

Funny, because as I was scrolling down and came to the pics, I thought to myself "Is that ayasugi I see?" and then scrolled further and saw the Gassan answers.
So yes...you may have quite a significant find there. And this is one of those cases where an expensive professional evaluation and polish may just be worth it. Get it seen to by a professional. Don't let it deteriorate further. And ignore lowball pm offers as I am sure you will get. Good luck and keep us updated.

Brian yes the hada very much looks to be ayasugi, i've waited until it was daylight in the uk to try and take a few more pictures to pick it up clearer which i shall post after this post.
I will take it to a professional. There was the recommendation of a Mr Tanobe who i shall track down

Also i did receive and offer to buy it, almost instantly after I posted but I mostly want to study it and get the pleasure of slowly watching the craftmanship come back to life. Even the lowliest beat up gunto i own that I threaten to sell every time i take it out to check on it gets a fond pat and put back in it's place once I'm done.

 

1 hour ago, Stephen said:

Could we see the machi sans habaki?

Possibly ubu? Completely bare blade (sugata)

It certainly would be a find.

 

Coming up

 

Thanks for all the responses
 


 

[Lareon]

I tried in many light conditions and two cameras to try and pick up as much as i could on the blade. It's oiled and put away for now as i will be travelling soon but at the weekend i can take photos if more are wanted. 

 

 

[Lareon]

[vajo]

14 hours ago, Lareon said:

 

yeah I like it, it's got quite a lot of character. will try and take a rubbing of the nakago to pick up any of the mei that remains but i can't really see anything it picking anything else up

 

No, don't do it. Do nothing on this blade. And further don't touch the fittings by cleaning or anything else.

[Lareon]

[Lareon]

Just now, vajo said:

No, don't do it. Do nothing on this blade. And further don't touch the fittings by cleaning or anything else.

Since the post last night i have only taken photos and now just oiled the blade lightly for storage.
I wont do anything else

[Stephen]

Pretty sure the koshiare will paper as well....so to press one more pix if you care to please.

Blade up, full shot no fittings.

Like 

[PNSSHOGUN]

1 hour ago, vajo said:

No, don't do it. Do nothing on this blade. And further don't touch the fittings by cleaning or anything else.

Chris do you understand how Oshigata are made? He seems to be talking about making a charcoal rubbing to better identify the Mei. This is done on the National Treasure swords, no risk!

[Lareon]

3 hours ago, Stephen said:

Pretty sure the koshiare will paper as well....so to press one more pix if you care to please.

Blade up, full shot no fittings.

 

here's the best i could do with my current location and phone camera

 

at the weekend i'll have my DSLR so will be able to take some better more detailed photos instead of with my phone

 

(this is also just one side of the blade flipped instead of both sides)

 

added a straightened image

 

 

 

[Lareon]

2 hours ago, PNSSHOGUN said:

Chris do you understand how Oshigata are made? He seems to be talking about making a charcoal rubbing to better identify the Mei. This is done on the National Treasure swords, no risk!

 

yes I was going to do a charcoal rubbing

[Stephen]

57 minutes ago, Lareon said:

added a straightened image

Yes looks better....somekind of wonderful!!!

These finds makes up for all wtf blades our eyes have to deal with.

Hope in a year or so to see fully polished and juyo!!! Haha 

Thaks for extra pic.

 

[Lareon]

5 minutes ago, Stephen said:

Yes looks better....somekind of wonderful!!!

These finds makes up for all wtf blades our eyes have to deal with.

Hope in a year or so to see fully polished and juyo!!! Haha 

Thaks for extra pic.

 

 

any tips on who i should contact and in what order would be great (I'm in the UK)

 

I'm currently writing an email to the to-ken society of GB to get advice but would love some guidance on who to talk to from the forum.

 

Tony

 

 

 

 

[vajo]

3 hours ago, PNSSHOGUN said:

Chris do you understand how Oshigata are made? He seems to be talking about making a charcoal rubbing to better identify the Mei. This is done on the National Treasure swords, no risk!

Chris do you understand how Oshigata are made?

 

John, english is not my native language but i fear you call me an idiot? 

If someone wrotes he wants to rub on a nakago my understanding is that he wants to remove patination/ rust. If someone says he wants to make a charcoal rubbing than it would be clear. But he doesn't wrote that.

 

But what the heck. 

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

No offense meant Chris, I figured something got lost in translation!

[Stephen]

Being your in UK i think you're on the right track. Im sorry if ive forgot is Clive Sinclair still active guys? you could try connecting with Paul Martin he could get you going where you want to go but he lives in Japan but he goes back to the UK now and then, he's an English bloke.

[Franco D]

7 hours ago, Lareon said:

Thank you Franco, How would I go about Contacting Mr Tanobe?

 

 

I think someone in the To-Ken society of GB may be able to help put you in touch with Mr. Tanobe. This would be a good time and be very helpful for you to become a member of the NBTHK in this way too. 

 

Among some of the first nihonto I saw when beginning on this nihonto journey almost 30 years ago was a Ko Gassan which was quite impressive with its undulating ayasugi hada and the steel which had the look of silk.