Requesting info and ID on unknown signed wakizashi

[Kiita]

Hello, I'm fairly new to Nihonto, I've read Sato's The Japanese Sword, as well as various collector websites, but this is my first time actually handling a Japanese sword in person. A friend of mine asked me to take a look at an old sword he had inherited from his grandfather, with the usual story that he had picked it up circa the Second World War, possibly in Japan. Unfortunately someone, probably the grandfather, had attacked the blade with a coarse sharpening stone at some point, but luckily while the blade is scratched not much metal was removed and the shape is the same as under the habaki.

 

What I can distinguish about this piece (this is essentially all guesswork, I'm not certain about any of it and I'm curious if you think I'm right or not): The hole in the nakago may be be punched, as the metal is slightly distorted around it, there are no round drill marks, and the hole tapers from both sides. There appear to be at least two small cold shuts from forge welding on one side of the spine, implying that this is tamahagane and not a modern steel gunto. There is a hamon, though it's difficult to see in person due to the scratches, and even more so to photograph. There are filemarks on the tang. It is about 7mm thick at the top of the spine, so about 8mm at its thickest point. The nakago is signed. All this predisposes me to speculate that it is not an arsenal made gunto, though I may be wrong. There are two additional kanji chiseled somewhat crudely on the top of the tang, I would guess having to do with its last refitting

 

The fittings, though unimportant to the blade itself, lend some provenance, so I will describe them: The habaki is a layer or silver over some other metal, possibly copper, and seems very crude, though it fits the blade and sheath well. The tsuba is iron, no casting seams visible, base texture is filed, with an intricate vinelike inlay of metal that has tarnished to a deep blue-black, no signature I could find. The seppa are copper or brass with a coined pattern around the edges. The remaining fittings are brass, well made but simple, with a basketweave type pattern carved into them. The sheath shows hand carving on the inside and tip, made to fit a kogatana, and originally had a kurikata, though it came off at some point. The brownish paint and place where a metal cap once was glued on make me think it was military.

 

So, all that in mind, I would like to humbly request a translation of the signature if anyone recognizes it, and general thoughts on what the thing actually is and its age.

[Ray Singer]

Yamato no kami Fujiwara Tadayuki 

[Kiita]

On 5/14/2022 at 8:51 PM, Ray Singer said:

Yamato no kami Fujiwara Tadayuki 

Much appreciated, thank you.

[Bazza]

Aaron,

 

FWIW, the habaki looks as if it has been damaged previously, but at the same time the bluish tinge where it butts up to the tsuba suggests an oxidation colour of a couple hundred years more or less.  This is a colour I have on some very old habaki of swords I have.  It is an oxidation colour due to age and being near the scabbard opening and ought not be polished off.  However, at the same time the habaki surface has a 'newish' look as if it has been polished within the last hundred years (i.e., since the end of WW2) and the silver has repatinated.

 

BaZZa.

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by Bazza
amendment

[Kiita]

37 minutes ago, Bazza said:

Aaron,

 

FWIW, the habaki looks as if it has been damaged previously, but at the same time the bluish tinge where it butts up to the tsuba suggests an oxidation colour of a couple hundred years more or less.  This is a colour I have on some very old habaki of swords I have.  It is an oxidation colour due to age and being near the scabbard opening and ought not be polished off.  However, at the same time the habaki surface has a 'newish' look as if it has been polished within the last hundred years (i.e., since the end of WW2) and the silver has repatinated.

 

BaZZa.

 

 

Interesting. It doesn't seem very solid, either from damage or poor original construction, one side flexes and pops like a jar lid when pressed. Here's a closer view of it, plus the tsuba, which I thought was pleasantly subdued looking. Any guesses what the inlaid metal forming the pattern is? Silver or copper alloy maybe?

[AntiquarianCat]

The shape (Saki-sori + Wide mihaba) looks Muromachi to my eyes.

[Jacques D.]

Shinto Bungo smiths (2 generation) early XVIII century