84.7cm Kiku Ichi Tachi…..lots of help needed please.

[Matsunoki]

Apologies for long post and many images

This is the longest sword I’ve ever handled so it came home with me purely on that basis….rightly or wrongly.

 I’m (as usual) confused and need help PLEASE with Smith/Mei, authenticity (gimei?) and even how it was worn. For a UK discovered sword it’s not in such bad condition! Hamon looks to be in nioi choji gunome  (hint of sanbonsugi ?) with a very long yakidashi. No discernible hada in this polish but very densely forged. Possible Muji or Nashiji?

My attempt at the Tachi Mei is “Kiku Ichi Bizen Osafune ju”…not sure re last character and even  Bizen looks a bit strange to me.

The Tachi mounts have a mon (oxalis?) and the tsuba is a monster in iron with associated waterwheel menuki. Nice piece of same. Saya has had extensive repairs and the aogai lacquer, once nice, is now pretty ruined. It has just one ashi that doesn’t match the rest of the mounts. Double gilt habaki.

I am seeking your kind help and opinions - (my library is very limited as is my knowledge)

Who is the smith?  (Bizen Sukenaga …Hawley SUK756??)

Gimei?

Worn  as a Tachi or slung across the back? (Just one ashi)

Dimensions-

Nagasa 84.7cm

motohaba 3.3cm

sakihaba 2.64 cm

motokasane 7.7mm

sakikasane 5.54mm

sori 2.4cm

kokissaki

 

 

 

 

 

[Matsunoki]

[Matsunoki]

[Michaelr]

I am not sure what you have and sorry I can’t help with any of the details but I really like it. Hope it turns out to be more that you expected. Thank you for sharing   

  MikeR 

[Jussi Ekholm]

I think the signature is 備陽長船住人 - Biyō Osafune jūnin. It is kind of rare form that was used by Yokoyama Bizen smiths. Looks like an interesting find

[Rivkin]

Its a very nice shinshinto Yokoyama Bizen blade, hope for major smith within the group.

Good mounts also. 

[DoTanuki yokai]

It should be Sukenaga i think, isnt the other side signed ?

Hamon looks promising to be shoshin and they made some long swords.

The Kikumon and bishu osafune junin looks suspicuos to me but it could be special. (I dont like it but still a nice find )

[Matsunoki]

5 minutes ago, DoTanuki yokai said:

It should be Sukenaga i think, isnt the other side signed ?

Hamon looks promising to be shoshin and they made some long swords.

The Kikumon and bishu osafune junin looks suspicuos to me but it could be special. (I dont like it but still a nice find )

Nothing on the other side. 

[DoTanuki yokai]

I want to say that i love what i see of the blade but what i dont like is the Mei. (just if it was unclear in my last post)

Could be made for an event but i have never seen this style of signature, maybe someone with a better library then me or the NBTHK can tell.

[Okan]

Looks 備陽長船住 But somethings wrong with the signature..Gimei or not I like it

[Rivkin]

Correcting myself a bit - one of those cases when the work does look Yokoyama Bizen and a good one at least to me at least from little seen, but can't say anything about the signature, don't know them that well.

[Matsunoki]

Once again I thank you all for your time, comments and opinions. I don’t feel quite so inadequate about my confusion now!  
Jussi thankfully pointed out to me that the Mei did not in fact contain the smiths name, nor was it Bizen Osafune but instead it read Biyo Osafune (used by Bizen Yokoyama) so it seems we rely upon just the “Kiku Ichi” together with the place of manufacture.

This leaves open the question of which (if any) of the Yokoyama Bizen smiths made it. Also why didn’t they add their name or could it have been made for a ceremony or Shrine…..or similar. I guess l/we will never know but I’d love to hear your theories. 
“In hand” the sword is (imo) beautifully forged and quenched but of course as usual for UK the condition makes it difficult to get good images.

I bet it was a real looker when it was all crisp and fresh.

Thanks again.

Colin

[NewB]

The photos are not revealing much. It looks like it has the features of the Yokoyama Bizen however I looked at my papered one and there are many things that are off. Definitely worth trying to paper and then polish. 

Regards

 

J.

[Matsunoki]

Thanks again. Now that I have an idea what I might be looking for I’ve found this old link of the forum. 
any opinions?