Tanto identifaction and care

[Philli]

Hello, I recently bought this tanto at an auction for 20 usd. The pictures didn't show the nakago (so I was pretty excited when I found out that it was signed), and it was simply described as an "oriental dagger" but I think it might have some age? I have never owned or even handled a Nihonto in person before so any information regarding the age, style, maker, regional origin etc of the blade and the koshirae is greatly appreciated!

 

I also have some more specific questions:

 

1. Restoration of the handle: I would like to get the handle rewrapped by a professional, though the menuki are sadly missing. Should I purchase a pair that matches the motif on the kozuka, and would it be okay if they didn't match 100% and perhaps simply featured a bow like these ones: Tsuba Superior Menuki 018 Red Copper Background Bow and Arrow Diagram Peri | eBay ?

 

2. Restoration of the blade: The blade is slightly rusty from fingerprints - would it make sense monetarily to have this blade professionally polished in Japan, and if not is there something I could do myself?

 

 

[ChrisW]

First and most important thing: do not attempt ANY restoration work yourself.

 

Second thing to do: clean it with guidance provided here! Per the care guide on the forum here: ( I just cut and pasted it for you)

The starting point to preserving a blade is to pick up some light machine oil, the type sold for sewing machines, or some traditional oil for Japanese blades which is called choji oil. This refers to clove oil, but is actually a light machine oil mixed with a tiny bit of clove oil just for the pleasant traditional scent. Do not use pure pharmaceutical clove oil. Many other oils such as gun oils and vegetable oil can gum up, leave stains or have other adverse effects over time.
A few drops on a clean and soft cloth, lightly wiped over the blade when it has been handled should do the trick. In climates that are less humid, cleaning does not have to be done very frequently. Less is more when it comes to Nihonto. Uchiko powder and commercial sword cleaning balls containing powdered abrasive should generally be reserved for blades heavily out of polish, and even then very sparingly. They can be used occasionally on Nihonto to remove old oil, but bear in mind that they are abrasive and will dull a new polish over time. Removal of old oil can easily be done with pure alcohol, otherwise known as dehydrated alcohol or waterless ethanol. This is 99.5% pure alcohol.
Be careful when cleaning the area close to the tang - try to avoid moving the tissue up from the nakago - the tissue might pick up rust particles from the nakago (tang) and scratch the blade. Move the tissue in one direction - from the tang to the tip. Never ever move your hand up and down - you could cut yourself badly some day (and blood will stain a blade.)
Scented or otherwise hampered tissue paper is be avoided. Normal tissue is fine and a lot easier to get a hold of. The best cloth to use is micro fiber cloth, sold for photographic lenses. Microdear is known as the best of these brands and can be found online. These can be washed in water when they get too dirty.
For newly polished blades or newly made blades, the following is the traditional routine:- For the first 3 months, the blade has to be cleaned every week because it can rust easily. After that it is cleaned once a month for 3-6 months and then only every 6 months. It has to be cleaned every time you use it or show it to someone. It has to be cleaned every month for 3-6 months if you move it out of its usual resting place (you move to a new house where the humidity level is different).

 

Also, do not do anything to the tang, leave the black rust on the tang as it is. Also, leave any removal of deeper rust to a professional. If you need to remove any lose rust or gunk on the blade itself before oiling it, use as high a purity of isopropyl alcohol that you can find (electronics grade is usually good for that). Avoid abrasive materials.

 

I would wait for those who can translate to give you an opinion on the quality of the blade, but if the koshirae ensemble is any indication, it appears to be of good quality.

[Brian]

Good grief. That is a hell of a score!
Looks decent. Horimono isn't terrible. If it were me, and I was into it for so little, I would consider a restoration, at least have it polished and put into shirasaya.
Speak to Ted Tenold or one of the few US guys who can do a decent polish. May take time and cost a fair amount, but the per inch cost on a tanto that you paid $20 can only benefit it. have them open a small area of polishing and tell you if it's worth it, but seems we can see the hamon already and the blade looks decent.
Lots of pitfalls too, so don't get too excited, but this does appear to be a very decent purchase. I'm sure what you have there currently is worth over $1000.
well done.

[Brian]

As for menuki etc, I am sure there are a bunch of guys on this forum that can do you a much better deal. Matching isn't crazy important on these, usually the fuchi and kashira are more of a match.

[ROKUJURO]

Filip,

welcome to the NMB!

It looks as if you have got a YOROIDOSHI. I can't read the signature properly, it may be KATSUSHIGE. The date could be like CHÔKYÔ (late 15th century), but that is not safe. Signatures and dates have often been faked.

Follow the recommendations from Chris above and don't rush with any action unless an expert has seen this in hand.

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Filip,

Your tanto looks to be quite nice; I doubt anyone would go to the expense of the quality lacquer job on the scabbard if the blade wasn't quality also. Here is a more thorough care and cleaning brochure with pictures: https://nbthk-ab2.org/sword-characteristics/

Nothing wrong with you finding a decent set of menuki and a competent handle wrapper to have the handle restored now but I'm going to suggest you hold off on polish. As long as there is no active red rust on the blade (which appears to be the case), a polish will do nothing to preserve the blade; it won't degrade and there is no need to hurry. Polishes are easily spoiled (scratched, stained, whatever) and beginning collectors are often the culprits. Polishes are expensive and every one removes precious skin steel, eventually exposing the less refined core steel (at which point we call the blade "tired"); you don't want to waste a polish.

I suggest you take some time to learn more than you presently know about Nihonto. The more you know before you have the tanto polished, the happier you'll be with the results.

When the time comes, expect a proper polish to include: polishing the blade, possibly a new habaki, shirasaya (plain wood mounts, you don't put a newly polished blade into the old lacquered scabbard because there may be something inside that would degrade the polish), and a tsunagi (wood blade to hold the old mounts together). This will cost at least $1,500, most likely more. You could save some money if you gave the tanto to an improperly trained, amateur polisher but that would be a terrible thing to do (and may, in the long run, be far more expensive if he makes a mess of it). Decent menuki and handle wrap will cost maybe another $500 or so. Waiting to have both jobs done at the same time likely will save money.

Take the time to understand what you're up to; I doubt you'll regret it.

Grey

 

[Philli]

Thanks for all the interesting replies so far! I am only handling the blade with either cotton gloves or a piece of cloth, and I will look into getting some oil to prevent further degradation. As for restoration, I am in no rush since I'm currently not planning on selling it and will research it further before proceeding (and hopefully I will have come across some fun menuki before that point in time).

 

Based on what ROKUJORO wrote about it possibly being a Yoroi-Doshi (armor-piercer), would this indicate that it was originally made for military personnel (ie samurai)?

Edited November 12, 2022 by Philli

[SteveM]

Jean above is right about the smith's name: Katsushige (勝重作 - Made by Katsushige).

 

Reverse side says

長囗人所持

"Owned by Naga囗-"

 

The second character is lost due to the hole in the tang. Could be 門. I don't know if the three together form a name or a title/job.

 

Signature on the kozuka is 政長 (Masanaga). There are a few Masanagas. Hard to say which one this is. Anyway, late Edo metalsmith is my guess. 

 

[Okan]

This one deserves a good polish 👍

[ROKUJURO]

3 hours ago, Philli said:

......it possibly being a Yoroi-Doshi (armor-piercer), would this indicate that it was originally made for military personnel (ie samurai)?

Filip,

with few exceptions (= rich merchants in EDO era), swords were only made for SAMURAI. A YOROIDOSHI is a typical SAMURAI weapon that came up in MUROMACHI era.

[Rivkin]

Deep, highly slanted yasurime I also think screams shinshinto, as do a few other points. Horimono is not too bad, there is a chance its ok tanto. The signature is hm... Its difficult to say. Katsushige is not a bit name, but I could not easily find a nijimei example that late. This is probably a later, unrecorded generation of Harima Katsushige or unknown signature of Owari Katsushige (early Meiji).

[Philli]

Thanks yet again for all the replies! It's circa 10mm thick at the base if anyones wondering. I have tried to take a few better pictures of the blade itself in my lightbox:

[Philli]

[drbvac]

I really didn;t think that this sort of quality showed up much at general auctions any longer and for certain there could not have been many folks present who would have any idea what they were bidding on - well done - may make me want to go to more auctions as a lot of these nice blades may be still out there in peoples attics and no one left in the family with any idea what it is!!

[Fuuten]

How wrong could you go for 20USD! For a real Japanese blade, you couldn't have done better

 

Count me in-terested to see what comes of it and whether or not you decide to have it restored.

[Philli]

Indeed, I feel very fortunate and I hope this tanto will aid me in learning more about the subject and Japanese art / culture in general! I have now oiled it with sewing-machine oil (mineral oil) and I took some more pictures of the blade without the habaki while I was at it: