Constricted nakago-ana

[Spartancrest]

Has anyone seen a more narrowed nakago-ana? The tang [nakago] would have to be extemely thin to pass through this aperture, so thin you would fear breakage of the blade at this point? Strange.

 88.3mm Diam. x 4.4mm tapering to rim 4mm

 

 

[Okan]

It’s locked  but seriously, owner probably didn’t want this to be on another katana so hammered it down from the middle instead of top and bottom..no way there was a katana that thin.as you said it would break instantly..strange for sure.

[Okan]

Second theory, maybe this was modified to use on an Ainu blade? Their nakago are pretty thin.

 

[Geraint]

Third theory, the owner wanted the nakago ana closed up but for whatever reason never went on to the stage of filing it to fit another nakago.  The tagane ato show the rounded ends that you might expect when they were fresh but not yet filed to fit the nakago.

 

All the best.

[GRC]

I second Geraint's theory.

Punched in their "signature tegane pattern" but had not filed it down yet. 

Interesting that it was never completed though...

[ROKUJURO]

If you look closely at the NAKAGO ANA as it was before the bad treatment, the dimensions seem absolutely normal, so there was no need to push the metal in in such a manner. This was in my opinion not done to fit the TSUBA to a blade. Perhaps it was an attempt to prevent it from being used, but that was not done by a knowledgeable collector.

A magnified look at the TAGANE might reveal if they were recently executed or older.  

Dale, the TSUBA looks like a nice KO-TOSHO (DAIKOKU's hammer motive). Do you happen to have the dimensions of it?

[Spartancrest]

Jean the dimensions are highlighted in the original post, pretty big guard 88.3 mm diameter tapering from 4.4 mm from the seppa to 4 mm on the rim.

It is going through auction now  https://www.jauce.com/auction/s1071874185  If you use the last part of the code you can find it on Buyee and probably Yahoo as well. [ /s1071874185 ]

Ura view. 

 

I too had a theory that the guard was "special" and was punched so it could not be used again - but a chisel or file would put an end to that theory.

 

 

[Mark S.]

Possibly made to match double bohi that extends through nakago?

[Spartancrest]

Mark, would that suggest the blade was shortened? It seems a reasonable hypothesis - you might like to explain what "double bohi" is for the beginners, not all are versed in sword blade nomenclature.    [I know, but you brought it up - ]

[Mark S.]

1 hour ago, Spartancrest said:

"double bohi"… for the beginners, not all are versed in sword blade nomenclature.    [I know, but you brought it up - ]

 

 

Honoring my responsibilities, but realizing others have explained it better than I…. Here are a couple sites to learn more…

http://www.ncjsc.org/gloss_hi-1.html

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/grooves.html

 

[ROKUJURO]

Thank you Dale,

with your help I had a closer look and now think it might be modern.

[Spartancrest]

Ah ha! Like these guys  - https://www.jauce.com/auction/v1071973122

https://www.jauce.com/auction/s1071095638  - someone is making these every week! "Old is new again!" Might be the new apprentice putting too much tagane to the metal! 

[ROKUJURO]

Yes Dale,

like these guys, but not remotely as ugly!

It seems indeed there is a new very busy TSUBA industry. So many fakes being called authentic! 

[Spartancrest]

Well there are plenty of fakes made more than a hundred years ago - so that would mean by definition they are "antiques" but still fake! These 'new' ones are just getting in early! Who knows in another hundred years all those Chinese alloy copies might be worth something. [but I doubt it!]  Scrap prices will probably be up by then? 

[Spartancrest]

Jean and others - there is a double handle looking guard like that squeezed nakago one - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/314228230930

Try not to laugh at the title description!   It is a type of Bushido I am unfamiliar with.