Kamakura/Nanbokucho Tanto??

[Matsunoki]

Hello from the Uk. Please may I ask for opinions on this old Tanto? If you prefer to pm me rather than reply publicly that’s fine. 

This old Tanto is in very rough condition and is a shadow of its former self. At some point it has been very rusty but even in its current state the visible activity is fairly spectacular. Sticking my head above the parapet…..I believe it could be Soshu, late Kamakura or Nanbokucho.

My reasoning is based on the overall sugata,  the tanago-bara nakago (ubu but machiokuri by about 2cm), the wild almost hitatsura hamon (now very degraded especially on one side due to many many polishes), prolific nie and ji nie over most of the blade (some resemble solar flares), remnants of old sunagashi, the mune is a worn mitsumune and  hamon narrowing towards the machi. Where the hamon appears to narrow to a suguha in the monouchi there is ghosting of a past much wider nie based hamon. No hada is visible in this condition.

Thanking you for looking…..please forgive its current condition…..yes I’ve oiled it!

Nagasa 28cm (originally about 30cm)

Current motohaba 2.7 cm but greatly reduced by polishing

Nakago kasane 6.3mm

Motokasane 4.6mm ie very “tired”

[Matsunoki]

Meant to say if you tap the image you will get a much better look at the nie etc.

[ROKUJURO]

Colin,

an interesting TANTO and I see why you assessed it to SOSHU.

There was no photo of the NAKAGO MUNE and HABAKI area so we could not get some information about the material loss from polishing. I know that some early TANTO were not as 'beefy' as later ones, so the loss might not be as important, the more as many TANTO were mono-steel construction. In these cases, there is no danger of SHIN-TETSU coming through.

I think this might be a nice one once it is polished! And the KOSHIRAE tells us that it was valued by a former owner.

[Rivkin]

Its a nice Soshu tanto. Hitatsura has characteristic "comma" shape, which is indicative of late Muromachi.

[Matsunoki]

6 minutes ago, ROKUJURO said:

There was no photo of the NAKAGO MUNE and HABAKI area so we could not get some information about the material loss from polishing

Hi Jean, I did give the kasane info…..the nakago is 6.3mm and the blade just above habaki is 4.6mm so it has lost about 27% of its thickness.

[Alex A]

Not looked into it but getting a Shimada vibe, just something to look into.

[Matsunoki]

Also meant to say it has full length thin suguha muneyaki also with jinie flares along it. I think much hamon has been lost through polishing…..

[ROKUJURO]

Colin,

I am sorry and you are correct - I just did not read carefully enough. Nevertheless, it is an interesting blade, and you will not get back what was lost in 500 years (or so), so be happy about what is left!

Most of us will look worse after such a long time! 

[Franco D]

11 hours ago, Matsunoki said:

Please may I ask for opinions on this old Tanto?

 

 

I'm left wondering if this blade was intentionally used as a tsunagi?

 

Regards,

[Matsunoki]

2 hours ago, Franco D said:

I'm left wondering if this blade was intentionally used as a tsunagi?

Franco, the blade is an exact fit for the koshirae, ie the koshirae was made for it and is of a lovely subdued quality with its carved wood saya and tsuka…..nice little touches as well….rather “wabi sabi” in mood. I think it’s just been neglected and allowed to get damp. Sadly this is very common for swords that turn up in the UK. Thanks for looking. Regards.Colin