Mix master nihonto

[Browningguy]

Hello, if this in the wrong forum please relocate it. 

 

New to me nihonto including traditionally made blade, iron tsuba, late war tsuka, one metal and one leather seppa, habaki with a hole in the middle, and leather scabbard. No mei.

 

In the firearm world if it's a fix of parts from various manufacturers it's called a "mix master" and I'm assuming this is the sword version of that. Please correct me if I'm wrong, on anything. Assuming hilt was done during wartime? Maybe somebody had pieces around the shop and made a sword? 

 

Anybody know why there is a hole in the habaki? Why the scabbard is white? 

 

As always that you for your time and consideration. 

[NewB]

Hello

 

 

I'll take a shot at it. Looks like an old blade that has seen a lot of use so to speak ..

 

 

Definitely the right forum, welcome!

 

 

i think it is an Authentic Japanese blade with ubu nakago 'tang' IMHO. Some habaki did come with moon and sun 'holes' to remind the philosophy of samurai that life is cyclical

 

Not sure if it's one that the blade was originally accommodated with from the limited photos. The hilt could have been painted - tough to tell from photos also.

 

I'd research on the forum of how to take care of nihonto before you get acquainted with a knowledgeable individual in your area. They'd be able to advise whether it's worth restoring it or just keeping it in its current stage. Please don't try to clean anything.

 

im not an expert just offering an opinion

 

Cheers

 

J.

[Browningguy]

Thanks Darkon! I've done my research so i feel ok on what to do...and not do.  

 

The ONE habaki I found online had a sun on one side and moon on the other. Mine is sun and sun. 🤔 my habaki also looks of poor quality, if that matters. I can always provide more pics if needed. 

[NewB]

19 hours ago, Browningguy said:

Thanks Darkon! I've done my research so i feel ok on what to do...and not do.  

 

The ONE habaki I found online had a sun on one side and moon on the other. Mine is sun and sun. 🤔 my habaki also looks of poor quality, if that matters. I can always provide more pics if needed. 

More photos are always useful. Photos of the tip and the areas that show the complexity of the folded steel (without rust or flaws) usually would help the knowledgeable folks here narrow down the era when it was made. It's a lot of light and angle playing. 

 

J.

[Wolfmanreid]

Definitely an older blade that has seen a lot of polishes…  Note that the ha machi have just about vanished after numerous polishes. 

[NewB]

1 hour ago, Wolfmanreid said:

Definitely an older blade that has seen a lot of polishes…  Note that the ha machi have just about vanished after numerous polishes. 

Indeed!

 

J.

[Browningguy]

I'm just happy it's a traditional blade. 

[NewB]

3 hours ago, Browningguy said:

I'm just happy it's a traditional blade. 

For sure!

 

J.

[Geraint]

Dear Tristan.

 

Just some thoughts to add to what has already been said. Everything depends on the fit of the parts, if this is good then there is every chance that this is how this sword was mounted the last time it was in Japan.  It is quite common to find older swords mounted in various ways to serve as Gunto.  In this case the leather seppa was probably fittted between the hilt and the guard and an extension passed through the tsuba to clip onto the stud at the top of the scabbard.

 

The habaki is perfectly ok as long as it too fits the blade well, note that sometimes with an older blade the tang, nakago, is thicker than the blade because of repeated polishes, this sometimes means that the habaki does not fit snugly to the sides of the blade but it should fit at the edges.  The two holes are not a problem, I have a habaki, no, thinking about it two habaki with the same design.  I don't have any clear reason why the saya is white but it looks perfectly OK for what it is.

 

All in all, given that the parts fit well I don't think this is a mixmaster but thank you for introducing me to the term.

 

All the best.

[Bruce Pennington]

Here is a thread posted by @Stegel of white painted Type 95s and someone posted a white painted bayonet.  I want to say I've seen a white painted officer gunto, too, but don't recall where I saw it: Winter is Coming.

 

Edit: found one:

 

[Browningguy]

Thanks for the information! 

 

Is it possible I have an informality scabbard? It's all wood under the leather. 

 

Few more pics for your consideration. Note the tiny amount of white on the hilt. And that's literally all the white on it. 

 

T.

[NewB]

I personally wouldn't invest in restoring it

 

Just my opinion 

 

J.

[Browningguy]

On 1/16/2023 at 7:50 AM, Geraint said:

Dear Tristan.

 

Just some thoughts to add to what has already been said. Everything depends on the fit of the parts, if this is good then there is every chance that this is how this sword was mounted the last time it was in Japan.  It is quite common to find older swords mounted in various ways to serve as Gunto.  In this case the leather seppa was probably fittted between the hilt and the guard and an extension passed through the tsuba to clip onto the stud at the top of the scabbard.

 

The habaki is perfectly ok as long as it too fits the blade well, note that sometimes with an older blade the tang, nakago, is thicker than the blade because of repeated polishes, this sometimes means that the habaki does not fit snugly to the sides of the blade but it should fit at the edges.  The two holes are not a problem, I have a habaki, no, thinking about it two habaki with the same design.  I don't have any clear reason why the saya is white but it looks perfectly OK for what it is.

 

All in all, given that the parts fit well I don't think this is a mixmaster but thank you for introducing me to the term.

 

All the best.

The Habaki is actually quite lose, one of the reasons I thought it could be parts of swords.