Wakizashi Sadasuke

[Gunome]

Hello,

 

I would like to hear your opinion on this wakizashi.

It is shinogi zukuri. Shinogi are slightly higher than mune. It has a deep sori and a chu kissaki.

Nagasa: 43,5 cm, but probably machi okuri from few millimeters.

Kasane : 4.5 mm.

Ha machi is used.

Unfortunatly, the blade is oxyded and rusty. So no idea of the hada. However, the hamon could be distinguished: on both side there is notare hamon with end in gunome at monouchi.  Boshi is ko maru and a long muneyaki almost in suguha run until the munemachi.

 

Even if I missread, the nakago is signed Sadasuke 定助

However, I found no reference of a smith with such kanji. 

 

Thanks

 

Sébastien

[lonely panet]

Good looking bizen nakago, sakazori.H amon would be a guess but thinking  sue bizen

 

[Rivkin]

In Marcus' book there is SADASUKE (定祐), Kanbun (寛文, 1661-1673), Yamashiro – “Yamashiro no Kuni Kurama-jū Sadauke” (山城国 鞍馬住定祐), Sue-Seki style

But I indeed would vote for unrecorded Bizen guy from around 1540. Unless it has sugu boshi, which is not that well seen here.

[Gunome]

Hello,

 

Thanks for your reply.

I also think this blade is koto.

Indeed, I saw there is several records for 定祐, the issue is that mine is with this suke kanji 助.

Maybe a small unknow smith or someone that changed name ?

 

The long muneyaki is something seen in sue Bizen. 

I wonder if this blade is worth polishing. 

[Rivkin]

  On 3/20/2023 at 12:36 PM, Gunome said:

Indeed, I saw there is several records for 定祐, the issue is that mine is with this suke kanji 助.

Maybe a small unknow smith or someone that changed name ?

 

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Sorry I missed that. I would argue that such extensive muneyaki is Soshu trait and was adopted from it by other schools of the period. But in 1540-1580 one sees such "eclectics" quite often. Still there is a chance its not Bizen...

In any case it looks from what little is seen is that its a good blade. Are there kizu? If there is none, even though commercially its not that viable, still polish can potentially reveal a very good blade.

[Gunome]

Yes, infortunately there is 3 small fukure visible under the rust. 

That's why I wonder if it is worth polish or not because blades with muneyaki are quite pleasant

[lonely panet]

Its a option for yourself to make.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its not 100% ubu. The machi's apear to move up by a inch imho. Add that with fukure. It would a love restoration. The strong sori is pleasing for a katate-uchi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jacques]

Hi Gunome, 

 

 

The nihonto meikan lists only one Sadasuke with these kanji, it's an unknown smith from Fukuoka Ichimonji school (Kamakura era), so we can exlude him.  Conclusion, either it is an unregistered  swordsmith or it is a fancy signature. To my eyes it seems being a Mino sugata.

[Rivkin]

  On 3/20/2023 at 6:59 PM, Gunome said:

Yes, infortunately there is 3 small fukure visible under the rust. 

That's why I wonder if it is worth polish or not because blades with muneyaki are quite pleasant

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Definitely would be a show stopper for me. Its not old enough to have fukure.

[Mark S.]

It really would be call for a qualified polisher.  If the answer is “no”, then you still have a few options: 1) The polisher could open a couple windows in safer spots so you could see and appreciate some of the activity, 2) you could gently treat the blade to some uchiko and over time some of the activity could show, or 3) leave it as is, keep the blade stable, and try to appreciate what you can see until you decide to keep or pass on.

[Jacques]

  On 3/21/2023 at 12:04 PM, Rivkin said:

 

Definitely would be a show stopper for me. Its not old enough to have fukure.

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Small fukure (1mm diameter) on a shinto sword (Mizuta Kunishige) It had an umegane which falled down during the last polish

[Gunome]

Hello,

 

Thanks for the various opinions. I appreciate

Here is the photo with the kizu. Around 2 or 3 mm