Wakizashi Identification / Advice

[axeman1984]

This is a wakizashi that looks to have been potentially over polished and mistreated. I am not sure if I can make out the hamon very well. I can see some hada that makes me confident it should at least be nihonto. Mei is "Sukehide" (助秀).

My best guess so far from the blade features is Bizen from late koto, which seems to fit with several smiths that signed this mei.

 

Here are the measurements:

Nagasa - 40.3cm

Nakano- 12.5cm

Kissaki - 3.9cm

Sori - 0.87cm (slightly saki-sori, widest sori is just past the halfway point)

Kasane - 0.61cm at machi

Mihaba - 2.69cm at machi

Has bo-hi and soe-hi (though some of it is polished away).

 

Koshirae is very mixed including WWII serialized seppa, a cheap looking cast fuchi, modern cheap saya, and a very old looking tsuka and kashira which looks to have a Kaga-Maeda crest (Kage Ume Bachi). The tsuba has a signature of Shoami Kanenori, but almost looks like cast bronze so I am unsure if it is authentic. The tsuka-ito has a type of braiding near the kashira that I haven’t seen before.

 

Only the tsuka  (and maybe habiki) appear to be fitted to the blade, so I assume the proper fuchi must have been much taller, because this one leaves wiggle room even with 4 seppa.

 

Any thoughts on authenticity, condition, etc are very welcome, as well as advice if this blade is salvageable.

[axeman1984]

[Mark S.]

Poor state of condition.  Previously ‘cleaned’ with steel wool or sandpaper and overall general abuse?  The thinner bohi is disappearing which usually indicates a fair amount of steel loss.  Not sure how much is left or will be left if you try to have polished again?  Nakago looks ubu, but machi-okuri and possibly unevenly done?  Sometimes it is hard to tell from photos and the angle the blade is at when photo is taken.  My ‘guess’ is it is pretty far along in the polish life-cycle of a blade,  Would need an in-hand expert opinion from a trained polisher.

[axeman1984]

Interestingly the blade has had some repairs in the past. An Umegane repair has come out on the ura side just past the machi, and two intact repairs can be seen on the omote.