My very first Wakizashi

[karatekutya]

Dear Members!

 

Posted few times about nakago/rusty tsuba etc , got a lot helpfull and usefull comments from members  also promised will upload a few photos from this Wakizashi, short story is i won in the auction couple of weeks ago for i think a decent price , but what we see in the pictures ? what i bought actually  ? welcome all opinions ,advices ,tipps etc ☺️  late edo period   Hizenkoku Yoshikane

 

Thank You 

[karatekutya]

[YOSE]

Congratulations on your new to you wakizashi!

Is it me or something is/was written on the mei, on the left side of 'Yoshikane'?

[DoTanuki yokai]

Not much going on here… 

I like the Tsuba and think it could profit from some rust removal with a piece of antler, only rub of the red rust. I don’t know much about how to clean the Fuchi Kashira but I would try to get rid of the green stuff. Maybe antler can do the trick again but i  would ask in the tosogu section how to do it. 
 

The blades condition can be improve with regualary cleaning with uchiko and oil but don’t ask me how long this takes.  
 

To make a guess about the age we would need to see the Sugata of the blade in a picture like this without the mounts and Habaki.  (It does not need to be both sides but need to see the complete blade.)

 

Edit: I just assumed the signature is Gimei because you did not say anything about papers. If it is shoshin and you want to hear something about the blade the pictures need to be better 

 

Also some dimensions would be helpful to understand what we see. 
How long is the blade ? 

[Rivkin]

Hizen no Kuni Yoshikane. Meiji smith.

The carving of mei is almost showa-styled, deep spaced yasurime is shinshinto or later, patination is shinshinto or later.

Overall I would say its a decent possibility this is authentic.

The blade (as little as we can see) is sort of consistent with late shinshinto Hizen.

Sesko:

YOSHIKANE (吉包), Keiō (慶応, 1865-1868), Hizen – “Hizen no Kuni Yoshikane” (肥前国吉包), “Hizen no Kuni Saga-jūnin Fujiwara Yoshikane” (肥前国佐賀住人藤原吉包), “Hizen no Kuni Fujiwara Yoshikane” (肥前国藤原 吉包), student of the 8th gen. Tadayoshi (忠吉)

[Hinoshi]

nice one ☺️