Is it real WWII Wakizashi or not?

[MaxMorelli]

Hi folks, I kindly request help from you, is this wakizashi a real WWII or before, handmade tamahagane blade?

I really like to buy this but I'm not sure it is as they describe it. Do you have any suggestion?

Thank you. Max

 

[John C]

Max:

Nothing there suggests WW2. If it is real (need better pics or link to site), it would be much older.

 

John C.

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Max,

Bitchu no Kami and I can't see the rest of the mei well enough. Definitely an older blade but the nakago has been cleaned, the blade has been buffed, the tsuba is either cast or real low quality, and you need to know a lot more than you presently do before you start throwing your money away. I don't mean to be blunt but the fact that you don't know if this is WWII tells me you are a beginner and you should buy swords only from dealers you can trust 100%. On your own you're ripe for the picking.

The more you know before you buy the happier you'll be with what you get; consider a good book..

Grey

[Bugyotsuji]

橘 康広 Tachibana Yasuhiro (from the certificate?)

 

刀 銘 備中守橘康広／ホームメイト (touken-world.jp)

[zuiho]

 Do not buy this. I see why you think WW2. It is the ring on the wood saya that would sit under a leather cover. Maybe it started out that way. but, now this is a degraded blade with fittings either  overly buffed on a wheel or outright fake. The tsuka ito is wrapped  around the handle like newspaper around a fish. It is a recent horror. The tang, with rust removed , is the result of blundering abuse. The chrysanthemum may be an added fake. The saya has been coated with a finish that was added in modern times. It is now devoid of any historic or artistic merit. It hurts my eyes to look at it.

[vajo]

It looks like a fake Japanese sword. All parts incl. blade looks fake.

If the blade is real it is in such bad condition it would not make sense to let it polish.

[MaxMorelli]

Oh thank you all! You were so kind, here is the link to the pics! I was attracted by the aesthetics bit I know it is less than good conditions but I’m afraid of fake infos on it or mixed restoration! https://www.catawiki...edo-period-1600-1868

[MaxMorelli]

4 hours ago, vajo said:

It looks like a fake Japanese sword. All parts incl. blade looks fake.

If the blade is real it is in such bad condition it would not make sense to let it polish.

Can you tell me more if you look at these pics pls? thanl you!!!

[oli]

Hi Max,

 

Did you buyed it? Are you new to nihonto? I am self i am a beginner and i wouldn't  buy of this because of very poor condition or maybe fake. 

 

Regards

Oli

[Geraint]

Dear Max.

 

Things to look for:  Reproduction tsuba with poor surface finish, odd assortment of seppa, almost always in pairs so an even number and of the same shape and material on an original koshirae,  fuchi cast in one piece - genuine fuchi usually have a different metal base soldered in, hilt binding as already eloquently described above.  The blade I think is Japanese and it has a quite nice habaki that may be silver foiled. The signature is questionable but the way the nakago has been treated is a disaster, destroying not only patina but also details of the signature.  The same buffoon, (pun intended)  also sanded up the blade destroying the sugata.

 

My guess would be that someone had a blade with a saya and threw together the other bits, gave it a good old scrub and stuck it in the auction.

 

For an understanding of how the nakago should look see the sword that Piers linked to, for other details see posts from Grey and William.

 

Hope this is a start for you.

 

All the best.

 

 

[Matsunoki]

….and as for the “expert” who valued it at €3-3300 (some guy called Sabbah)……what a joke!

……and I think the saya is home made!

I really hope  you didn’t buy it.

[MaxMorelli]

2 hours ago, MaxMorelli said:

Can you tell me more if you look at these pics pls? thanl you!!!

Thank you all guys you were very kind to help me. I will send an email to the auctioneer because I think it is not fair nor legal to fool people with this kind of auction. I'm a 10 yrs kung fu martial artist who started to study the Japanese culture 2 yrs ago, I practice with a very good iaito with great results but my dream is to buy an original blade for demonstration and iaido, any suggestions? thank you again!

 

 https://www.catawiki...edo-period-1600-1868

[Bugyotsuji]

The auction house may not know any better. I would just quietly leave it.

[oli]

29 minutes ago, MaxMorelli said:

Thank you all guys you were very kind to help me. I will send an email to the auctioneer because I think it is not fair nor legal to fool people with this kind of auction. I'm a 10 yrs kung fu martial artist who started to study the Japanese culture 2 yrs ago, I practice with a very good iaito with great results but my dream is to buy an original blade for demonstration and iaido, any suggestions? thank you again!

 

 

As a beginner i would only buy from trusted source, like the sell section in this forum. So how i startet. There is also some trusted commercial seller i think. The Problem in europe, i think,

the most commercial seller here only sell very expensive nihonto witch start with 10k Euro. You can also have a look on link list in this forum. 

And buy some beginner books look in the faq. 

 

[Volker62]

feel free ton ask Oliver, if we can help with our modest knowledge!

[Bruce Pennington]

In the seller's description, he lists the blade as 1700-1750, but the fittings as WWII.  

 

I agree with all the above.  The blade looks legit, but horribly messed with, and the fittings are likely the result of a good intentioned Bubba wanting to "fix up" a sword with battered or missing parts.

 

I have 5 Yasuhiro with kiku on file.  He seemed to use a variety of kiku.  The other one on file with this style looks quite similar, though this one is pretty coarsely cut.  Can't speak to the mei itself.

 

 

This one has a similar nakago shape

[MaxMorelli]

Hi everybody, after 2 days I've found my tresoure, @oli let me know if you know the signature ;-P crazy  高橋義宗 

It's incredible, I spoke with the guy in the auction and then I found this in his collection.... 

2300€

 

 

[oli]

Hi Max,

 

sorry cant read the Kanji, maybe you should post it under translation. Only i see it has a Seki Stamp. Looks like a real Gunto. But we have here a lot of experts, the best in the world!

 

Regards

Oli

[MaxMorelli]

https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/YOS1587

takahashi yoshimune  :-P

[oli]

You mean the Seki Stamp gunto is a Takahashi Yoshimune?

 

Regards

Oli

[Conway S]

Hello Max, 

 

@MaxMorelli

Do you have pictures of the actual signature on the sword? The characters you provided are Takahashi Yoshimune. There is a Seki stamp on the tang and the other characters are the date Showa 19 or 1944. I think you should request additional photos of this sword to confirm the signature is accurate. I think this smith is normally associated with higher quality swords as opposed to non-traditionally made oil-quenched blades. 

 

30 minutes ago, MaxMorelli said:

 高橋義宗 

 

Conway

[MaxMorelli]

8 minutes ago, Conway S said:

Hello Max, 

 

@MaxMorelli

Do you have pictures of the actual signature on the sword? The characters you provided are Takahashi Yoshimune. There is a Seki stamp on the tang and the other characters are the date Showa 19 or 1944. I think you should request additional photos of this sword to confirm the signature is accurate. I think this smith is normally associated with higher quality swords as opposed to non-traditionally made oil-quenched blades. 

 

 

Conway

Yes sorry, wrong pic, here it is...

 

[MaxMorelli]

13 minutes ago, oli said:

You mean the Seki Stamp gunto is a Takahashi Yoshimune?

 

Regards

Oli

No sorry, wrong side picture

[MaxMorelli]

[Conway S]

The signature could be Yoshimune, but the bottom character is a little obscured by the rust. I would post this again in the translation section since this thread was originally for a different piece... your questions may be overlooked here. 

 

Conway 

[MaxMorelli]

8 minutes ago, Conway S said:

The signature could be Yoshimune, but the bottom character is a little obscured by the rust. I would post this again in the translation section since this thread was originally for a different piece... your questions may be overlooked here. 

 

Conway 

Thank you for this Convay!

[Bruce Pennington]

Date correction: Showa 17, so 1942.

[Bruce Pennington]

[Bruce Pennington]

@MaxMorelli

Max,

Is that tassel all brown, or is it a faded 2-tone?

 

Also, I have 2 other Yoshimune on file with stamps - 1 with Gifu, 1 with small Seki.

[MaxMorelli]

22 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

@MaxMorelli

Max,

Is that tassel all brown, or is it a faded 2-tone?

 

Also, I have 2 other Yoshimune on file with stamps - 1 with Gifu, 1 with small Seki.

It is all brown @Bruce Pennington  what can you tell me about this sword? I have few infos for now, it’s funny because I knew this swordsmith through @oli the day before! 

Thanks