Mission Impossible

[Brian]

I was very lucky to stumble into a Shin Gunto yesterday, something very, very unusual here in SA. Straight out of the woodwork.
A knife picker friend of mine messaged me to ask for info,and when I saw it was real, I jumped at it. Only had very poor pics of a fuzzy sword that was dirty, not showing much. But I suspected an earlier blade in Gunto fittings. When I got it, I gave it some tlc with oil and alcohol and wiping, and was over the moon to see a very nice hamon appear and condition far better than it appeared.
Going to post more about it in the military section. But happy to say it is signed and dated....I almost never get dated swords.
The bad part...the wear and condition of the nakago makes it almost impossible to get the smith, and especially the date.
I'm posting it in the hopes that someone can see more than I can. But I suspect not.
What I can see, is Bishu Osafune.....
I am guessing at late Koto. Maybe a kazuuchimono...maybe not. With my luck, probably a Sukesada
I like it a lot. It has a really nice sugata, with nice taper, and small kissaki. It has been professionally polished at some point in its life, and quite well. Hamon shows nicely, as does the hadori. Not able to capture it well though. Some stains, light rust...the usual. But overall it's a great find, and at under $600, I'm not complaining.
I'm posting many pics of the mei, not that it will make it easier to read, but worth a try, lol.

Very happy to have a new sword to study.

 

[ROKUJURO]

Congratulations Brian,

that looks like a very nice find!

At this moment, the MEI (YASUMITSU? as a guess)  and the date are less important than the condition, I think. If the blade is not bent or has heavy KIZU, a SHINSA team will deal with the NAKAGO. 

O happy day! 

[Jacques D.]

Pictures are terrible i can't make out the smith's name or the nengo. that said i'm quite sure it's mid to late Muromachi. This kind of mei usually leads to kazu-uchi mono, sugata also. Nagasa ? 

[Brian]

Nagasa is around 63cm
Agree on the kazu-uchi mono, that's what I'm expecting from the nakago and part of the visible mei,  but someone still sprung for a professional polish way back, and it has no serious flaws, so I'm happy.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Usually having the date indicates something above Kazuuchi-mono. You might try chalk in those final characters, with some very up close photos and light manipulation.

[lonely panet]

25 minutes ago, PNSSHOGUN said:

Usually having the date indicates something above Kazuuchi-mono. You might try chalk in those final characters, with some very up close photos and light manipulation.

Im not getting a kizu-uchi feeling.  Looks like it has promise

[dkirkpatrick]

Feel like this might read Morimitsu, would be nice to see in same light as the ura.

 

Doug

[Jussi Ekholm]

I agree with Doug I feel it could be Morimitsu. And there could be potential.

 

I should have few reference katana of Morimitsu that are around this length. I can dig them up next week when I am back home.