Purchased Auction Wakizashi II

[George KN]

It took its time to get to me from Northern Ireland, but the Wakizashi I bought some weeks back has finally arrived. And boy do I have some questions! First some observations:

 

• Perhaps most importantly, it is mumei.
• The nakago is very smooth so I suspect it is actually suriage and originally a much larger blade. The file marks also look a bit different from what I've seen before.
• It has clearly been heavily abused recently (scratches everywhere, and what looks like amateur polishing on the edge). Unfortunately because of the scratches it is really hard to make out what's happening with the hamon in the kissaki, however I don't think the hamon runs off here (although it may be close)
• It has no shinogi. 
• It has no yokote.
• It seems to have a thick kasane, especially for its size.
• It is very wide for its size, wider than my other katana in fact!
• Its kissaki isn't very pointy. I suspect the tip has been broken off, but even if that has happened, the overall shape seems unusual to me - it doesn't seem to get gradually narrower like my other nihonto do. In fact, with its shape, width, and weight it feels a lot like a machete when in hand...

 

Next some pictures:

 

 

See what I mean about the nakago being smooth/shiny as if part of a larger blade: 
 

 

Hopefully this shows quite how thick this:

Pics of the hamon (attempted anyway):






So does anyone know what I've bought? I'm struggling to imagine it having been a larger katana without a shinogi/shinogi ji or with its geometry/thickness. Is it possibly a shortened polearm? (I know little about them).

 

As always, all opinions welcome (I'm still trying to learn as much as I can)!

Many thanks,

 George

 

[Lewis B]

Does it have a boshi? If not, or its weak it could be a naginata naoshi. As you suggest the tip does appear to have been reshaped. Did the seller provide any details?

[George KN]

Also, here it is next to one of its new housemates. I think it helps illustrate quite how wide it is (this can't be normal for a purpose made wakizashi right?):

 

[George KN]

@Lewis B - no information from the auction unfortunately (as usual lol) - I can't really make out the boshi, but the large amount of scratching in that area really isn't helping, so it is hard to tell if one turns back properly there.

 

Edit: I've done some quick research into naginata naoshi, and yes, that would definitely explain the lack of pointiness and the general geometry! The one thing I've noticed in the examples I've come across is that they all seem to have a shinogi/shinogi ji, but mine doesn't?

Edited August 27 by Ghoul
Asked a follow up question

[Lewis B]

29 minutes ago, Ghoul said:

Also, here it is next to one of its new housemates. I think it helps illustrate quite how wide it is (this can't be normal for a purpose made wakizashi right?):

 

Wow the tsuka are almost a matching pair. 

[Jussi Ekholm]

My guess is it is a hira-zukuri wakizashi that is original length.

[Lewis B]

10 minutes ago, Jussi Ekholm said:

My guess is it is a hira-zukuri wakizashi that is original length.

Good call. Not dissimilar to Sam's recent post, although his has a clear boshi with turn back.

 

[GeorgeLuucas]

How neat! It’s been about one year since I acquired that wakizashi in the previous comment from Lewis. A really interesting piece in ww2 fittings that I enjoyed owning. 
 

I no longer own that sword. I sold it to partially fund a project blade I’m having restored. I was able to sell it to one of its previous owners, which made me happy to reunite blade and collector. 

Anyway, I still have my (novice) notes. I believed it to be original length (ubu), and maybe late Muromachi period.

 

For comparisons sake:

Kiri yasurime.
Iorimune.

My blade had muneyaki and hitatsura. 

Nagasa: 41cm

Nakago: 11.5cm

Total length: 52.5cm

Motohaba: 30.2 mm

Sakihaba: 24 mm

motokasane: 6.8 mm

sakikasane: 5 mm

 

All the best,

-Sam 

[Rivkin]

Looks like ubu wakizashi, I would guess shinto. Unfortunately, with this period its hard to go to any more specific school attribution unless in full polish etc.

[George KN]

Thanks for the thoughts and link to the old thread - I've just done some measuring of my own for comparison:
 

Total: 51cm
Nagasa: 38cm
Nakago: 13cm
Sori: 8mm

Motohaba (width of blade at the machi): 31mm
Motokasane (thickness of blade at the machi): 6.9mm
Width about 3/4 of its length (can't measure sakikasane and sakihaba without a yokote?): 29.5mm

It definitely seems very similar! I'm glad to learn the term Hira-Zukuri. 

 

I've also tried taking more pictures of the kissaki/boshi, but it's really hard - some muppet really has scratched it up badly:

 

These are the best two shots i've got so far:

 

 

 

Still not sure about that return - if anything I'm more worried about it running off the edge :S

 

2 hours ago, Lewis B said:

Wow the tsuka are almost a matching pair. 

Also yes! I think you can see why I bid on it... Except this wakiashi has a dragon theme instead of birds.
 

If it is ubu, this would be my third nihonto out of five bought at auction that are both ubu and mumei.

 

[Lewis B]

12 minutes ago, Ghoul said:

Thanks for the thoughts and link to the old thread - I've just done some measuring of my own for comparison:
 

Total: 51cm
Nagasa: 38cm
Nakago: 13cm
Sori: 8mm

Motohaba (width of blade at the machi): 31mm
Motokasane (thickness of blade at the machi): 6.9mm
Width about 3/4 of its length (can't measure sakikasane and sakihaba without a yokote?): 29.5mm

It definitely seems very similar! I'm glad to learn the term Hira-Zukuri. 

 

I've also tried taking more pictures of the kissaki/boshi, but it's really hard - some muppet really has scratched it up badly:

 

These are the best two shots i've got so far:

 

 

 

Still not sure about that return - if anything I'm more worried about it running off the edge :S

 

Also yes! I think you can see why I bid on it... Except this wakiashi has a dragon theme instead of birds.
 

If it is ubu, this would be my third nihonto out of five bought at auction that are both ubu and mumei.

 

Just noticed the saya are crazy similar too. Almost like you are reuniting a daisho.

[Brian]

I'm fairly sure the boshi is fine and doesn't run off. Nothing there suggests that.

[Tohagi]

@Brian Same feeling, it get close but OK.

By the way the hamon should be spectacular once polished.

 

Best regards,

 

Éric VD 

[George KN]

I would love to have it properly polished, especially after someone has abused it so badly. I have got the impression though that it normally isn't financially sensible to do so if mumei, a wakizashi, or possibly a later piece like shinto? (Since all three generally command lower prices than a signed koto katana etc)

[chinaski]

5 hours ago, Ghoul said:

I would love to have it properly polished, especially after someone has abused it so badly. I have got the impression though that it normally isn't financially sensible to do so if mumei, a wakizashi, or possibly a later piece like shinto? (Since all three generally command lower prices than a signed koto katana etc)

 

I am kind of with you on that, unless you really just love the thing and aren't concerned with recouping any of your investment later on down the road.  I recently purchased on eBay a Mumei Waki in old polish with old NBTHK papers, appears to be a Shinto blade.  Papers attribute the sword to Inshu Tadakuni, but who knows with those old papers.  That said, I bought it because I liked the Hamon and figured it would be a fun study piece, even though there is probably not too much to learn from.  It could definitely use a polish, but it presents well enough and I am comfortable to put it on display full time while my other "better" swords are locked away for safety and security.   I wasn't expecting to win this thing but I did, but I also don't want to put good money after bad etc.