What does this sayagata say?

[cmjohnson]

I think that's the right term.

 

This accompanied a wakizashi I purchased recently for a very nice price. I could not go wrong at the price I paid.

 

The blade is of shinogi zukuri construction, 19 and 1/4 inches from tip to munemachi, with gentle sori of 1/4 inch, with a faded polish. Active hamon with abundant nie in gunome midare toward the machi and changing to choji midare toward the kissaki, with yo. Jihada is masame. The faded state of the polish allows very little else to be observed clearly.

 

It is unsigned.

 

The certificate shown was taped to the shirasaya.

 

 

Any information you can give me on what it says would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Christopher Johnson

cmjohnson@cfl.rr.com

[John A Stuart]

That is a 'torokusho', basically a license for a sword. This certificate does not make a judgement about the sword, only a record of identifying characteristics. This one does have 無銘 mumei recorded. John

[Marius]

I think that's the right term.

 

No, it is not. Sayagaki is a an attribution written by a sword appraiser on the sword's saya. Your paper is called a Torokusho.

 

I could not go wrong at the price I paid.

 

I assure you that you could You may want to read this thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6473

 

The certificate shown was taped to the shirasaya.

Any information you can give me on what it says would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

This is a Torokusho, or a certificate which confirms that the sword is a traditionally made nihonto. Please read this excellent guide of the Japanese Sword Society of the US: http://www.jssus.org/nkp/japanese_sword_laws.html

[cmjohnson]

Thank you for the information and the corrections.

 

 

I purchased this wakizashi, along with a large tanto, from a retired USAF officer who is a friend of the family, and he was given these swords in appreciation of his friendship by a Japanese co-workers of his while he was stationed in Japan.

The swords were given in around 1971.

 

He knew of my appreciation for swords and allowed me to inspect them, clean and oil them, and get a basic appraisal of them

which doesn't show that they have great value. Knowing that they could be worth more, he offered them to me for

500 dollars for the pair. I accepted the offer, gratefully.

 

I have no intention of selling them.

 

If I am able to get further information on them via the man I bought them from, or from the man who gave them to him,

then I will do so. But gently, not demanding.

 

 

The tanto is very nice in its own right. Also mumei, it is large (14 and 1/4 inches from tip to machi) and would technically

be a wakizashi by size, but the design screams "large tanto". Its hamon is sugaha but the faded condition of the polish

makes it difficult to tell anything more. At least the steel is bright and clean.

 

 

I suppose this serves as my introductory post, as well. I'm a frustrated collector and appreciator of Japanese swords,

with my frustration due to the lack of a large enough income and budget to allow me to buy what I would most like to buy.

 

I am deeply interested not only in the swords, but in how they are made, how they are polished, how the fittings are

made, their history, the styles, the smiths, their traditions, their schools, the entire art.

 

I will state that there is one activity related to this that some of you will not approve of, and that is that I have

polished some blades in the past and will do so in the future. But, I must emphasize, I won't touch anything that even

MIGHT be of value. I practice on Paul Chen blades and the blades that you believe to be worthless but can't bring yourself

to throw out in the trash. Broken blades, blades with fatal flaws, blades with no hope of being valuable.

 

I won't even touch a decent Gunto.

 

Except, I believe as many smiths do: There is little harm that can be done with the finger stones. I might allow myself

to do some light finger stone work on a blade that could be worth a few hundred dollars. That is generally the limit

beyond which I will not cross. I firmly believe in the principle, "Do no harm.". But for me that does not mean "You shall

never touch the blade with anything but a cloth and ichiko."

 

Some years ago I put a lot of effort into restoring a mere hantanto, half machine made blade of NO value, and so badly

made, that it was an embarrassment, and badly bent, as well, into a sword that may not be valuable but it at least

is clean, has decent geometry and proportions, it has a good edge, and it is suitable for iai. I've had offers on it.

 

I agree with the general sentiment that nobody who is untrained in the skills of the polisher has any business taking stones

to Japanese blades, but I also believe that those who have a desire to learn a skill should be permitted to do so, and

helped where possible. But they must know their limitations and above all, do no harm. This is why Paul Chen swords

are available. No harm will come to a real Nihonto if the amateur is exploring this skill on a Paul Chen blade instead.

 

I do realize that this forum does not encourage amateur polishing or offer a forum for discussing that activity, but

I want you to know from the start that this is part of my interests, and I want you to know also that I don't touch good

blades other than to appreciate them. I won't be harming any good blades or even ones that MIGHT be good.

 

Chris Johnson

cmjohnson@cfl.rr.com