Please help identify this sword

[JoshB]

Inherited from grandparents.  I have no knowledge about these things and appreciate the members of this site volunteering their opinions.  I do want to sell it so, any thoughts on value are also appreciated.

 

Thank you,

 

Josh B

[ROKUJURO]

Josh,
 

making good photos of swords isn't easy and takes a lot of experience. I suggest your images should be:
 

- well focused, not foggy or blurry
- made with a dark, non reflective background for good contrast
- made with light from the side (may not apply for HAMON photos)
- made directly from above (not at an angle)
- made with correct orientation (vertically tip-upwards, especially NAKAGO photos and TSUBA) 
- without HABAKI but showing the MACHI and NAKAGO JIRI 
- made in high resolution to see details
- showing details (in magnification) like BOSHI, HAMACHI, HAMON, HADA, NAKAGO JIRI etc. or the fine work on TSUBA
- presented as cut-outs so very little background is shown
 

If you cannot provide good photos (..."these photos are all I have from the dealer...."/..."I do not have a good camera but only an old mobile phone...." ), DO NOT POST BAD ONES. They will not be helpful.

[John C]

6 hours ago, JoshB said:

volunteering their opinions

Josh:

I can't say much about the blade, although the horimono has been almost polished away.

The blade seems to have been "authenticated" by Hakusui Inami in 1952. He was a well known dealer who once made swords for US Marines. If you search for him on the site, you'll find a couple of articles. He also wrote a sword book that was popular with GI's in Japan.

 

John C.

[Rivkin]

I would be interested in buying, however can't offer much - and in the interest of fairness will state publicly why.

The signature is near gone and I can't say anything about it, except it does not have strong Tsunahiro (is it even Tsunahiro? my kanji understanding is lacking) characteristics.

The sugata is not typical for Tsunahiro lineage, which generally worked within the space defined by 1350-1380 Soshu tanto as defined by Hasebe/Hiromitsu/Masahiro.

This is not even Sagami shape per se. Its tired as evident in horimono losses. Out of polish with fingerprints.

Such papers are interesting for historic reasons but unfortunately when someone sells a tanto with them few assume it was inherited this way, and many - its a gimei that has been failed by modern shinsa.

 

However it is an interesting old tanto which would be fun to hold in hand and try to kantei what it is.

Can it be real Tsunahiro? I personally doubt it, but maybe it is, an unusual one.

On a personal note - I like it. There is something about it which is appealing.

[JoshB]

So I guess I won't ever be a photographer.  Here is what I could do with a black cloth, a light from the side and an iPhone.  Again, I appreciate the help understanding what this is.