Interesting Section of a Nakago

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

I havent seen this on a nakago before, anyone know what it is and the history of the application?

https://www.jauce.com/auction/h1174332059

 

 

 

[Lewis B]

My guess? Likely had the smith's mei relocated there after a o-suriage shortening. The piece that was placed in that section looks to have either corroded away or become detached.

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

@Lewis B thanks!  One more pic

[nulldevice]

7 minutes ago, Lewis B said:

My guess? Likely had the smith's mei relocated there after a o-suriage shortening. The piece that was placed in that section looks to have either corroded away or become detached.

That'd be my guess. Looks like a gaku-mei that fell out.

 

Those sticker appraisals on the shirasaya are interesting. I haven't seen those before. 

 

Another thought, has this blade been retempered? The hamon looks to run off at the nakago, but the tang also has signs of suriage and a gakumei. 

 

Edit: This picture makes me wonder if there has been saiha

[Lewis B]

"The blade is about 3 shaku 3 sun long! The blade weighs about 2 kg! This is a miraculous sword made by Kanemitsu that is not inferior to the national treasure "Okanohira", which is the treasure of the Ikeda family, and has all the three features of workmanship, condition, and history, so please do not miss this opportunity and let someone who will cherish it keep it as a family heirloom for the rest of their life."

 

Red flags get raised when blades like this are not submitted for modern papers, especially when he makes comparisons with the Okanohira. The seller is clearly knowledgeable. Almost 300 bids so far with a day to go.

[Ray Singer]

It is also possible that the gaku-mei was false (it had a gimei inscription) and the mei was removed while the plate was left inlaid into the nakago. 

[Lewis B]

5 minutes ago, Ray Singer said:

It is also possible that the gaku-mei was false (it had a gimei inscription) and the mei was removed while the plate was left inlaid into the nakago. 

Although given the pitting this would have to have been done a very long time ago. The corrosion being consistent with the rest of the nakago surface. This another of those Yahoo.jp caveat emptor listings with top tier 'attributions'.

[Ray Singer]

Lewis, my impression is that the corrosion is more recent. The pitted and pockmarked appearance of the nakago has, to my eyes, more of the look of something where the age was chemically accelerated. It does not look like a naturally aged koto nakago.

[Ray Singer]

My first call would have been an ubu Shinshinto blade, something like Shinshinto Mito (such as Norikatsu) doctored to look like something much earlier.

[Shugyosha]

Could it be fire-scale? If it was heated in fire, that might cause the weld on the plate to fail? 

[Lewis B]

Certainly a possibility Ray. Definitely not something I'd bidding on. 

[Geraint]

Dear John.

 

I do not think the plate was/is ever welded in, simply inlaid and secured by the edges.  Given that fire welding was the only available option for gaku mei the necessary force would destroy the mei and make the process useless.

 

All the best.

[Ray Singer]

3 minutes ago, Lewis B said:

Certainly a possibility Ray. Definitely not something I'd bidding on. 

 

I will add that Osafune Kanemitsu is a bizarre attribution for a sword with this deki, and the seller is doubling down on the attribution being correct. I talk a lot about the pitfalls of buying off the Japanese auctions and this is a great example to bookmark.

"This is a miraculous sword made by Kanemitsu that is not inferior to the national treasure "Okanohira", which is the treasure of the Ikeda family, and has all the three features of workmanship, condition, and history, so please do not miss this opportunity and let someone who will cherish it keep it as a family heirloom for the rest of their life."

 

 

[Rivkin]

It is most likely shinshinto. Nice blade in Hosho Yamato style, by someone traditionally familiar with it. The only reason I would not say Kunikane is there is some notare/midare, though it is not clear how much is hadori and how much is real - polish is bright but actually quite bad, shinshinto blade in this style with nie should look more crisp and less hadori suffocated. It probably had a mei to Hosho Sadamune. Why someone decided to then refashion it as Osafune specifically is a bit of a mystery.

Yes, nakago was likely artificially reworked to make it look ancient, such wild deep cavities can be produced with acid, fire and other violent methods.

[Jussi Ekholm]

I would agree with Ray and Kirill that this is in my opinion a later ubu ōdachi, it is 99,3 cm so quite a big blade. I believe nakago has been artificially aged there have been items like this on Yahoo JP before.

 

As ōdachi are my main research thing, it is fairly common for them to have another hole near the bottom of the tang. I feel there is a possibility the sword might have had a legitimate mei before the nakago reworking & patinating shenanigans. They are just trying to market it as Nanbokuchō ōdachi, where I see a lot of value for it even as a more modern blade.

[reinhard]

Ray Singer wrote:

"Lewis, my impression is that the corrosion is more recent. The pitted and pockmarked appearance of the nakago has, to my eyes, more of the look of something where the age was chemically accelerated. It does not look like a naturally aged koto nakago."

 

Exactly what I thought when seeing the pics of the nakago.

 

reinhard

[Stephen]

17 hours ago, Lewis B said:

"The blade is about 3 shaku 3 sun long! The blade weighs about 2 kg! This is a miraculous sword made by Kanemitsu that is not inferior to the national treasure "Okanohira", which is the treasure of the Ikeda family, and has all the three features of workmanship, condition, and history, so please do not miss this opportunity and let someone who will cherish it keep it as a family heirloom for the rest of their life."

 

Red flags get raised when blades like this are not submitted for modern papers, especially when he makes comparisons with the Okanohira. The seller is clearly knowledgeable. Almost 300 bids so far with a day to go.

Louie just a friendly request.

And for anyone else when you copy and paste there's an option to post as plain text. For members like myself who have to have the dark option it makes it inpossible to read yes I know I can highlight it but I don't do that anymore

[Gerry]

It ultimately went for 3.6M yen...I guess some people must really like long swords.

[Francis Wick]

Stay away, lots of red flags. Pitting is unusual, possibly retempered , nakago welded on newer blade ? Just looks off