katakiriba 1#

[Peter Bleed]

Dear Friends,

I beg the permission of the forum to present for discussion a blade I purchased only last weekend - and one of two kata-kiriba blades acquired that week!

The blade I hope the forum will consider worth discussing is in something like an aiguchi style tanto koshirae. I beleive it is basically of shaped antler embellished with wire including both twisted elelments and small circled filled with red (?) dots of lacquer. The fuchi/koiguchi combo appear to have been carved from the "nubbin" base of antlers. The tsuka and saya sections are dyed a patchy brown. The fittings that compare to the fuchi-kashira, koiguchi, kurikata and kojiri are green. I have never formed an opinion about color combinations, but now that I have seen this sword, brown and green is my LEAST favorite color combination. Overall length of the koshirai is 41cm, 16.5"

The blade is a markedly curved with a bevelled - "kata kiriba" - edge on the concanve margin. Under the stain there is a fair Japanese style polish and I THINK I can see a hamon. It also has visible garin. It is hand forged. It has an antler habaki. The blade length is 19.5 cm, 7.75". The blade is held in the tsuka by a mekugi. The gun slick I bought the blade from suggested that he had removed a "black" peg, but with great sensitivity he had replaced it with a section of bamboo chopstick - probably something he got with a serving of General Tsao's chicken!. The nakago is covered with fair rust and has and X and three lines - obviously "13" and I noted that that number is also carved on the inside of the fuchi.

 

The obvious first question about this blade is, "Is it Japanese?" I am sure that it is old. It is NOT a modern Chinese repro and to my eye it looks Japanese. At the same time it is NOT well made enough to made enough - or old enough - to be a "Kubikiri". No heads could be collected with this blade. Is this a "samurai sword"? Well, mebbe, but I wonder if it might not be a Shinshinto bonsai knife!

Peter

[jason_mazzy]

we need better and more pics. it does appear to have a mune and shinogi line, so thats a good start, but without alot of better brighter pictures I can not acertain the shape correctly. Also the Nakago (tang) is a picture we need to see.

[cabowen]

Has a bit of an "export" aroma to it.....

[ububob]

I lean toward your garden tool theory, Peter. Welcome to the NMB. :D

[John A Stuart]

I agree. An household tool. Katakiriba are quite common on them as well the uraou, reverse curve. I don't know about the bonsai connection, too big, I'd think, but, pruning larger flora a possibility. John

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Peter,

No idea why, because this is something I have zero knowledge of, but the 1st thing that popped into my mind on seeing the picture was Ainu. Don't doubt the garden tool idea but am tossing this in just in case.

Grey

[sanjuro]

This may sound ridiculous, but I think this maybe an Ainu dagger. It bears a striking resemblance to an ainu tanto I saw some time ago. The elongated kojiri, the nature of the inlay work and the horn or bone koshirae are consistent with Ainu styles. The 'unjapaneseness' of the overall koshirae yet the decidedly Japanese style of blade suggests Ainu also.

Are we sure about the koshirae being made of horn? I ask this because the example I saw was made of bear bone, and was an Ainu ceremonial weapon. It dated back to the 17th century as I recall.

 

Just a thought to throw into the ring of possibility.

[watsonmil]

Hello,

Sticking my neck out, ... but I agree with Grey & Keith, ... if its Japanese, ... then my guess would be Ainu.

... Ron Watson

[John A Stuart]

The decoration does remind one of Ainu style, but, what about a knife to strip bark for making textiles or for cutting thatch? It just doesn't seem to be a primarily weapon shape. John

[sanjuro]

There appears to be a sort of step in the kissaki. Perhaps I'm seeing things...... If it is indeed a utilitarian blade rather than a weapon, then perhaps a hunting/skinning knife. The Ainu killed game for meat with great respect for nature and due ceremony to the animal killed.

 

We really do need more and better pics of the blade and nakago not to mention the koshirae to make a better determination.

Damn! This has me intrigued........ :D