Birdman Posted March 3, 2011 Report Posted March 3, 2011 Forum member Mark Green answered my request for a relatively inexpensive, but still "functional", nihonto wakizashi ( ). Specs are as follows: 21-5/8" nagasa 26-5/8" total, 28mm wide at hamachi, 6mm thick, down to 3.5mm The hamon is slightly wavy sugata, the boshi is komaru, hada is moku/mix. That is 18 mm at the yokote, and 14mm sori. Martial arts polish by a Mr. Hato, a Japanese WWII vet who was a polisher during the war. Mark says he bought it from an old marine, who took it from a dead Japanese marine on one of the Pacific islands in WWII. It was in rather battered gunto mounts when Mark got it, and the fittings are all modern replacements. I plan to replace these with the "bird theme" fittings I have recently purchased (as well as having the tsukamaki redone). The sword has a number of unsightly, but non-fatal, forging flaws. Now, here's the question: Mark's "best guess" on age is late koto or early shinto. I'm wondering if it could possibly be a sengoku period kazu uchi mono blade, based on the number of forging flaws. Here are the photos: Any thoughts or opinions as to the age and origins of this blade?
Muki Posted March 4, 2011 Report Posted March 4, 2011 That almost looks like Wiley. E. Coyotes face on the dragon tsuba!
Birdman Posted March 4, 2011 Author Report Posted March 4, 2011 Yeah, dragons of any kind, whether antique or repro (like this one) just don't do anything for me...which is why I found antique fittings I like to replace them.
paulb Posted March 4, 2011 Report Posted March 4, 2011 Rich, As I am sure Mark will have pointed out it is almost impossible to give a realistic opinion on a blade in this condition and from photos. His guess of early shinto is as good as any. Just based on statistics alone it is likely to be mid shinto. There is nothing I can see in the images to suggest it would be any earlier. It has had a very hard life. Before spending money on antique fittings and having the tsuka rebound I would recommend that you determine what you want to achieve from the exercise.
Birdman Posted March 4, 2011 Author Report Posted March 4, 2011 Rich,As I am sure Mark will have pointed out it is almost impossible to give a realistic opinion on a blade in this condition and from photos. His guess of early shinto is as good as any. Just based on statistics alone it is likely to be mid shinto. There is nothing I can see in the images to suggest it would be any earlier. It has had a very hard life. Before spending money on antique fittings and having the tsuka rebound I would recommend that you determine what you want to achieve from the exercise. Well, I bought the sword from Mark in the first place (he's the one who took the photos, but admits they're pretty horrible since his halogen light burned out), and he says it also has "some very koto characteristics", though he didn't elaborate on that. It used to be his SCA "dress" sword. He did have a valid point: the flaws are unsightly, but not fatal, the blade is still quite stout (he says there's still plenty of "life" left in it), and it DID somehow survive several centuries, to go to war once again in WWII. As to what I "hope to achieve from the exercise", the answer is simple: my own pleasure. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I collect (functional) artifacts, not art. If someone offered to give me a worn, pitted, but still shootable (even if it requires some mechanical parts to be replaced or repaired to make it so) 1851 Navy Colt that actually saw service during the Civil War, or a fancy, pristine Nimsche-engraved gun made for presentation to some high-ranking officer, but which never fired a shot in anger, and I could only pick one, I'd take the plain one every time. That's me.
paulb Posted March 4, 2011 Report Posted March 4, 2011 Rich, I was not, nor am I, critisicing your motives or your sword. What you do and why is entirely up to you. As another collector of Percussion revolvers I have great sympathy for your position of functional piece Vs show piece. The point I was trying to make is that from a pure commercial point of view I would personally not invest money in putting good quality old fittings on this blade. It would not add value to the sword and might detract value from the fittings. If, as you say, it is purely for your pleasure and you get a kick out of it carry on. Re: Marks comments. He obviously has the advantage of seeing the blade in hand. I would be very interested in what koto characterisitcs he can see because from the images there is nothing to point ot a pre 1600 date. However you asked for opinions as to when it might have been made and other attribution and I would stand by my original point that based on theses images and in this condition it is almost impossible to say. I wish you success in your search for fittings regards
Birdman Posted March 4, 2011 Author Report Posted March 4, 2011 Actually, I already found a complete set of fittings I like. All are of "average" quality, and in fact the most I paid for any one purchase was $241 for a set of antique fuchi, kashira, and menuki together from nihonto.uk. The tsuba (mentioned in another post in the tosogu forum) was $160. I also bought nice a fuchi/kashira set from Ted Tenold. So I've got a choice of fittings, and the ones I don't use will be displayed instead. All look nice to me, and all would look decent together, but none are of such high quality or expense that I'd be afraid to use them to remount this sword. FWIW, Mark doesn't think this is a kazu uchi mono blade. He says those were Bizen manufacture and this does not show characteristics of those blades. He thinks this may have been a student-piece. Another question: was cotton used, historically, for tsukamaki? I know most, if not all, of the surviving examples use silk, but I also know silk is more durable in the long-term. But was cotton used on less expensive mounts, sort of like using panels of samegawa instead of a full wrap (which I know was definitely done historically)? If so, from what historical point was it used?
paulb Posted March 4, 2011 Report Posted March 4, 2011 you can find examples of all sorts of materials being used to bind hilts. You are right that the majority are silk. Leather was also used a lot. I have only seen cotton used on later pieces noteably those listed as "Satsuma Rebellion" swords. I am not sure whether this binding was original or if it was ever used earlier. As you say cotton would have a much shorter life and would be used on lesser swords therefore much less likely to survive.
Mark Green Posted March 4, 2011 Report Posted March 4, 2011 My best guess on this sword, due to it's nice length, was late 1600's-early 1700's. It does have some very nice tapering, all the way around. It sure has some ugly goobs, but it is still alive. Somehow, it was thought of enough to make it an instrument of war into the 20th century. I advised Rich that he should just enjoy it for what it was, and save his fittings for his next (better) sword. We shall see.
Birdman Posted March 15, 2011 Author Report Posted March 15, 2011 Well, after doing some searching and inquiry, I've decided to have Randy Black make the new koshirae for my sword. I've never read anything negative about his quality, and his prices are well within my budget (and in proportion to the value of the sword, as well). Price will be even lower as I will be providing my own samekawa, silk ito, and most of the fittings.
Guido Posted March 15, 2011 Report Posted March 15, 2011 Could a mod please delete this atrocity ... pretty please?
Brian Posted March 15, 2011 Report Posted March 15, 2011 No... But then I also slow down to look at traffic accidents, and eat popcorn during horror movies... This is like watching a train moving towards that car on the railway crossing... Nothing good can come of this, so let's just lock it and move on to hopefully better things. Brian
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