advice for novice on appraisal

[intosight]

Hello Members,

Wish I could have been more specific on what exactly I'm looking for, but I feel like I have entered a hall of mirrors.

 

Basically I have just become responsible for a sword, most probably a Katana, acquired in Japan in the early fifties. I am acting on behalf of the widow of the man who acquired it on no more recommendation than some skill (limited) on a computer. It is however a responsibility that I take very seriously.

 

I have since spent days and hours researching the subject and have been able to determine that at the very least the sword is handforged. The tang is very corroded so the mei is difficult to make out excepting san, the first character. I believe the first two represent sanjo. There is evidence of at least two more characters but the pitting gets very heavy. The sword has probably been shortened and I do not think it is in its original mounts.

 

I have been utterly fascinated by these blades and the artistry involved here. The wealth of information far exceeds the time and ability I have to devote to it, unfortunately. I feel like I'd like to retire and spend the rest of my life studying it.

 

In any case, I am at a loss as to how to proceed. I believe at the very least we need to establish something approaching value for insurance purposes, and beyond that I believe she may wish to market it. And I realize the sword probably needs to be seen personally by an expert for this to happen. Any advice?

[John A Stuart]

Hello (name please), Without knowing at least your general location I can't direct you to an authority or sword group. For maybe getting some idea of possibilities of what you have we need good pictures. John

[intosight]

Thanks John,

 

Name is David. I was a bit unfamilar with the format and thought my posts would be signed automatically. I am located in what could politely be described as bfe, Missouri.

Kansas City, mo. or Tulsa, ok. are only relatively close metro areas that might have something, but I have been unable to locate anything.

Tried including photos earlier but format was too large.

Here is a link to an online album:

https://cid-3781b780682b4394.skydrive.l ... 2B4394!105

Please let me know if it works.

 

Thanks again,

David P

[Mark]

it says i have to sign on to see the pictures?

[John A Stuart]

Hi David, The link works only if you allow friend requests and use windows messenger. If you e-mail the pics I will size them to post here. Stephen will find this thread here and will be familiar with who is in that area, perhaps, he knows just about everyone down there. My e-mail is a the bottom of the post. John

[intosight]

Hey John,

I'm going to have to reformat pics to be able to e-mail them and unfortunately my resident I.T. guy is spending the night at a friends. Give me a bit. Just tried to attach a single here but it was still too large. I have a zip version I'll try and send direct to you.

David

[John A Stuart]

OK

[intosight]

John and Mark,

I opened the online album to everyone(I think). See if that helped while I work on the rest.

David

[John A Stuart]

That worked David, I didn't know that was possible John

[Clive Sinclaire]

I believe the first two represent sanjo.

It would be a spooky coincidence if it turned out to be SANJO YOSHINORI as I am just looking at a sword with this mei by a UK owner.

Clive Sinclaire

[intosight]

Hey guys,

Glad that worked. Without my son here I would have been fighting hard on the photos.

Clive, its funny you said Yoshinori. I was looking hard at his signature earlier today. I don't know how well it came through in the photos but the next two characters below sanjo have been gilded at one time and the bottom of the fourth and the bottom of Yoshinori's have some similarities. It is just so pitted there. I actually believe there to be a further two possibly three, but I dont know how you could ever decipher them.

Also, forgive me butchering the terminology. It is a great deal to digest in a few days.

FYI: Blade length a hair over 28 inches, with tang just over 36 and a quarter.

And I realize the tsuba is Namban and probably later but the craftsmanship blows me away. The beards on the dragons are like wire but they have been sawn and filed out. Incredible.

Please ask anything you might wish to know. I love this stuff!

David P

[John A Stuart]

It kind of looks possible, Clive, isn't that a 'yoshi' kanji hiding there 吉 Good smiths if so. 2nd gen by Hawley's does mention suguba komidare hamon and that fits this sword at least, but, lots more investigation needed. John

[intosight]

Hey John,

Could you decipher that a bit for me? The polish on this sword is old, but from what I can tell the Hamon is fairly straight with a gentle wave, not nearly as dramatic a some examples I've seen. As for the smiths they are only names on a list to me.

I've pured over Stein, but as you know, you need enough knowledge to look in the correct places.

David

[John A Stuart]

Midare means irregular 乱 suguba straight hamon 直刃 ko small 小 so, small irregularities on a basically straight hamon. Based on what I see in your pics. A wave would be notare 灣れ if continuous for the length of the ha, which it isn't, so irregular, however suguba with brief notare could describe it. The habuchi isn't very apparent, so properly lit pics of that might help. John

[intosight]

Ah, so much to learn.

Believe basically straight with small irregularities nails it. I'll try for some better photos.

Thanks, David

[george trotter]

Just commenting on the mei...Sanjo Yoshiie?

It would be good to see some closeup pics of hada, kissaki, mei etc. A strong looking sword.

Regards,

Geo.

[Grey Doffin]

I think I'm missing something here. All this speculation about Sanjo smiths, a very early (Heian) school of smithing, but this sword is signed katana-mei.

Grey

[Jean]

Grey,

 

This sword is signed katana-mei

 

Perhaps an Holliwwod one

[george trotter]

Hi Grey,

just commenting on what the mei appears to say....not what the sword says...

Geo.

[intosight]

Hey Grey,

Am I off base here? Weren't there several smiths using sanjo in their mei? One of which I believe was working into the 1500s.

Also, weren't Katana beginning to be manufactured in the late Koto?

Once again, I'm a idiot here, but thought I encountered that in my reading.

Thanks, David P

[Grey Doffin]

Hi David,

Of course, you aren't off base. There were smiths signing this way much later than Heian.

But there was talk about Sanjo Yoshiiye, who worked in Heian, and it seemed people were going this way and I didn't understand and asked.

Grey

[intosight]

Hi Grey,

Was trying to remember what I was thinking of earlier and found it by Robert Cole in sho-shin. Blade attributed to KOKUHO MIKAZUKI, the Crescent Moon Munechikan, signed on ura: SANJO. If you search term ura on the site you can find conversations that make me believe that, while it is rare, there are Koto blades Katana-Mei.

I am far from trying to attribute this blade, period. Just the possibility of there being kanji representing sanjo mei. All the rest is just intriguing at this point. David P

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Hi David, The link works only if you allow friend requests and use windows messenger.

 

Hi John.

Link works fine with Firefox. Maybe this way more people will enter the topic.

[John A Stuart]

Hi Carlo, IE works fine as well. David has allowed public access now and all can view the pics. John

[intosight]

Hello everybody,

 

Thanks for all the great information on my earlier post. Far more than I expected and very much appreciated.

But to some extent I am still in a bit of a quandry as to how to proceed.

I may be dealing with a Koto era blade with a SanJo mei signed in Hollywood, but how do I find out for sure?

I have contacted M. Becerra, F. Weissberg, and T. Pepin through their web-sites, and all have been gracious and helpful, but I know nothing more of these men than what they themselves post on their own sites. I am hesitant to send the sword off to strangers. Thoughts?

Also I have found out that Shinsa will be in Minneapolis this October. Submitting the blade there seems to make the most sense, but I have no idea of what costs are associated, or if this blade would be a good candidate for the process, though I believe so.

Any guidance would very much appreciated.

Thanks, David

 

 

And, we have absolutely determined Nihoto NOT for dispatching marsupials?

[Brian]

David,

I merged your new post with the original topic..much easier to keep it all in one thread.

 

Brian

[intosight]

Thanks Brian,

I wasn't sure if it was still being viewed.

Also, just found the flyer for October's Shinsa, so have the cost question answered.

David

[Grey Doffin]

Hi David,

Let me encourage you to attend the show in Minneapolis. You will be able to learn just what you have, see many other swords and fittings, and meet some of us who have been posting about your sword. Chris and Larry (the show's Big Kahunas) always put on a great time, with quite a few exhibits and demonstrations all related to Nihonto and/or Japanese culture. I'd be very surprised if you aren't very glad you went.

Cheers, Grey

[intosight]

Hey guys,

I've been playing with the photography process and think I have better photos for you to view. Hopefully addressed some of the concerns George and others had.

Link below. Let me know what you think.

David P

 

http://cid-3781b780682b4394.skydrive.li ... 2B4394!124