Mumei Tanto with interesting shape & hada ....any though

[blucool]

Just picked up this sword and was curious if anyone had any thoughts on age/era or just in general on the piece? Total length of sword including tang is 15.5" and blade is 1.25" across at the widest point, I'm guessing this is a cut down? I put several close-ups of the wild hada which I find most interesting. Thanks for any thoughts or input!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ed Harbulak]

The blade doesn't look like it's been cut down from what I can see in the photos. The hada appears to have a lot of masame in it and the boshi looks like it's yakitsumi, all of which would suggest a Yamato Den blade. Of course, the hada may also look the way it does because it's tired, but that's hard to tell from the photos. Since few tantos were made during shinto times and the rust on the nakago doesn't suggest shinshinto, you may have a koto tanto from one of the Yamato schools.

Ed

[Darcy]

Iriyamagata nakago-jiri is almost entirely found on Shinto and later period works. Some like this are found in Kashu province in the late koto period.

 

Usually nakago shape like this will be a strong indicator of age, though the surface does appear to be older.