Identify this mei....Sword valuation Wakizashi

[adam_haycox]

Hi there guys....I am new to the nihonto world and after chasing around the country for glorified wallhangers have finally found a genuine nihonto on my doorstep via a family friend!!!

Has some sword furniture from WW2 which makes sense, as claimed by a veteran.

But has some very different furniture too.

Also the tang has been cleaned, removing most rust. Still traces of deep black, you can still see the mei, But gonna affect its value some, I know!

Any advice regards finding the swordsmith and how much should i offer for this sword

[paulb]

Adam,

to make any assessment you will need to post images of the whole blade. However if tthat has been abused in the same way the nakago has there will be little to see or that anyone will be able to tell you. Also need a clearer view of the nakago I can see that it looks to end in Fujiwara Kuni something and probably Saku but cant make out the rest. others much better than me will do more.

You are right about the nakago the action of cleaning it has greatly reduced any potential value the sword may have had.

[cabowen]

Blade is signed Izumi no Kami Fujiwara Kunisada 和泉守藤原國貞. I believe the signature is fake. The blade has been cleaned and buffed to the point where even if restored, a great deal of value will have been lost....

[adam_haycox]

What makes you think this signature may be fake?

Obviously I bow to superior knowledge, but unless its a fake from pre-ww2 I fail to see the point.

It has been sat in a house here in the uk since the 1930s and is not on sale at an arms fair or anywhere like that.

Know the tang cleaning has decimated the value, just waiting now for my friend to email hamon pictures to help identify it...

Also regarding the fake comment, do you mean a non-nihonto blade, faked to look nihonto, or a nihonto faked to look older, or be deliberately mistaken for a better swordsmith?

Thanks for all the help so far guys

[paulb]

the fact the signature may be fake doesnt mean the word is not traditionally made nor does it mean that it is a modern forgery. Smiths have been putting false signature on swords for as long as swords have been made. This sword may well be old and traditionally made. All Chris is saying is that he believes the signature (not the sword) is a fake, or gimei.

[kusunokimasahige]

I dont know who cleaned the nakago (tang) but that was detrimental to any value of the blade itself. *[edited out]*

 

Looking at the blade itself might also give certain leads, so an image of the full blade without the tsuba, seppa and habaki would be best.

 

I do not think however you have struck gold here, quite the contrary.

 

KM

[paulb]

Dear KM,

Please be careful in what you are saying. you are of course right the nakago can be repatinated to look something like the original. however it will not replace all the details lost in the removal of the original patina. Nor will it recover the lost value, in fact if done porperly it will cost a considerable amount of additional money with little chance of recovery.

You must also then consider whether the sword warrants such additional investment.

I agree that a full view of the unmounted sword may tell more about it but if the blade has been treated in a similar way to the nakago I think it unlikely.

[adam_haycox]

Just awaiting photos of the blade/hamon

Think I will be able to get this for a bargain price! an old nihonto actually in my price range!

Get the feeling it was a blade of some quality as the tsuba was inlaid with gold figures (Which have been removed at some point in its life!! as still gold traces where they were mounted)

See this swordsmith had very distinctive hamon, Will this be an identifying factor??

[kusunokimasahige]

Thank you Paul for your comment, I should indeed have been more clear about the pro's and con's of repatinating.

 

KM

[ROKUJURO]

.....Get the feeling it was a blade of some quality as the tsuba was inlaid with gold figures.....

The TSUBA has nothing to do with the quality or value of the blade. Tiny amounts of gold do not increase the value of a TSUBA.

 

We just have a thread on the value determination of Japanese arms. Have a look!

[adam_haycox]

Knew that much chap! very much doubt the tsuba is the same age as the blade!!!

Know none of the other fittings (Especially the saya) are as old as the blade either!!

Just thought it may offer some insight into the blades history...Doubt your average WW2 grunt would have gold and ivory fittings is all!!

[adam_haycox]

Also, although some plonker has cleaned the tang of rust (almost totally removing the mei!)

You can see the rust was originally a deep black colour, Better in tone than many supposedly genuine swords by this smith that have horrible poor steel red rust on!!

Given that even standard machine made blades are fetching £500 at the moment do you feel this sword is a good buy at £650?

[paulb]

Sorry Adam but the only person who can decide if it is worth that is you if you are thinking of buying it.

As a purely personal one off opinion no I would not consider paying that for it, in fact if the rest of the blade has been treated the same way as the nakago (and the small piece of blade visible suggests it might have) I wouldnt connsider paying anything for it.

It depends what you are looking for. If you want a reasonbale example of workmanship save your money go to some fairs and talk to some dealers and collectors. If you buy this one you will very quickly run out of things to look at learn little from it and have a hell of a job to move it on.

[cabowen]

spend the money on books and transportation to shows so you can learn why this is a waste of good money....

[adam_haycox]

Thanks guys, will see what else is about...anyone have a genuine nihonto for under £400?

Please keep any eye on this thread though as awaiting blade pics, who knows might be a surprise!!!

[chrstphr]

there are many on a number of sites. Not everything is priced in the thousands.

 

 

here are a few

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Koto-Ja ... 3f16808db6

 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/F517-REAL-KATAN ... 1265wt_778

 

Not that i endorse or recommend these specifically or buying on ebay. But this took me 3 minutes of searching. Search the sites like Aoi art etc. You can find nhonto for your price range that is not ruined.

 

Chris