Help with New Sword Purchase #2

[pike-56]

I received so much positive information and I mentioned I had another sword I am in need of information about. It appears to be a very old sword but I'm a lil puzzled by the blade. I have been unable to find this shape, it seems to have a strong curve. The top fulller comes back, but the top fuller stops a few inches short of the Tsuba. There is no mark on the tang and it is very dark and smooth. I would be interested in information on this Tsuba, this one also has another trashed handle and I can see why, the material for wrapping it is crumbling like old paper. I really like sword it has a nice feel when in hand. Thanks in advance for any and all information you can provide. I am learning alot.

 

http://

 

http://

 

http://

 

http://

 

http://

 

http://

 

_________

David P

[Ken-Hawaii]

David, please sign ALL of your posts, per Brian's rules.

 

Can you please post some photos of the nakago? Hard to tell much without seeing the entire blade.

 

Ken

[pike-56]

http://

 

http://

 

http://

 

[url][/url]

 

[url][/url]

 

___________

David P.

[pike-56]

http://

 

[url][/url]

 

http://

 

[url][/url]

 

http://

 

___________

David P.

[Grey Doffin]

Let me be the 1st to show how little I know.

I think the blade is no earlier than mid 19th century; same with the tsuba. I think this, most likely, was put together to sell to western tourists in Meiji to Taisho Japan (late 19th to early 20th century). Nothing special.

Grey

[Lindus]

Agree with Grey but have a close look at the Ha, I think I can see not little chips but Bur's, this would indicate a very soft Hamon, possible saha or polished out???

[Peter Bleed]

Well, gee. I think Grey is right that this is "nothing special", but I would speculate that the blade might be a bit older than Meiji times. There seems to have been a market for odd-shaped shoto in earlier Shinto times, kata-kiriba and this kind of big unokubi-zukuri. These things are often unsigned, too. The edge may be a bit doughy, but I would put this blade through a shinsa. And actually, I think this may have been a rather nice looking rig.

Peter

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Peter,

I was working off the kesho yasurime of the nakago as much as off anything else in making the Meiji call. This could be a suriage older blade and then the yasurime would be a later addition (not well done, which doesn't speak well for the blade). What I can see of the hada and hamon puts me in mind of retemper (I can't be sure of this, just a gut reaction); guess what I'm getting at is nothing special, put together in Meiji or so, and doesn't make much difference how old the blade is.

But I could be 100% wrong about this. I can be that wrong with the blade in hand; working from photos only I'm dangerous.

Grey

[george trotter]

Hi David, apart from the sword, you also asked about the fittings. Tsuba looks nice to me (I'm not a fittings man so stand to be contradicted), the mounts in general are shabby now, but interesting that you mention the hilt wrapping (tsuka ito) is crumbling like paper...it may be paper! Some old wraps were of a form of paper, often lacquered to give them strength and looking at yours, it seems it is what is called katatemaki (battle wrap), sometimes found on surviving mounts from the sengoku jidai uchigatana, and even has the appearance of the type of overlap called gangimaki, usually of leather or paper with lacquer (see pic of gangimaki)....might be an older blade and mounting than Meiji IMHO.

Regards,

[pike-56]

George, now that you say laquered paper that does make sense, it does have a feel of some kind of paper. Something else I might mention within this wrap there is also string. Appreciate the comments.

 

_____________

David P.

[george trotter]

That is interesting David...I have never seen this type of gangimaki/katatemaki "ribbed" binding unravelled, so am not knowledgeable here, but what you say about it having a string component to the wrap makes sense...the "rib" on the edge of each wrap may well be "filled" by string, otherwise it would slowly flatten, or worse, become loose...here is a closeup of the ribbed gangimaki on my sword...looks just like yours.

Maybe one of our NMB professional itomakishi can comment on this type of maki?

By the way, I think your overall mounting is an uchigatana type, and is in the form called handachi (half tachi). I would say it is about 60cm? (24 in)...which would be about right for the footsoldier of the Sengoku wars of 1468-1572 perid (not saying it is that old).

It is an interesting find. I don't say earth shattering, but interesting...the blade shape (u-no-kubi?) I have never seen before just like this one...because of the polish etc, it is hard to say much about age, quality etc.but I do think I can see it still has hamon in one or two of the pics.

Might be worth showing to someone knowledgeable...just to be sure.

I must say I do like these "common soldiers" weapons...they are silent, but they say a lot.

Regards,