Unusual Tanto With Large Sori

[FletchSan]

Hi All,

 

I have no idea what this is - haven't seen one before though looks well made. Out of polish so a bit hard to see too much detail.

The blade is only 23.3cm long and has a huge sori. The nakago has a dark patina and 3 mekugi-ana.

 

Bridal tanto? Something else?

 

cheers,

 

Ben

[Grey Doffin]

I think it has been said on the message board that these are gardening tools of some sort but I think just as, if not more, likely that these are late Meiji/Taisho Hamamono: made for and sold to western tourists departing Japan from the dock at Yokohama.

Grey

[Stephen]

all the holes boss the holes!! might have in fires and thrice tempered?? mounted many ways tho

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

all the holes boss the holes!! might have in fires and thrice tempered?? mounted many ways tho

 

The mekugiana at far right seems deformed (has a flat bottom) like if the sori of the nakago has been altered while the one at far left is oddly placed....Seems no Yasurime.  Details of the saya aren't that bad, I don't think is for Ikebana, maybe for tourist possibly refurbished from a longer blade retempered that achieved in the process an exaggerate curvature. .

[Greg F]

I also think beennin fire and retempered and fittings to fit increased sori.

 

Greg

[FletchSan]

Thanks all. I'm not sure if it is refurbished longer blade as it is very small and delicate. The photos make it look much bigger than it is. The width of the blade at the habaki is only 2cm.

 

cheers,

 

Ben

[Brian]

Mamorigatana or child's sword. Looking at the dimensions, I think this is real but scaled down, Fittings are not cheap. Tiny 2 piece habaki?
May have curved more in the quench because of the size, and nakago altered later. Not sure, but I don't think this is junk.

[FletchSan]

Yes it has a tiny 2 piece habaki. I'll have to look up Mamorigatana !

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

The width of the blade at the habaki is only 2cm.

 At this point methink Brian is right. So thiny to achieve an exaggerate curvature. Good fittings tells for a Mamorigatana as well. I wonder if (or how many) hagire sleeps under that poor polish. 

[FletchSan]

Is it worth getting a window done? Are they collectable and potentially decent quality blades or more of a curio?

[Brian]

Most will say not...I say go for it. You never know how nice the workmanship is underneath.

[Valric]

Interesting. It looks like one of the curio sold to foreigners, but of much higher quality than the usual "bone daggers" I've seen in the past. 

 

It could also be the remnants of a ruined blade unfit for the Japanese market. And it was re-hammered (look at the nagako, deformation of the lower-most hole) and basically re-packaged for the foreign market by some cunning artisan-recycler.