Any Opinions? - Inherited Piece

[jct3602]

Found this tanto in items stored away after my mother passed away.  She picked it up around 1949 in Japan; think it has a gimei nijimei.   My opinion is a good shinshinto copy of mid koto Bizen work, but who knows?  The habuchi is clear and even, the tani, particularly near the hamachi, are deep and contain dense nioi.  Picture taken with Samsung 7 in indirect early morning light.  Will try to provide more pictures if anyone is interested.  Blade edge about 19cm, kurijiri nakago with kiri yasurime, but a few diagonal file marks under the habaki.  Did not provide the gimei? signature to eliminate possibly  influencing preconceptions.  Any speculation would be appreciated.

 

Thanks, 

john twineham

[jct3602]

Lost picture in post preview, lol

 

john twineham

[johngdo]

Photos would help.  :D

-John

 

edit: oops, looks like you beat me to it by a couple seconds!  Sorry about that.  Really a nice little blade though.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Hi John, we will need much better pictures, including the signature, before we can give you any useful information.

 

Everyone posting so far is named John, this will get confusing fast!

[Shugyosha]

Hi John,

 

I'd second what John and John are saying.

 

Some measurements would be useful also, particularly length.

 

Best,

John

[John A Stuart]

Has this a belly? When I squint it looks straight, but, when looking normally it bellies. Optical illusion, hopefully. More pics would be an asset. John the Fifth. Haaaa!

[Alex A]

From a non-John.

 

John, I can see why you think the tanto is not so old and I can see why you lean towards Bizen, Futasuji-bi (still look deep in pic) and Kuri-jiri also being factors.

 

Is the mei a Bizen biggy?, if so, possible "Kuwana" http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/kuwana.html

 

maybe...........

 

You did say open to speculate, and I like speculating.

[Jean]

Gomabashi IMHO and not futasuji

[Alex A]

Haha, chop sticks

 

Thanks for the correction Jean,

 

 

 

Live and learn.....http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/grooves.html

[SAS]

More photos would be helpful before i comment.

[jct3602]

More pictures - They are gomabashi I believe.  1st picture is contrasted and hued up to show boshi shape more clearly; 3rd picture is the same picture before fiddling.  Significant piece of tip is gone but Michael Bell has seen it personally and says repair would be no problem (I am not so sure!). 2017607_182102 is the original of 20170608_030548.  Single larger half length hi on opposite side from pair; adding a slightly older picture with a contrasted and hued edition of same picture (2017608_175458 and 175552) of the upper area of the side with single hi.

[b.hennick]

The delaminations in the point area and the mune worry me. It may be OK after polish but I'm not sure that you would ever recover to costs of restoration. If it is something that you will treasure then do it. If it something that you intend to sell soon after the work is done - you may quite sorry. I do not doubt that the point can be reshaped - it will always look like a reshaped point.

[jct3602]

Might as well show the nakago and nijimei, lol.  You can see from the filing and crispness of the mei why i have my doubts.

 

john twineham

[jct3602]

Hi Barry - pointed out the delamination to Michael Bell and he said it was not bad at all; In real viewing terms it is practically invisible (the blade is so small!)  Your comment on the tip mirrors my thoughts.   I will show you it in the Burlingame Token-kai in August, since I believe you are usually in attendance.  No interest in selling it at all, so no problems there.  Including a picture of the larger hi and nakago in perspective.

 

yours, John Twineham

[jct3602]

Alex, thanks for the "kuwana" refernce in ksky (I love reading his stuff on the internet; poor English, great knowledge and outstanding enthusiasm).  Excellent speculation!

 

yours,

john twineham

[SAS]

I wonder what kind of use or abuse would cause such a major point breakage and chips in the ha? The boshi seems rather large, while the hamon is rather shallow. Perhaps an utsushi blade made in Shinshinto times?