Imperial Nihonto information

[Adrian I]

Thank you all for your comments!

I appreciate them and I think this is the role of a forum, to debate and share opinions ..

I promised that I would take some pictures with the blade, they are made with the phone but at least you see the hamon and some finishing details.

[16k]

with these pictures, I'm not so sure anymore. Might still be a gendaito.

[PNSSHOGUN]

It seems like a Seki-To with a good, but deceiving, polish that obscures the trademark oil quenched spots with Hadori.

[16k]

the O-kissaki bothers me too!

[Adrian I]

[16k]

That was the angle. Chu kissaki after all.

[raynor]

No turn back of the boshi? Or is that a thing on post Edo blades?

[SAS]

I see activities which i would not expect to see in an oil quenched blade.

[Tom Darling]

Does this blade not look like stainless steel?   Peace.

 

 

Tom D.

[SAS]

Real hamon on a stainless blade would be a neat trick; i have not seen it done.

[Tom Darling]

Yes, I agree, but how do you know it's real. I've seen hamon that look like this on Chinese made blades. Peace.

 

 

Tom D.

[SAS]

Real nihonto or real hamon; which do you mean (or both?)

[PNSSHOGUN]

Real hamon were produced on "stainless" swords by a smith called Kanenaga: http://ohmura-study.net/212.html

[SAS]

Very interesting; i wonder what the "commandeered polisher" had to say about it?

[Adrian I]

With all due respect to your opinions, but the blade is NOT stainless steel. I know that there is a noticeable difference between photos and reality, especially for photos taken with the phone. Can you please help me with the translation of the writing from one of the seppa?

[16k]

Adrian, you are probably right, but in a way, if it were stainless steel, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Stainless steel was a novelty at the time and was sought after. They were particularly wanted in the navy where the salt accelerated the rusting process.

[Geraint]

Well, as I was the one who asked for pictures of the koshirae and we seem to be stuck in a debate about the blade let me add some thoughts.  Adrian's most recent picture of the stamped mark on the seppa adds to my doubts.  I think the lack of quality on these fittings, the very poor fit between component parts and the overall lack of crispness suggests reproduction.  I suggest that this is a made up confection though I do think the blade is a Showato.  The plugged mekugi ana was the original and the blade was subsequently modified to turn it into what it is now.  

 

I have what used to be called in the UK a, "flashy tachi", one made for the enthronement and even though it has the usual silver plated mounts it is well made and original, this one as a whole is not.  I don't know how long it has been together but I would guess just a few years at most, just long enough for the mild steel plug in the mekugi ana to discolour slightly.

 

Whether this was put together with intention to deceive or just because someone really wanted a tachi and couldn't afford one we will never know.  Did the auction house know what they were doing?  Very hard to say in my experience, very few have enough knowledge to describe Japanese swords accurately and, let's face it, their description of this one is hardly detailed.  

 

Adrian, I am very sorry that this has happened to you, this is a great hobby and I would hate to think that this would put you off it altogether.  I do hope the auction house do the honourable thing here and refund you. 

 

All the best.

[SAS]

I do have to wonder about the file markings on the plug matching the yasurime of the nakago; and the seppa is bizarre to say the least. If the price paid was appropriate for what the work shows, no foul, but if it was described as shoshin, that is a different matter. Good discussion.