hello and thanks for having me. i have a japanese cane sword and i was wondering where to go to see if it is an antique made in the traditional manner. i took off the handle to look at the tang and it looks like someone filed down any characters that might have been on it. i'm located in hollywood california.

Well, I will at least offer a comment and a suggestion. The blades in cane swords are very often not of very high quality and are rarely ever signed or even real nihonto for that matter. Hard to comment on yours without any photos, as far as input from the board goes and I am 4 thousand miles from Hollywood so thats no good to you!

I've seen a few Japanese cane swords and remember only one where the blade itself was of any quality. It was a Bungo Takada sword although the smith eludes me. John

Post photos, don't "clean" anything; I have seen at least one decent cane sword but many more poor examples.

In 1877 wearing of the two swords as a badge of rank was outlawed - the class of Bushi (samurai) was dissolved, however certain individuals insisted on carrying a sword. Many old mumei blades and Kanbun blades were refit into Shikomi-zue (cane swords). In general these were not carried by the average stipend-less samurai but by gentlemen who could afford to have a sword custom-made. We find many unsigned and or less than spectacular swords in these koshirae because the folks involved understood what they were working with and generally did not mess with masterworks from an earlier period. However on occasion very fine swords may be found in such koshirae.

I should be interested in photos of your sword, nakago, blade, koshirae and all. Because they represent a very brief moment in Japanese history I find them all very intriguing
-t

I have always read that Japanese sword canes had junk blades, I purchased this one thinking that was the case, but I have always wondered what was under the tarnish, the blade is quite sharp. The koshirae is well disguised and you cant tell that it is really a sword. http://s831.photobucket.com/albums/zz238/estcrh/Antique%20Japanese%20sword%20cane/

Another feature that seems to be common is the use of different woods to effect another kind of wood(if that makes sense). For example your is made to look like bamboo. One that I have also looks very much like a dark piece of old bamboo but on close inspection it has a base of honoki but is then covered in Cherry bark...
-t

Well dont just tell us about it....pictures????...its much harder to find pictures of the more unusual types of weapons than swords.

Mei Mihara Tsunamichi
Eric

So there are good blades hidden inside some of there sword canes after all.

more than a few, seen a Sukesada in cherry bark that was a killer!

And there is this one. Wonderful, full katana, shinto, signed Korekazu (late period)

Once mine, you still have this chopper, Matt?

very nice mark, if its back on the market let me know. VA go to drop me something soon so ill be in the buying mode, i pray.

It really is a beauty.

Board member Matt may still hold this one. He will likely chime in, if he can get out from under the snow!!!

Seriously - I had to dig my car out of 3ft of snow at BWI on Monday...without a shovel. Not for the faint of heart.

Here are pictures of the sword Mark mentions. It is a stout Shinto in shikomi-zue mountings. The sword does not look to have been 'trimmed' for the fittings and is very beefy/healthy. I am surprised it fits in the saya. It is signed 'Musashi ju Ishido Sakano Korekazu'. Perhaps a rare 4th or 5th gen. Itame hada, kani-no-hasami hamon though the claws look to form jewels in many spots. Very nice.