Basho

Thank you Jussi! It seems like a consensus is definitely emerging that it's probably around Momoyama. I am VERY appreciative of all the advice and information in this thread.

I totally forgot to reply to this incredibly informative and helpful post. I really appreciate it! My apologies, Kirill.

Hi Franco, Motokasane: 7 mm. Sakikasane: 5 mm. I will measure the nakago later, when I have time to go downstairs and take off the tsuka.

These are large files, so I am posting multiple times.

Hi Jussi. I've added some photos, as well as the motohaba and sakihaba measurements. (My amateurish eye agrees with Franco, that machi-okuri seems likely, just based on how it looks.)

Thank you! Not to contribute to derailing the discussion, but having spent years in the infantry in my youth, I definitely agree that the judicious application of vulgarity can sometimes be very appropriate.

Thanks to everyone for your insights and knowledge. I really appreciate it. So it sounds like there's a bit of a consensus emerging that this blade: (a) is not a naoshi that was shortened from an earlier polearm, but rather was made in this size/shape and style (b) is probably from around the end of the Muromachi/beginning of Edo period This has been a very informative and useful thread!

Thank you!

Thank you John. I've previously read that thread and it was fascinating (and just went back and read it again).

Thank you John! I appreciate the assistance and skill. Does that mean the NBTHK is essentially saying it started out as a wakizashi and is definitely NOT a naoshi of some kind, or does it just mean they are just saying it is currently a wakizashi, without commenting on whether or not it used to be something else at some point?

Unfortunately, I am not smart (or well-educated) enough to know the answer to that. I cannot read the paper. Based on having looked at a few other Takada attributed papers (to try to understand the Fujiwara, Taira, Ko distinction), my guess is that it is NOT listed as naginata-naoshi. Hopefully someone who can read the paper will chime in.

Thank you John. Here are the best close-ups I have on my computer right now. I can take some better close-ups when I get home later today, if that would be helpful.

Thank you Oliver. I am glad I am not the only person that thinks it's a nice-looking blade. Usually when I buy a sword it's for reasons beyond "it's so pretty" but this one I just absolutely loved as soon as I saw it! The nagasa is about 52cm, so it's technically a long wakizashi.

Interesting! Thank you for your reply. I have never owned anything naoshi, so I am completely new to this. I can definitely see your point about the very large hamon. Ultimately I bought the blade somewhat impulsively, simply because I think it is beautiful - and I will consider it beautiful regardless of how old it is. I will note that one reason I thought that it might be shortened from something like a longer nagamaki/naginata is that the overall curve does not appear to be as smooth as it perhaps "should" be. The area immediately behind the kissaki seemed to be slightly at odds with the curve of the rest of the blade, making me wonder if that was related to some re-shaping that took place at some point in the past.

Hi everyone. I've been collecting Nihonto for almost 25 years, and have (of course) been reading this site with great interest. I set up my account in 2010, but have posted very little since then. I purchased this blade about six months ago, and I was curious if any of you could give me an idea of the rough age it was made in. It was described as a nagamaki-naoshi, but my (limited) understanding is that shortened blades that were either naginata or nagamaki are often simply referred to as naginata-naoshi, regardless of how they started out. The blade is mumei, and while it has NBTHK paperwork describing it at "Takada" school, it has no further attribution to a specific smith or a particular period/age. My understanding is that Edo-period Takada blades are sometimes listed as "Fujiwara Takada" and that older (Muromachi?) swords may sometimes be listed as "Taira Takada" and even older blades might sometimes be described as "Ko Takada." This is purely based on searching around the internet and looking at other Takada blades with paperwork, but I really have no idea. My (again limited) understanding of nagamaki blades is that they were not very popular after the 14th century, suggesting that if this blade is a shortened nagamaki (as the seller believed) it COULD be quite old. But, I have also read that more recent blades were sometimes made in a nagamaki/naginata-naoshi style, so I gather that this could also be a considerably newer blade. I would love any thoughts or insights that any of you have. Thank you in advance.