md02geist

Picked this one up, a fairly nice medium size sankaku yari.

Per Aoi:
Yari, Kanetane:
Shirasaya whole length : 73 cm or 28.74 inches.
Blade length : 27.3 cm or 10.74 inches.
Sori : 0 cm or 0 inches.
Mekugi :1
Width at the hamachi : 2.26 cm or 0.88 inches.
Kasane : 1.1 cm or 0.43 inches.
Era : Late Muromachi period, around Tensho era.
Shape : Kera Kubi is rather long, Sankaku Yari.
There is a Bo-Hi on Ura side.
Jigane : Ko Itame Hada well grained with Jinie attach.
The Jigane is beautiful.
Hamon : Nie Deki, Suguha Hamon with double Ha and Uchinoke.

On 10/16/2020 at 12:48 PM, Jussi Ekholm said:

It is a statistical outlier and I was surprised when I saw it first time. I have been following Naminohira swords (pre-Edo). In general old Naminohira swords tend to have relatively large curvature on average.

 

For 14 signed old Naminohira Tachi I have tracked down they average the following

Nagasa: 73,6 cm (some of them are suriage) - Sori: 2,6 cm - Motohaba: 2,9 cm - Sakihaba: 1,7 cm

 

For 14 Mumei tachi with Ko-Naminohira attribution they average

Nagasa: 76,8 cm (some of the are slight suriage) - Sori: 2,4 cm - Motohaba: 3,0 cm - Sakihaba: 1,7 cm

 

For 11 Mumei katana with Ko-Naminohira attribution they average

Nagasa: 68,7 cm (all suriage) - Sori: 2,0 cm - Motohaba: 2,7 cm - Sakihaba: 1,7 cm

 

For the 4 Mumei tachi with Naminohira attribution (most likely made after Nanbokuchō) they average

Nagasa: 78,1 cm (all ubu) - Sori: 3,2 cm - Motohaba: 3,0 cm - Sakihaba: 1,7 cm

 

For the 19 Mumei katana with Naminohira attribution (most likely made after Nanbokuchō) they average

Nagasa: 71,6 cm (most suriage) - Sori: 2,2 cm - Motohaba: 3,0 cm - Sakihaba: 1,9 cm

 

Of course this is not in any means definitive analysis but based on available examples that I have for data it is easy to see that in general pre-Edo period Naminohira swords are quite long and with strong curvature and average width.

 

For comparison I do have a mumei tachi attributed to Naminohira and Early Muromachi period, it is 77,2 cm with 3,7 cm curvature. Quite the opposite in shape to this example in the opening.

 

Thank you for your excellent commentary. I agree that it seemed an outlier to me too. It caught my attention due to the shape of it: super shallow sori and quite narrow even down to the hamachi.

Please feel free to comment. I thought this was a very interesting blade particularly due to the length / width. With the shallow sori it almost reminds me of a rapier (I understand that this is not an exact metaphor, just the "feel" it has, no need to correct me on the differences or any of that lol).

I have a translation to the shirasaya written down but if anyone wants to speculate on it seeing as some figures are missing feel free! It's my understanding that it denotes ownership of the blade.

Per Aoi:

Still available. Very low price for a very nice little tsuba.

Perfect, thank you all for the help. Now I have several sources.

In case anyone is curious, this is the blade I am considering submitting:
http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/27114-naginata-naoshi/

I believe it to be a reasonable candidate for shinsa. But I'm still quite new so don't mind my speculation

Hello all!

I have a blade I am considering submitting for shinsa to NBTHK.

I have never done such a thing before (so please be gentle with guidance), nor will I be traveling to Japan.

Let's move this one at 150. Thank you!

The pictures when blown up to NMB size seem to lose a lot of clarity. If you'd like some pictures sent directly just PM me. Thank you.

Nice wakizashi sized iron tsuba with some really pretty gold inlay.

200 shipped via paypal in the CONUS. Thank you for looking.

Still available. Thank you

300 shipped anyone? Thanks!

I can also send further pictures to your email or cell, if you'd like to pm me with that and what you're looking for.

Please feel free to make me offers. I'm just spitballing the value on this tbh.

Iron wakizashi sized tsuba with beautiful inlay work added to it that appears to be gold, silver, etc. No, I have never cleaned it or handled it inappropriately.

Please see attached pictures. Any further questions, please feel free to PM me.

Asking 400USD or best offer, shipped via paypal in the continental United States. Out of country shipping is fine, but will incur extra costs simply because it's more expensive.

Thank you!

On hold. Thank you.

Hi there,

I sent you a PM as stated. It is still available. Please check your inbox; it's the little letter looking icon in the upper left of the bar under "NIHONTO MESSAGE BOARD" and next to your user name.

Sorry for the delay; It's here. I will PM you.

It is still available.

I'll take 200 USD for it.

Still available.

Please note the prices on their page:

https://www.takehiko.co.jp/?mode=f7

50s or so vintage.

Excellent condition, handmade sterling silver. Comes with book of authenticity, in original glass and wood container with cloth stand.

Asking 250 shipped in the continental United States. Price includes insurance.

These go for much, much more purchased directly from Takehiko.

Thanks for the input.

Anyone like to hazard a guess at school or time period?

Very great discussion here.

I think we can reach a consenus at least in that it is a sort of a naoshi, old, and probably worth a proper shinsa.

That’s all pretty great info.

Not sure where all it leads us at this point though.

Also y'all are correct; the boshi does not turn back. I apologize, my lighting was insufficient and I thought I saw something I didn't.

All discussion and pointing out of stuff is very much welcome to me. I'm still only a little bit into learning so I have a long ways to go.

I would very much agree that what is now the nakago was at one point part of the blade; positioning of the hi as you state seems to indicate this to me, as it goes well below the habaki. I wonder if it was a blade damaged or broken at some point, and but the upper portion of a fairly longer blade salvaged or similar.

To my eyes (please feel free to comment if you see differently) it looks koto to me rather than a stylish Edo naoshi. In addition, despite the sayagaki saying Rai it seems *to me* (and to a few others who have looked at it) to look very Naminohira.

The shape of it does to my eyes look like a partial Kamakura naginata, although obviously cut down and/or modified.

Thoughts?