Geraint

Dear Jeff. Just to summarise what we have so far......... You have a nice sword, the length makes it a ko wakizashi or short wakiszashi. Swords between 12" and 24" are wakizashi. The sword is unsigned, (mu mei), but the yasurime, (file marks used by the smith to finish the tang), are clear. Generally, (and you will soon realise that nothing is absolute in this game), clear file marks suggest that the sword is slightly younger, in this case Shinto, (1600 - 1800) or Shinshinto, (1800 - 1860). Those dates are approximate. Given all your photogr[hs which make some things clearere than at the start, my suggestion would be that this is a Shinshinto sword. The koshirae, (mounting), is quite plain but attractive and generally complete, go very easy on the cleaning of the tsuba until you have taken up Ken's suggestion and met up with Gray who will be able to offer you good advice. Whatever the verdict you have a nice example of a genuine Japanese sword in full mounts, it is a nice thing and the family association with your Grandfather makes it special. Enjoy the journey as you learn more. All the best.

Dear Matt. From what we can see so far this appears to be a handachi mounted sword that has been kitted out to serve during WWII. In other words it is a Japanese sword, originally mounted as a civilian sword but later it has had a combat cover and a hanger added to make it serviceable in the war. Do you know how to remove the hilt? If not then pleaser ask and we can tell you. We need to see the blade without its mounts to be able to tell you much more. All the best.

Dear David. In terms of what you re looking for this is a good piece. A nice Kaigunto with the fish skin saya, all the fittings in good condition and the knot, combined with a good looking civil sword. You don't give the length but in this context I don't think it matters very much. Of course it is possible that it is gimei but that isn't going to bother you unless you plan on having it polished and going to shinsa. It clearly didn't bother the man who carried it. Without discussing price I think this ticks all your boxes Enjoy! All the best.

Dear Jeff. When you say that the blade is 14" long is that overall including the tang? If so then what is the length from the tip to the notch at the back where the habaki sits? All the best.

Dear Dick. Well from the top, and most of this you know already, the menuki are average but not great, the tsuba is a classic Nagoya mono, for which much information is available but a neat summary is here, http://www.shibuiswords.com/nagoyamono.htm Yours is in good condition apart from the small spots of corrosion which I will leave for others to comment on. The fuchi kashira are the nicest element and I believe the suggestion was that they might be Hamano school. Whatever they are they have some real charm. All the best.

Dear Jewells. Wow! All those photographs and no response. Well if nothing else maybe this will stimulate some discussion for you. This is a nice find. Tamba no kami Yoshimichi is a well known name and the signature looks good at first glance. You mentioned it had been authenticated but you don't say by whom and for all intents and purposes unless the authentication is done by either the NBTHK or the NTHK it would be considered an informed guess. I am sure that you know that, as with any art form, false signatures are rife and only a proper Japanese shinsa will be believed. Hence I imagine, your desire to get such a certificate. From time to time there are shinsa organised in the US but given the current situation I don't suppose anyone has information about one in the near future. There are options to ship the sword to Japan to have it papered which others in the US will advise you about. The length from the notches on the tang to the tip is important, from your photographs the overall length appears to be around 27" and the tang around 6" so the crucial length would be 21". Is that about right? If so then your sword is classed as a wakizashi rather than a katana. This has a considerable impact on value. The habaki or blade collar is missing a piece, it should have another part that fits around the part you have at the base. The sword seems to be in fairly good condition but it is not in what would be called polish. Vital that you don't attempt anything yourself as it is easy to completely ruin a sword that way. It is probably not an economic proposition to get all this work done from your point of view unless you want to keep the sword and treasure it. If you want to sell it then probably best to do so now and let someone else invest in it because they love it. Hope some of this helps and of course it is only one opinion. Others will give you a better idea of the value in the US market as it is. All the best.

Dear Joan. Looks like "Takada no ju Kunihisa". Can we see the rest of it please? All the best.

Really not sure about the first kanji but I think the second is saki. All the best. Edit, John beat me to it.

Dear All. Just to keep the thread going. All the best.

Grey, those are stunning, I'm surprised you were able to let them go. All the best.

Dear Peter. Well that is interesting, the iron plate for the kodzuka and the design is something I have not seen but rather like. I have also not seen that style of inlay on the kogatana though I do have one with a gold inlayed mei in the hi. Looking forward to what others have to share. All the best.

Dear All. Late to the party but I have just come across this one. Signed, Yamashiro no kuni Nishijin no ju Umetda Tachibana Shigeyoshi. Ex Behrens no. 2268 Ex Boyle. In "Only Fittings", Sydney Moss, 1996 All the best.

Dear Steve. It is indeed and interesting sword and looks like a re purposed naginata. In hand are you seeing a thinning of the blade toward the mune and what happens to the boshi? All the best.

Wow Bruno! That is gorgeous. Thank you for sharing the images. All the best.

Dear Bruno. That looks like a nice koshirae. If it were mine I would be quite happy describing the kozuka as Kaga zogan rather than Umetada. A series of small insects on a shakudo or shibuichi ground is pretty typical of the work. Interested to see what others say. Any chance of some photographs of the rest of the koshirae? All the best.

Here we are. https://www.aoijapan.com/tsubafunada-ikkinkao/ All the best.

Dear Georg. You refer to the dragon tsuba as having signs of heavy use or damage. What makes you think that? All the best.

Dear Peter. The handle is covered in what is usually called same, a species of ray skin. Lots of information around on this subject. If you haven't already discovered how to care for this sword going forward then the links at the top of the page will take you to this guide, http://www.nbthk-ab.org/swordcare.pdf Please feel free to ask any more questions as you continue your research. All the best.

Dear Peter. The mei reads Echizen Kuni Kanenao. Probably Echizen Seki smith from Shinto times. Having said that I can't find a smith listed with this mei so worth checking the last kanji. Ahh! Maybe Echizen Kuni ju Kanetane. Compare here. https://www.aoijapan.com/wakizashi-echizen-kuni-kanetane-first-generation/ All the best.

Dear Piers. Firstly, I think you are absolutely correct in identifying this as a late Shinshinto work, although you don't give us the nagasa, the sugta, the kasane and the feel are all indicative of that. Jean is also spot on though perhaps understating the case. Mino smiths moved all over Japan in the Shinto period and many carried on with the work style. Echizen Seki and Inshu Kanesaki school for example. From what I can see I wouldn't have called the hamon sanbonsugi however, perhaps more togari gunome, which still has a Mino feel. I think a number of smiths got a bit lost during the Bakumatsu, perhaps those just starting up and not yet enjoying a reputation in particular. I like the koshirae. All the best.

Dear Bruce. Matsuda Kanetaka possibly? All the best.

Dear Matt. The false beard is a straw rain cape, and the rest, well look up Daikoku and his attributes. Enjoy. All the best.

Dear Matt. Nice one! The takanoha yasurime and the togari gunome point to this schools Mino den roots. Most sources suggest the original Inshu Kanesaki moved from Mino in the early Edo period and the lineage continues until he very end of the period. Enjoy! Just to add, this one popped up on Aoi. https://www.aoijapan.com/wakizashi-inshu-ju-kanesaki/ Interestingly it does not have the pronounced takanoho yasurime and in this regard is more typical of the school. All the best.

Just to echo what Gwyn has said, I have bought several items from Kevin over the years and apart from one delay when he was moving it has all been good. When my daughter kindly bought me a sword bag as a birthday present he even added a fusahimo to the order. I imagine that ordering supplies from Japan has been an issue recently but if in doubt drop him another e mail Vaughan. All the best.

Dear Alik. Well, the first one at the moment seems fairly ordinary, don't do anything to it except wipe the blade down with a little light oil at the moment. Forgive me if you know this but you should never touch the blade with bare hands, only the nakago, (tang). The second is fare more interesting and you should go carefully with it. Ideally a member here will be within reach and will be able to give you a more informed opinion from and in hand examination. To start with it is a nice shape, the large kissaki, (point),is often found in Shinshinto swords. The signature is of a very good smith and the cutting test makes it even more desirable. Now a caution, big names are often faked so don't give up the day job just yet. It is in it's civilian koshirae, (mounts), which still has the kurikata and fittings protruding through the leather combat cover. If these are your first two Japanese swords then you have done well, we look forward to seeing what happens with that wakizashi. All the best.