Grey Doffin

Hi Peter, Echigo no Kami Kanesada. Grey

Hi David, The pictures on the website are something different from what you're describing on your blade. The shinae you describe sounds like the last shinae discussed on the site, which are wrinkles usually associated with bending and straightening a blade, not cracks in the surface. Or, as Mariusz states, they might be scratches only. Any case, only with pictures will anyone be able to say much for certain. Grey

Hi, name please, The blade is signed "Nobukuni Yoshihiro Saku" (made by Nobukuni Yoshihiro). I have no reference that tells me who or when Yoshihiro was. I like the mounts; could be a very nice sword. Here is a link to a sword care and etiquette site: http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Etiquette.htm You should read it so you know what to do and not to do. Cheers, Grey

Another way of approaching the original question is to look at just what an o-suriage tanto is, which isn't difficult to do because there are hardly any of them out there. The vast majority of long blades (tachi or katana) that have been shortened are now wakizashi, not tanto. The only tanto I see that used to be something significantly longer are the remainders of broken shinogi zukuri katana or wakizashi, and they aren't pretty. Were shinogi zukuri tanto ever made by good smiths? What I'm getting at: I don't think there can be more than a few o-suriage tanto worth owning. Grey

Hi Larry, I don't think you have to worry about this unless you plan to take it for a walk. What are the odds that any legal authority will ever see it, and if for some strange reason one might get a look, he or she wouldn't know it is mounted as a cane; just tell them that it is a traditional mount on an antique Japanese sword. Grey

Hi Marcello, Bob posted a link to tsuba cleaning 2 or 3 posts up. Ko tsuba isn't a term I'm familiar with. I understand ko to mean small or old, neither of which fits this tsuba. I would guess the value to fall somewhere between $250 and $350, but someone else might have a better idea. Grey

1995 Grey

Hi Roy, The only reference I found with my Index is the one you've quoted from: an article in the JSS/US "Newsletter", Volume 27, #2, page 6. Otherwise, none of the sources in the Index mention him. Grey

Hi David, Of course, you aren't off base. There were smiths signing this way much later than Heian. But there was talk about Sanjo Yoshiiye, who worked in Heian, and it seemed people were going this way and I didn't understand and asked. Grey

I think I'm missing something here. All this speculation about Sanjo smiths, a very early (Heian) school of smithing, but this sword is signed katana-mei. Grey

Hi, never did get a name for you, I think we can proceed figuring that this is gimei; no one spoke in favor of the signature and it seems very wrong for Kanesada. 28" tip to tip makes this wakizashi length, maybe 22" on the cutting edge. We know very little about the condition and possible flaws, so a guess at value is just that, a guess. I would think this would sell for at least $450 and probably not more than $800, unless you can find 2 knuckleheads on ebay who both think the signature is genuine and decide to duke it out. Anyone have a better idea? Grey

Carlo, How do you get 893? I was thinking 533 (五三三). Not that this is important; it's just bone mounts on dock work, but I'm curious. And on a related note: I'm seeing quite a few of these bone mounted blades on ebay, way more common than they used to be looking locally. Suppose the Chinese are faking these too? Grey

Hi Marcello, I'm a bit concerned by the sugata. The sori is too strong for the length unless this is the last 27" of a 30" Heian or Kamakura tachi, and I don't believe this is possible with that kissaki. Exaggerated sori is a common artifact of retempering. I've seen more than a few blades that had their kissaki reground small during the retemper process, the retemperer hoping to sell to the unsuspecting as an early tachi. Buying swords out of polish and without papers, with only pictures and the seller's description to guide you, is not easy, even for experienced collectors. Until you have a lot of experience with Nihonto, you would be smart to stick with polish and paper, or swords you can handle and get a good look at. Grey

Now I can see 2 ha machi and 2 mune machi, none of which line up with another. Strange. Grey

But look at the machi. The mune machi is an inch higher up the nakago than the ha machi. I think fake. Grey

Also, Japanese cities have always been tightly packed, the buildings are built of wood and paper, and cooking and lighting were done with fire. Toss in the occasional earthquake, and out of control fires are common. You can remove a hamon with a cigarette lighter; a sword doesn't stand a chance in a house fire. After fires many of the burned blades were gathered and retempered, a few to preserve whatever importance was left in a previously important sword, some to fool the unsuspecting into buying a less than perfect swords, and most just to make them into usable weapons again. Retempered swords are very common. Grey

Hi Brock, Neither Shinto nor Gendaito. Showato. This was made during WWII and isn't real Nihonto. No idea why these were made but they are quite commonly seen. Also may be possible it was made Meiji or later to sell to toursts from the West. Grey

Hi Pierre, If I'm right about the long ware' the value is seriously hurt, but at $500 you'll probably be able to break even or come close, if you buy it and decide to resell on ebay. Grey

The signature on the sword is "Idzumi no Kami Kanesada". Grey

I think there is a very long tate ware' on the omote (long grain separation on the ouside of the blade when worn edge up on the left hip) that might seriously compromise the value. We need better pics. Grey

Hi Ray, No doubt left here; this is a shinogi-zukuri blade that has lost its yokote to buffing/abuse. Grey

We need to see a better picture to be sure, but I think Mark is right. That was my reaction also, not kanmuri-otoshi but poorly polished (it has been polished; they all have been polished at least once), maybe even reshaped kissaki. Grey

Cory, The fact that you don't know which corner of Nihonto it is that you want to collect should tell you that you aren't ready to buy yet. Take time, save money, study, study, study, look at every sword you can get access to (sword shows are great for this), and ask lots of questions. When finally you know which corner appeals to you, maybe you'll have the funds and knowledge to buy something you'll love. Grey

Yes, Katsunori. The crack (exceedingly long tate ware') is a defect in the forging and has been there since day 1. Usually tate ware' aren't considered fatal flaws but one of this length probably is. Grey

Hi, name please, The shirasaya (wooden mounts) appears to be nicely made, which is a good sign. Your pictures show no mekugi, the bamboo pin that holds the blade in the handle. If there is no pin you need to make a new one. Without the pin, the blade can slide down inside the scabbard and break its tip in the scabbard bottom. You can whittle a chopstick for a new pin. If you have the pin, never mind. Grey