Grey Doffin

Hi Roy, The 3rd one is Yamato Daijo Fujiwara Masanori. Never mind; Mark got here 1st. Grey

Hi Dimitri, If you have to display a sword with the blade exposed, your latest solution should be fine. It would be best if the case was very heavy, unlikely to move if bumped. Locked is a good idea. As long as the climate inside the case is not overly damp it doesn't seem likely that rust will form on the blade. Inside mounts and sword bag is still a better idea, though. Grey

Stuff hanging on a wall gets bumped into. The swords can get knocked loose and damaged. Nihonto are properly stored either in shira-saya or koshirae, and inside a sword bag. Any other method is inviting calamity. If you need to display a sword on the wall, buy a stainless knockoff. Keep the good swords well protected. Grey

Yoshimichi. Showa Ju Kyu Nen Ju Ni Gatsu (December of 1944). Grey

Hi Richard, Hawley's has smiths who signed like this up to mid 16th century. If your sword's signature is correct it is likely from that time: late Koto. Grey

I was under the same impression. I can think of a couple logical explanations but since the sale is current maybe we aren't supposed to be bringing them up here? Grey

Hi guys, Interesting sale just came up on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Katana-BEZEN-OSAFUNE-Celebrated-sword-NAGAMITSU-/260679920085?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb1bbe9d5 I'm curious; do any of you know what the larger of the 2 papers is? Thanks, Grey

Didn't I just see this on ebay? Is there more going on here than what we're being told? I know I just looked this blade up in Hawley's; I'm sure I've seen it recently. Grey

Don't think sharpening with a steel could do that. Retemper, maybe? Retempering changes the curvature of a blade, but it is usually the opposite direction. Grey

Jason, Not an expert but I would start easy: hot water and a tooth brush. May be all that's required. Grey

What? No mention of Bunraku? Grey

Hi Mark, Odd piece, this. Looks like it has been terribly abused, way over polished, the nakago has been ground or beat on (can't imagine why), and the sugata (shape of the blade) is unnatural (the pronounced negative curvature is weird). Koshirae looks decent enough but I'd expect to find something nicer inside. Grey

Yoshikane. 2,601 years from the founding of the Emperial line, I believe, on the other side. Grey

Tiffany, The 1st pictured blade, THC 871, appears to have pretty decent carving on the mounts. The other one isn't so nice. These things were put together in Meiji period and later, to sell to western tourists. Sometimes the material is ivory (possibly on your 1st piece) but usually bone was used. The blades almost without exception are just pieces of steel, not true Nihonto. This appears to be the case here. Grey

Hi Ken, Just so this is perfectly clear, always keep the blades in mounts (shirasaya or koshirae) and sword bag; never store the blade bare. A blade stored bare is a blade about to be damaged badly. Grey

Hi Tiffany, Don't clean the swords; don't fix the swords; keep them in a dry environment so they won't corrode. Nihonto that get donated to museums that don't specialize in Nihonto often get damaged by well meaning but unknowing curators. If you don't know what you're supposed to do, don't do anything. Obvious, I know, and you probably didn't need to hear that, but strange stuff happens to Japanese swords sometimes in museums. The small silver tab on the handle of one of these is a mon: a family crest representing the family of the man who wore the sword to war. The time period for all 3 swords, the NCO and 2 parade sabres, is WWII. Grey

Jason, There is a list of recommended books in the FAQ section linked above. Grey

My guess is genuine and made late 19th century to be sold to western tourists. Grey

The tsuka and mekugi are a post war alteration/addition by a westerner, not a Nihonto artist. Grey

How about Kiyotaka for the smith's name? Grey

I see a catterpiggle and chrysallis, a.k.a. butterfly. Grey

Cas, Hitachi is a Province and Daijo is an honorary title. Something along the lines of "Junior Lord of Hitachi" (Hitachi no Kami would be "Senior Lord of Hitachi). Not actually the Lord of the province; only honorarily so. Grey

Or, how about this one, titled "Higo Diletant" by Skip Holbrook, and available dirt cheap on the For Sale forum. Grey

How do you recognize a fake? Same way all of us do. Before you buy a sword you buy books, read, reread, and study. Go to sword shows and look at lots of real swords, ask questions, and ask you way into collections and ask more questions. If you had decided to collect old master oil paintings you wouldn't expect to buy a great one at the first flea market you attended; no different with Nihonto. First pay your dues; then collect swords. Grey

Jumyo. Grey