Grey Doffin

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

I believe what Reinhard is referring to is the curve of the shinogi away from the ha between the 2 mekugi-ana. This isn't right and probably happened sometime after the original shortening. Perhaps a different mei was filed away? Grey

Yes, when you get the sword, Knorad, please post a picture of the tsuba. Be nice to see the whole of it unmounted. Thanks, Grey

Kalvin, I think Bruno was answering your question; it was made by Nagamitsu or one of his helpers. It is not uncommon in Nihonto history for a student to sign his master's name to a sword. In some cases the work of the 2 are close enough that it can't be determined which smith did the work; in other cases the works differ and if the blade were papered the paper would make note of this. In the case of the WWII era Nagamitsu, there are so many blades with this signature that it is certain they couldn't all have been made by the same man; assistants must have made and signed some. In most cases, however, the work isn't exceptional and there is no way to judge who may have done the work. It seems to me (put target on back) that the prison guard story that goes along with Nagamitsu swords has unrealistically inflated their value; they aren't very special. You did well to find one at a garage sale; you can sell it and buy something nice. Grey

Kevin, Checking my index I find that Kaneomi didn't make it into any of the 68 references included. If Chris Bowen hasn't had anything to say about him you may be out of luck. Grey

Hi Carl, The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords by Nagayama (in English) might be helpful. It goes through the different aspects of Nihonto: grain, hamon, sugata, etc., and tells which schools/smiths would be expected to produce blades with the particular types of these aspects. See my book list on the 'For Sale' forum for a good price on a copy. Shameless self promotion courtesy of Grey

CJ Even taking the route suggested by Chris & Brian will cost more than the mounts will add to the values of your blades. For example, if a sword is worth $3,000 in shirasaya and you spend $2,000 having it mounted (cost of antique parts and labor to make and mount the tsuka and saya), it will likely be worth $4,000, not $5,000 when you finish. Difficult to believe, I know, but that's the market; collectors want original koshirae, not something put together yesterday by you (or most anybody). I think a better plan would be to leave well enough alone (leave these blades in shirasaya) and spend your money on something else with original koshirae. If you shop wisely you won't lose money in the process. But it's your call; you can do as you wish. Grey

Hi Darcy, If you need me I can proof. Grey

Hi John, 1st sword: handle wrap is wrong, the habaki is wrong, the tsuba appears to be iron and rusted (tsuba of this style are supposed to be brass, the fitting at the bottom of the scabbard is the same as the one at the top of the handle (should be different from the handle). 2nd sword: Chinese gobbledegook written on tang, weird angle where tang joins blade, drilled hole in tang (that, curiously, isn't corroded while the tang around it is. drilled after fake patina was applied), the fake patina on the blade stops half way down the tang (the faker didn't want to put his hand into the solution). There would be more if I spent some time looking but this much was obvious. Good luck with the auction house but don't be too surprised if you get stuck. Buy books. Grey

Hi John, Ditto; both fakes. You need badly to gain an interest in Japanese sword books and do some serious study before you buy another sword. Grey