Grey Doffin

This looks to me to be a sword cut (kiri komi I believe?). These aren't considered defects when they are in the mune, as the mune is the proper surface of the blade to use to block an attack. I think you have nothing to be concerned over. Grey

Hi Joe, I've always used sword (clove) oil to soften old cosmoline on swords; maybe it would work on old oil as well. If not, you could try some alcohol, but make sure to thoroughly clean up the alcohol after use because it usually has picked up water from humid air. If neither of these solutions work you might need professional (polisher) help. Whatever you do, don't use anything the least bit abrasive. Grey

Hi folks, The Japanese Sword Society of the US is ready to take on our next publishing project and we are considering proposals. Our last 2 efforts were Sue Koto: Japanese Swords of the 15th & 16th Centuries and Kyomono no Ko-Meisaku, both by Yoshikawa Koen. Our next could be a similar translation from Japanese to English, a different translation (kodogu related perhaps), or even original research. The translator/author will be paid for his or her time. Rather than go into detail here, if you want more information please email me (or call if in the US) and I'll get back to you. Grey Doffin, JSS/US Publications. gdoffin@cpinternet.com 218-726-0395 central time

Hi Brett, While it is possible to buy a true Nihonto on ebay and not pay way too much, and it's even possible to buy one and pay way too little, it is highly unlikely that either will happen if the seller is someone who sells Japanese swords regularly on ebay. The bargains tend to be from sellers who don't understand what they have and list their swords with a $300. buy it now. If the seller knows what he has and the auction runs the whole 7 days the final value is usually at least full retail, if not way too high. Buyers with more money than knowledge tend to bid recklessly. Better deals will be had from some of the dealers with websites and some of us who don't have sites, and from dealers at sword shows. Ask around, attend shows, do some homework (books, books, books), and then you're more likely to end up with something you'll be proud to own. What I'm getting at: while either of these 2 swords may be worth owning, something of equal or higher value likely can be bought for less elsewhere. Grey

If I'm remembering properly, I've seen the notches near the bottom of the nakago of gunto, WWII swords, not earlier blades remounted as gunto. I could be mistaken, though. Grey

Warm water and a gentle toothbrushing, followed by a thorough drying, should do no damage. Beyond that, if more is necessary, I'd leave to someone who knows more about the subject than I do. Anyone have a better idea? Grey

I can remember seeing these on Gunto; not sure I've seen them on earlier blades. If they are a Gunto thing it likely has to do with inventory in some way. Guess I don't know. I also have a faint memory of a thread from a year or so ago on the same subject. A search through NMB archives might bring it up. Grey

Hi Gary, On your sword, the answer is no. No possible way to know for whom the sword was made. What's more, most likely the sword wasn't made for any specific customer. It was made and sold/given/whatever to whoever happened by. "Kin Saku" (respectfully made), as written on your sword, is something you see from time to time. It doesn't necessarily mean anything is special about the blade. Sometimes, on older, traditional Samurai swords there is an inscription stating who the customer/patron was. This is fairly uncommon. Can't remember ever seeing a WWII era sword with this kind of inscription. Grey

Thanks; now I don't feel so bad about not being able to make sense of the mei. And thanks to all who helped. Grey

That's Ko-Bizen Masamune, not Soshu Masamune. Grey

Hi guys, I'm indexing a book with some very obscure smiths. Would someone be so kind as to translate this mei so I know who to index? Thanks, Grey

Gary, Gimei means fake signature. Guys, I've had some correspondence with Gary about his blade. Just to make clear what he's asking about: his sword is signed "Toto Ju Nin Ikkansai Kunimori Kin Saku". My understanding is that Kunimori is a signature Yasukuni Yasuhiro used when he wasn't working at the shrine and also after the war. Gary is trying to learn the value of his sword. Anyone know what they go for without the Yasukuni mei? Grey

This person who has sharpened Japanese swords before, who will remove the grinder marks from your sword, is he a properly trained polisher or something else? This sword may be salvageable and it might be worth the expense of the salvage, but if the work is attempted by anyone other than a properly trained polisher you'll be wasting your money and possibly destroying the blade. Grey

And it's not a sure thing that the saya will fit either. Like Todd said, almost impossible to find a rig to fit your blade even if you can try it on. Online by way of photos and measurements, no chance. Grey

The blade is much older than WWII; no doubt about that. I was commenting on the hand writing, nothing more. Grey

Nice looking sword and a good price if real, but I've never seen those papers before. Anyone know which organization issued them? Grey

The signature reminds me of Gunto signatures; it would look perfectly at home on an oil tempered blade from WWII. It looks, also, as if some rust has been removed inside and around the Kanji. Grey

Hi Mickey, Can't be sure from the pictures but maybe between $500 and $750 would be a likely final value on ebay or at a gun/militaria show. Anyone agree or not? Grey

Look at the work, not the signature. While there may be quite a few smiths with the same signature, for each of them, it the signature is legit, the work must match what he did. In an instance like this even the shinsa team might just paper the blade to the smith, without designating a particular smith out of that group. Darcy, How are you feeling? That must have been one painful operation. Grey

100% fake. Grey

Katana start at 2 shaku from the tip back to the notch at the back in a straight line. 2 shaku = 23.86" or 60.60cm. This measurement is called nagasa in Japanese. Grey

Thanks Ted. There is no evidence of any obscured characters above or below the 7, and the condition of this tsuba is good enough that I'd see something if that were the case. I agree with something shu and Mune; I thought of Myochin too. One thing I really like about this tsuba is the hammer work. Notice how the marks radiate out? Amida yasuri done with a hammer, not a file or chisel. Grey

Bugman This is what you're up against. This sword might be Koto, likely late Koto rather than early or mid Koto. This was a time of constant warfare in Japan, a time when there was great need for lots of weaponry. Swords were made by the bucketful; some of them were great pieces by great smiths but the majority weren't. If you get this polished and find out later that it is one of the mass produced blades of late Koto times, especially if it is a wakizashi and being unsigned, it will be worth much less than what you paid to have it polished and all you will have learned is to be more careful with your money next time. You need to have a better idea of its value, monetary and artistic, before you decide to throw money at it. A Kendo instructor isn't necessarily an authority on sword quality; he might know what he's talking about or he might know next to nothing. Show it to someone better able to advise you, a polisher at a Japanese sword show for example, before going further. Grey

No, just one. Looks like 7 to me. After I posted this I got to wondering if this tsuba hadn't been talked about on NMB before. I have faint recollection of a 7 on a tsuba discussion before. Grey

Hi guys, Do any of you know why this tsuba has the number 7 (shichi) on the seppa dai? Grey