ROKUJURO

Tony, probably not a KIZU, just a little lump of not perfectly homogenized steel, I think. It would not disturb me if it were mine, unless it was a very, very valuable blade.

Very good, Grev! Accident prevented! 😄

Oups! Elbows happen!

Joe, the photos are upside-down. This looks a bit like the sad remains of a rustic iron SUKASHI TSUBA with some traits of KYO-SHOAMI school (I don't say it is KYO-SHOAMI). It is heavily corroded, and the 'treatment ' on the one side did not improve the appearance. On both sides, the soft metal application (I don't think it was gold) was lost. It might have been made in the early EDO period, so at least it is no recent cast copy, I think. If you did not pay much, it is certainly o.k. for studies. Better ones will follow as you improve your knowledge.

Adam, try KOKUHO.

I don't think you can make a 'NAKAGO' like that from a traditionally formed YARI NAKAGO. There isn't simply enough 'meat' (read: steel) left

Looks like a modern phantasy item to me.

Adam, unless you are fully trained as a TOGISHI in Japan, you should not think of any attempt of hobby polish. This forum is dedicated to the study and preservation of Japanese swords and will not promote the probable damage by amateurs.

Please sign all your posts with your first name plus an initial. MEI looks like YASUMITSU.

First and second KANJI are NIHON.

Laying a blade in nice condition on raw granite stone would prevent me from buying.....

Carmen, SAMURAI families are still existing today, but I do not know if they carry this custom on to the present day. Probably not with real handmade swords! The TOSOGU which accompanied the blade look very simple to say the least, but that is only my personal impression from the photos. All in all, the whole item might have been more impressive when it was newly made and presented to a proud little boy, and I can imagine that this was in the 19th century. Concerning the sword study group: Even if they don't have public meetings, I am quite confident that they would welcome you to show your blade.

Carmen, we generally do not recommend to experiment with Japanese blades. Although your blade indeed could be a cheaper version of a 'boys sword' (not children's sword!), especially when looking at the NAKAGO and the obviously not hardened edge, we do not know exactly what you have unless an expert has seen it in hand. The damages are in my opinion not caused by a Japanese boy. In the past these were 'disguised' as little SAMURAI and given a sword on the occasion of the former 'Boy's Day', (today KODOMO no HI = Children's day), but it was never meant for playing around with it! This custom was originally performed by wealthy SAMURAI families, so we can be sure that they respected swords. In my experience, damages like this were always caused by uneducated Westerners (kids or adults). Referring to your first post: There is no plural form of KATANA.

First KANJI looks like KIYO to me.

Looking more carefully, I find that the damages on the NAKAGO were done with a drill. Before thinking of a polish, I would make sure that the MEI is genuine and that the NBTHK would accept the blade with these damages.

Elielson, welcome to the NMB! What happened to the tang of the sword?

You probably mean FUCHI? A photo would help!

Grev, looks really nice! On the photo I don't see the stick as being bamboo, but whatever it is, it would fit if you did not put it across his feet! That would end in an accident.....😨

Yes, it is MASAYUKI.

Matt, welcome to the NMB forums! What you have there looks like a legit WWII military sword. The SHO stamp above the signature lets me assume this is not traditionally made, so no SAMURAI weapon, but a militaria item. The MEI (signature) seems to read NOSHU SEKI no JU KANEHIRO SAKU. KANEHIRO would be the name of the worker who made the blade (or whose task it was to sign swords). Our militaria collectors would certainly like to see the whole blade (without HABAKI).

Grev, the NETSUKE look like plastic material, so not really museum pieces, I am afraid.

Probably a piece of a broken blade reshaped by an amateur with the intention to make a TANTO (but failed).

We have discussed the SAMURAI MONKEY and this item before.....

MANJU might be depicting BENKEI and YOSHITSUNE.

To my eye this looks as if there had been a thin patina (but not a lot of corrosion) that was "cleaned". YASURIME lets me think of KOTO.