Atsumori

July 7, 2016

Reduced to £1800 - and no lower!

Current financial uncertainty means buying swords from abroad just got much more expensive...

June 1, 2016

Surprised yours hasn't gone either. To any beginners reading, having a true daisho in this condition at this price is winning the lottery. Get it now!

May 31, 2016

Now on sale here https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/162087337054

May 27, 2016

Yes it's ō-kissaki as there is visible yokote rather than a continuous flow into the boshi.

May 26, 2016

One last bump. Reasonable offers welcome.

May 21, 2016

Bump. If it doesn't sell here it goes to eBay...

May 15, 2016

Thanks Greg. Bump!

May 11, 2016

Further pics - bank transfer or paypal preferred

May 11, 2016

Early Koto Mumei Wakizashi - O-kissaki shinogi-zukuri
Blade in older polish
In Koshirae with iron Higo style fuchi & kashira with gilt inlay
Old shakudo menuki and a rare Higo wrap of lacquered paper ito carved in tsunami maki
Saya red matt with tooled brass kojiri and slot for kogai
Habaki yamagane
Blade length: 37.3cm
Sori: 0.7cm
Moto-haba, thickness at the Hamamachi: 2.6cm
Kasane, thickness at the Hamachi: 0.5cm
Era: Early koto

£1950 for collection in London or SE UK or I will ship to UK/EU/ US

July 1, 2012

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if anyone could shed any light on how much hastle & cost would be involved in repairing/reshaping the sword to remove the chip in the ha pictured below. I understand it is a repairable non-fatal flaw as the ding does not exceed the hamon, but would it require a full repolish of the whole length of the blade to remove?

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/6571/p1000224w.jpg

I am UK-based, so that somewhat reduces my access to restoration services.

Cheers.

June 26, 2012

Hello all - I'm back with some more photos attempting to show the nakago & hada.

Thanks so much for all your guidance so far. Again, I'm looking for any ideas as to age, providence etc

Hada:

Nakago:

June 23, 2012

I'll try and take some better pictures of the hada and nakago when I get home on Monday.

Another thing I was wondering apart from the age is that the hamon seemed unusually thin. Is this a sign of a low-quality or tired over-polished blade? Or a poor polish?

As an aside, does a thinner/thicker hamon make a sizable impact on a blade's performance, altering the levels of austentite etc?

June 22, 2012

Hi Jonathan,

BTW, at $600, it's not a bad purchase. I would guess you can recoup all of it back fairly easily, so don't stress out.

Regards,

Hoanh

Hi Hoanh,

Thanks for the reassurance If need be I can always sell it on, as is.

My thanks to all - I think I've unintentionally opened up a separate debate here through my own poor choice of words. When I said "remounted" I was only referring to a new shirasaya, with/without a repolish! As for mounting in actual koshirae, that was only something I would be considering if I'd decided to keep the sword permanently, rather than an investment. And even if so I would probably go with Fred Lohman for inexpensive restoration rather than assembling odds and ends of fittings myself!

Does anyone have any light they could shed on the sword's past? Do signs indeed point to O-suriage Koto as Hoanh posited? I am out of my league here - the condition of the sword made me think Gunto/Edo period most likely, but the decent sori and coarse hada...

I had a suggestion on SFI than the sword may have been cut to fit Russo-Japanese war mounts or WWII Naval (Kaigunto?) mounts and since put back in Shirasaya...

Best,

Jonathan

June 21, 2012

Dear Atsumori,

Please sign your name on all posts - it's a rule here. I have put my foot in my mouth more than once, but here goes. Your sword is too long to be considered a wakizashi. It's a daito. It's definitely not modern or reproduction. It's the real thing. I can clearly see the hamon and activities in the hada. It probably needs to be polished to see more activites, but the cost is high (~$100-$150/in). Overall, I like your sword, but there is a fairly long opening. It's not a fatal flaw, but lowers the value of the sword significantly. If you want to get new shirasaya without polishing the sword, it will probably run around $400-$450 (re-using the old habaki, which I think is very nice). Hope my two cents help.

Regards,

Hoanh

Hello Hoanh,

Duly noted - I've edited the post to include my first name, I'll keep that in mind in future

Thankyou very much for advice

Yes, I wasn't sure on the length as it's the shortest daito I've scene, even including gunto - and I understand some shoto were deliberately on the borderline in length as chonin and other wealthier non-warrior caste members sought to bend the rules. Modern Iaito seem to be much longer on average by comparison!

My hope was indeed to get the blade polished & remounted one day, funds allowing. I've not encountered an urushi lacquered shirasaya before but whilst this one may once have been grand (there is gold paint/laquer at the koicguchi) it is somehwat dilapidated now and probably responsible for the condition of the blade. Could polishing correct the open grain(s)? And if not, are they enough to make repolishing and remounting a bad investment (financially)?

I paid about 600$ US in the end, which I felt was a bit steep if it proved to be Gunto, but reasonable for Nihonto.

Could anyone offer any suggestions as to age, etc? Or signs of suriage?

Kind regards,

Jonathan

June 21, 2012

Hello everyone, I've only just discovered NMB after some years over at SFI. Impressive community here

This was an auction purchase from some time back that finally turned up. I am a Nihontophile but still a novice as far as I'm concerned so thought it wise to consult the more senior Jedi here as to its origins.

Overall length: 30.75"

Nagasa: 24.25"

I believe that puts it right on the border between Daito & Shoto.

The "shira-saya" if you can call it that is in appalling condition with cracks, tired laquer reddening and god knows what else, but inside the blade seems to have reasonable geometry and certainly a hamon. I don't know enough to rule/out gunto or modern production origins myself, but to me the blade seemed to have a little too much sori and erratic hamon for a gunto, and too battered to be post-war. It also seemed like a rather nice habaki for a non-nihonto from what I've come across.

There is black & brown oxidation, some opening of the grain and small chips in the edge near the habaki. Blade seems to be sharp all of its length.

Will try and get a shot of the nakago in daylight later. Seems to be mumei, with two mekugi-ana. More than just light rust.

Thoughts? Nihonto? Era? Shortened? Stubby katana or lengthy wakizashi?