Jean

I am posting this just to draw the attention on the yasurime and the danger on dating a blade by them. This is an Eikyo Bizen wakizashi. Look at the ura side, forget the date and the kiritsuke mei. Concentrate on the yasurime. They look fresh and could be shinshinto, the blade is koto. https://www.aoijapan.com/wakizashi-bizen-osafune-norimitsueiroku-4-nen-2-gatsu-hi-kiritsuke-mei/ To sum up, nothing can be kanteied from this nakago.

Impossible to say if the blade is mumei or not because it is the opposite side of the mei (if there is one or not) which is pictured. Now, we can say it is mumei, otherwise Dwain won’t have posted it for information. Impossible to date it from this picture. Now even dating a shinto from shinshinto wakizashi from sugata can be very tricky....

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/17414-achieved-collection-gokaden/page-1 https://www.aoijapan.com/katana-mumeinaoe-shizu26th-nbthk-juyo-paper/ Pictures of Naoe Shizu, I am afraid that my pictures are far better than Aoi Art scans

Steve, I would have said: Hear, Hear

Kitsch....

Try the ZDP 189 steel Dwain

Could match this kogai https://www.aoijapan.com/kogai-mumei-ko-mino34th-nbthk-juyo-paper/

Happens in sue Bizen

In fact the equation is easy to solve. Are old NBTHK papers still valid? According to NBTHK itself, no. So these old papers are nothing more than TP. If people don’t want to send their blades to Japan for new papers, they can submit them to NTHK shinsa. Nobody right in his mind is going to pay any amount of hard earned cash on an invalid certificate furthermore 34 K$. In other word, at the opposite of what is often said, you buy the paper (at the lowest level i.e. Hozon) for the guarantee you are not going to be cheated and pay the right price, meaning the one you are ready to pay for the real thing. In Japan, this blade will be considered non certified and nobody would buy it at this price. There are certainly old papers valid but nowadays they are obsolete, we are in the 21st Century. The « buy the sword and not the paper » only means that you are willing to buy uncertified blades at uncertified prices, because noone is going to take the gamble when several k$ are at stake

Yes Oei is fascinating, the horimono and the sword sugata are a give away for Oei. https://www.nihonto.com/11-5-14/

Stegel, I want to thank you for this topic which shows the excellency of some NMB members who can claim (but will never ) the name of experts. I feel all the more free to make this comment as I am not interested in this topic but like to understand and you have made a very clear, thorough demonstration, easily understandable for the layman I am so congrats.

It works, I have had this article in my files for years. How do you think Aoi Art makes its scans, Peter ?

Stegel, This is very clear and wish you have posted this from the start because for a layman in this type of collecting, it is pitch dark

Sorry Neil, but I don’t see any number on the pictured iron tsuba and if it is different of all the other part of the koshirae. I am collecting firearms and know the importance of all pieces bearing the same number. Nothing indicates in this picture that this iron tsuba has a number and if yes, the same as the other part of the koshirae. That’s all. This did not imply that Stegel is wrong in his saying and Showa22 has a sufurous reputation.

Congrats Barry

Koshirae are always a problem. Nobody can be sure that some kodogu have not been replaced along the years, same for tsuka. Now, who can say if the iron tsuba shown in the first picture is original to the koshirae?

Variation of uchi uke

DEH, Please sign all your posts with your first name and an initial as per the Board rules. This is the friendliest of all the Forii and we like to call people by their first name

Be aware that in France, for example, you can buy any blade, concealed or not. BUT, according to the Law, you are not allowed to have one on you, being it a pen knife, a sword cane, or a Bowie knife. You can be sentenced to jail and fined.

+1

Hi Peter, Welcome on board. Province is Sanshu (aka Mikawa) http://www.sho-shin.com/tokai4.htm Perhaps Sanemori (smithname)

Peter/Paul/Philip Your are supposed to sign all your posts with your first name and an initial as per the board rules. Please comply so we can address you politely

That was my feeling

Brian, Not with a width of 3,28 cm at the hamachi, this width is larger than most katana’s

This one was at less than an inch of becoming the first real shinogi zukuri tanto I have seen (but for Osaraku): https://www.aoijapan.com/wakizashi-taikei-naotane-bunka-shichinen-chusyun-jhojhun/