AndreasU

I would say it depends which organisation you love more..... NBTHK: reject maybe because of the stamp NTHK: Nice swordsmith work your own impression: Go bend it back, its quite easy by using towels. Use two of them (thick wrapped) and lay the sword with the bended part facing upward. Now use your palm and give pressure to the highest point of the bended part end see how much you need to get it out. Other practice are the above mentioned but I never would use a clamp tool! use two woodsticks which have a 45° cutout where the blade fits in exactly and the pull the sticks together. There is a page somewhere that describes that If it anyway needs a polish the polisher anyway will straighten it in advance..

Both of you got me........ OK, I will have some months without beer, chips, cinema, fun, discotheque and hanging around from now and maybe my wife will say But I am happy that there seems to be no rule for my prob....... A wise man said "You have to judge every sword by it`s own merits" Seems to be true

Hi Brian, thx for the reply. No, I didn`t buy the koshirae! I have to decide which way I will go. The sword itself is a really nice one and kanenaga must have had a nice week when he hammered it :D I can get the set of Kodugo and tsuba for $ 600,-- without the rest. So even I decide not to do the tsuka and saya, I will have a nice set of kodogu.... It`simple that the gunto mount looks not so nice in a living room..... stupid maybe...

Hello Board, as already said in another thread I am thinking to get a new koshirae done for my Kanenaga Sword. So now it gets philosophic.... The sword was produced in showa era. So the sword was produced to get gunto mounts. Now war is over, the sword survived and is in a nice condition. I love to have a tarditional buke zukiri koshirae. But isn`t that simply wrong? I mean, the sword wasn`t ever "designed" to get civilian mounts. A gunto koshirae on the other hand is not so nice to look at but its genuine! Now price comes in the game as well. I got the offer today for the complete set (koshirae, restauration of tsuba, tsuba fitting with copper for nakago, restauaration of fushi, kashira, menuki and kurikata) saya done in black artificial urushi (15 layers), new same, new tsuka incl. wrap in jabara maki style Total: $ 2.500,--! Outsch! So the sword was $2.495,-- this would add the same value on the sword for the koshirae but i doubt that this is realstic and in case I will sell the sword some day, get back? A gunto koshirae in good condition I can get easily for $250,-- plus new saya for the ssword and maybe new tsuka will be maximum $600,-- So what would you do? The fittings I have choosen can be seen here: http://www.militaria.co.za/nihontomessa ... php?t=1857

Hmm, from shape and length looks like a slightly shortended kamakura period blade?

I set one on top and say that, after I had another look to it, that someone tried to "imitate" a hamon. Bad aproach! Especially because it looks that it is not long ago........

Pffff, the "rub marks" are clearly trys of using a cutting disc to sharpen the edge. I know these patterns quite well because sometimes I use stuff like this to remove rust from metal parts. From the size it cold have been a Dremel. I follow the aproches of the others. Do better closeups and/or try to get an appointment with Moses. He is a nice guy and for sure one of the Pro`s in the states. Andreas U.

Hmm, c´mon guys! This is a challenge to share knowledge. Or are you all afraid to do mistakes ?

WOW Amazing what comes out as information here!!!! Thank you very much for your help!! No my wish is that you participate on the "sword definition" discussion in the Nihonto section Andreas

Hey thanks a lot, NOW the question, good or bad smidth I can understand that Kanenaga forged this in town Noshu in Seki province but what does "Ju Nin" say?

Hmmmm, one of my Japanese collegues already confirmed that!

beside my discussion in another thread about this specific sword, I would like to ask someone if he can help me with the mei. Also I would like to know if there is some information available about this smidth! Thanks in advance Andreas

OK, I will try to photograph these things tomorrow! Andreas

Hi members, I think no one tried to do this before. There are several discussion here on the board for specific topics but as far as I know no one ever started to show a sword and to have it discussed in detail and total! So I will try to picture as much details as possible and use my webspace for this to have a maximum picture quality. Ideal wise the discussion should end with a total description of the sword! And the "inventory list" on Richard Stein`s page will be used for this. Let`s start with the blades shape and data that needs not to be discussed: Total blade length: 88,5cm Nagasa/Hawatari: 66,66cm Saki Kasane: 4,8mm Saki haba: 2,11cm Moto Kasane: 6,8mm Moto Haba: 3,1cm Mune: Iori Mune Shinogi: shinogi-ga-takai Hira-niku: Hira Niku-Tsuku Sori: 1,36cm Now the discussion part: Tsukurikomi: Shinogi Zukuri Sori: Koshi Zori Kissaki: Chu kissaki Fukura: Fukura tsuku Nakagojiri: not clear due to masive corrosion but seems like Ha agiri Kurijiri Yasurime: Kesho Yasuri Mei: What I could figure out together with one of my Japanese collegues is: "No shu seki Kanenaga...." He said there are some more words but he cannot translate them to english. So far I searched for this smith and there are several Kanenaga`s The sword should have been made at showa time and the only one I could find is a Watanabe Kanenaga (to good to be true) and a Kanenaga in Seki prefecture. He wasn´t known for the best work. I was at a dealer here in germany and he said that he must have had a quite good day when he forged this blade :lol: Also he said that the blade is an unusual dark color for this age. If he didn`t know that it is showa it would also go for a shinto age.... because of the tang! Boshi: I am not quite sure because the boshi shows not a single style but a mixture of several. I am between Notare Komi Ko-Maru and Tsukiage or Hakikake Jigane and Jihada: Masame Itame? Hamon: pfffff.... so the description of AOI art was:Niedeki small Gunome midare Hamon and Togariba mix So I stay with that as long someone of you is having a better idea. Hataraki: Chikei, Ashi, Kinsuji or sunagashi??? And know its your turn [/img]

:D

Any Ideas about the value? Does someone know what style that tsuba is (age, era) THX Andreas

back of Tsuba. The parts will be cleaned and restored before assembling. For me the most important thing was to get a full set which matches and will give a complete Koshirae.

I bought a set of Kodugo incl. Tsuba for the Sword I bought a month ago. A new saya will be made in black laquer and with Tsuka wrap in ivory (Cord Wrap) what is your opinion about the Tsuba and Kodugo?

Hmm, looks like a pretty fake to me. The Tang is unprofessionally shortended and the mei looks also very "genuine". So I bet that this sword will not sell. Sorry for the bad news

For me it is clear that the mune was "polished" with a polishing weel. I believe it was a iori mune or maybe mitsu mune that is grinded down by the polishing weel. Picture #2 indicates this quite well. From a total view it would make sence that something happened when I keep in mind that the previous owner already sandblastet the nakago for a "real" restauration. Seems that this polishing is also a result of this. BUT, to be 100% sure I would sugest to show the blade to someone who knows Nihonto from a-z. This board is maybe the wrong place for this as pictures never give a perfect view.

Hi Jean, your comments were the most profesional ones and you pointed out exactly all things the blade really has. BUT! The things are minor!! I will not touch anything on the polish as it is in a real good condition. The rust on the tip is very very very minor and black, so not active. There is only one 1/2 mm rust spot ont the mune which i need to stop somehow. In total as said before, the pictures of AOI Art and what I got are a 100% match! Plus a complete oshigata for free! What erverybody has to consider is that the pictures of AOI Art are done with a color digital camera but then converted to greyscale! Thats why there are minimum differences. But thats I think neccessary to do the pictures in this quality! I AM HAPPY !!!! :lol: P.S. One of my Japanese collegues did a translation of the mei and he says it reads "No shu Seki ... Kanenaga! and something like "hammerd this" he couldn`t really translate that because he said he don`t know a english word for this. So I did a search on Richard Stein`s page and the only Kanenaga I can find there is one working in Seki province. Somebody has some more information about this smith? Unfortunately it seems it wasn`t Watanabe..... :lol:

yes it is a gendai but in a lovely polish. I believe the sword must have had massive rust. The tang is partialy rusted off right on the end. Sad but with respect to the price I can easy live with that. As I said the sword is exactly like on the photos. AOI Art did not "modifie" them I cannot do better pictures. Do anyone know how to clen the silver foiled habaki a bit. The silver is a bit black in some areas. I don`t want to use "silver polish" but would like to have it a bit cleaned. Useful or a bad "patina remove" idea?

Finally today the sword arrived and what shall I say?? Wuoahhh, wow yipppppppeeeeeeeeee!!!!! The sword is better than expected and in respect to the pricve I paid for it I can say that I bought a polish and the sword was for free. Did not know how a blade can look like.... I love the boshi and the Hamon and the hada and....... This is a real Nihonto to study and train my eyes and I can only say that it was the best decision to buy it at AOI Art! The transaction was very smooth and Tsuruta san didn`t get tired to answer my questions. I would ever buy again from him! No I am heading for a gunto mounting because the sword was made that time and to be authentic I would love to have it in original condition. P.S. The sowrd was packed the way I sended my wakizashi away for the guys who followed the other discussion........

Vinegar and salt are not only good in salad.......

Anyhow it`s quite easy to get rust again on the Nakago.............