djforresta

We bought a book on amazon and it should be helpful. Just wanted to say thank you for your help and patience with a couple beginners.

.I find it interesting that the shira-saya has sayagaki to this smith. Peter I'm sorry I'm such a novice but what does that mean exactly? my son may be traveling to Japan early this summer to visit relatives station there in the military, I wonder if he should take this sword with him and have it reworked there? a sword without a broken tip like this one wouldn't be very valuable I'm assuming? Forrest

He says he sees 1926?

I paid 7 dollars for it figuring it was fake. The blade has no edge on it at all ans the tip is broken, but I figured maybe we could somewhat restore it. Do you think this is a traditionally made sword? piranha knives are made right here in my hometown and I know they could repair the tip for me. since it's worthless in the condition its in would it be wise to at least repair it as a wall hanger. my son has been teaching himself Japanese for the last 6 months so I'll give him a crack at it. Forrest

What yearish ? What does the writing say? Forrest

My son and I caught the bug and now we have found another sword that came into my pawn shop yesterday and I'm not sure what to think of it I was hoping for some advice. it has writing on both sides of the blade under the handle. I think the pictures I took should be legible. Forrest

just some measurements information measures three quarters of an inch at the end of the sword and 1 inch and a quarter at the widest point just below the tang and it is 36 and a half inches long Forrest

Any chance of maker marks under the rust? Should I treat the rust or just leave it be? Forrest

Here is the naked blade, Forrest

okay I will take a couple pictures of the blade in its entirety once I get to work and measure the blade both the width and length and maybe that will give a better idea of the date,thank you everyone for your kindness and patience it will mean so much more to my son and to me if when I present this as a gift for Christmas and start him on his journey as a sword collector if I know a little bit about it, so thank you all again very much Forrest

I don't think so I got the sword less than a week ago and I tried to post a couple days ago but did not have a way to edit photos and just got them done. I accidentally posted these pictures in a thread about an old sword I got up at the same time but I figured this was a more appropriate venue to find a little bit out about it. I also posted these pictures on a facebook forum. Forrest

Here is another- Forrest

I am A pawn shop owner and have recently then acquiring quite a bit of memorabilia from World War 2 as the original owners are passing away and family doesn't seem to have interest in it or the older veterans don't have anyone to pass it on to, they have been bringing it to me off late and I've been able to acquire some really neat stuff. I have four sons and we have collected rifles and bayonets both in the 6.5 and 7 .7 rifles but recently I was able to purchase a couple swords along with some knives and bayonets from a gentleman and this is the military sword I got. The other swords seems to be much older and is traditional made from what I'm told. Forrest

Sorry still figuring this out - Forrest

Here are some more photos and I will take more today now that I have some photo editing software. Forrest

Pics?

I am a pawn shop owner from Idaho and buy a lot of memorabilia from World War 2 and recently purchased two swords along with some knives and bayonets that were bringbacks from mainland Japan. the gentleman had pictures of his father holding the swords while in Japan in 1945 and so I know they are at least that old. I am NOT a sword collector but my father served in the Navy in World War 2 and I have collected some very nice rifles and a few other things and I have 4 boys and they have taken to collecting memorabilia as well, my oldest who is now 17 really loves swords and I would like to do a little research on these and find out what exactly I have, one I know is a stainless steel Navy officer sword but the other is a complete mystery and I've been told based on only a couple days research that it is a koto blade. I have no idea if it has any significance or any value of any kind but before why do anything with it I would like some help determining its age and possible value. Any help would be appreciated and I thank you in advance. I have some very good pictures posted on Facebook and I will try to link them here. my last attempt failed miserably so here we go.