Lee Bray

That IS the relevant question and I'd say cosmetically, yes, with polishing. However, the blue colouration evidences that the heat applied to the nakago has been sufficient to alter the heat treat in that area. So then that begs the question, is the heat treat/sword safe? If the HT is altered, and recently, how collectible is it? Probably not very, in my opinion. About the temperature needed to change the temper in the steel and your comment about the solder joint melting first. I honestly don't think that's the case although I could be wrong. I've softened steel just by the heat transferred from grinding a blade(non nihonto). No colour in the steel at all, just too hot to touch. I'm thinking the sharp transition line is from possible immersion in water of the whole blade, with heat being applied to the nakago for Keith's stuck habaki suggestion or for machi okuri.

Is that not a mercury gilding application of gold? Nunome zogan would be a tricky process to do on the irregular areas shown here. Any cross hatching/very fine lines behind the gold? School - Higo? Based purely on the vines and nothing else.

Keith, I like your idea but surely the thermal conductivity of copper would not create such a sharp transition? The habaki would need to be a fantastic insulator to create that transition line. It looks like someone has been trying to draw temper on the tang for whatever reason. I think we can speculate all day long about why but at the end of the day, a decent smith would not have left the nakago looking like that so it's probably a hack job and should be treated with suspicion.

Interesting topic of discussion. For another time and another forum.

And one in which we all share and live so some civility would be great. Whether the writing on this piece is fraud or whether it is the illiterate ramblings of a smith with too much nostalgia and sake inside him, we'll probably never know. The fact that the work is not great means we probably never will know.

I had a local friend look at the inscription and after consulting with his wife and father, this was their translation. He commented that it had a Chinese feel to it. Just in, another translation, and a slightly different slant. Certainly looks like you'll need the original author to clarify the meaning, if indeed it ever had one.

It could also just be gibberish. If the native speakers and the good translators can't get it... Perhaps a Chinese inscription on a cut down nihonto with a reasonable patina? I'll ask a native Chinese speaker if it makes sense. I honestly don't think the mei is well cut. The kanji are large, clunky and rather square looking. Also, why the two directions of yasurime? Vertical?

You see what I mean? It suggests that the nakago is an actual nakago shaped by the smith. Some smiths would not put the same effort into their nakago as they did the blade. Hence an undulating shinogi. If the sword were shortened, the shinogi of the nakago would probably be a smooth line, based on the fact that the shinogi of the blade is smooth. However, that theory gets wobbly if there is any work done to the nakago after shortening as the work can affect the shinogi. Considering the yasurime and the nakago jiri on your blade must have been worked after shortening(if it was), that means the shinogi could be affected. Fun, hey? I still think your nakago is ubu, though.

The seller pictures that you posted last show the shinogi undulating. It maybe just the pictures but it seems apparent on both sides.

A good shinogi would be a perfect ridge line, whether curved or straight. The one pictured dips and rises.

I wouldn't be making that call just yet based on one opinion. No disrespect intended, Veli. If you're going by vote, I'll go for not cut down. Your own words, "I really feel this has never been cut down." You've got it in hand, you're in the best position to tell. Work on the details with the idea that the nakago is untouched with the knowledge that you may have to scrap all that if it is o-suriage. That's part of the fun and learning experience. You don't always have to be right to learn. Until you've got some experience and seen more blades in hand, you'll be hard pressed to tell if it is cut down or not, because if it is cut down, the smith has taken a good deal of effort refinishing the nakago.

Wisely. Do you take your news from varied and reputable sources or do you read the Daily Mail?

I'd say it's certainly possible but obviously not the reason for all short nakago yari. The ana certainly seems to be a weak point in the nakago and if that is being subjected to sword blows and possible metal fatigue from a flexible wooden shaft...

Perhaps a shorter nakago was introduced to save weight for the purpose of user fatigue? I imagine holding one of the longer varieties on a 6 ft pole at arms length in battle could tire a man fairly quickly. A lighter yari might not be as strong but is potentially faster and easier to wield, especially over an extended period of time. Purely speculation on my part, though. I'm also curious about the way the mekugi ana were finished with regard to the steel either side of the ana. Looking at a couple of Koto pieces on Aoi the other day, both yari had punched ana, one having a noticeable swell in the surrounding steel, the other was uniformly flat. The flat sided nakago was partially rusting through either side of the ana and was a weak point. The nakago with the swell around the ana was still healthy and presumably strong. A Shinto yari I owned had that same weak point, the mei on the portion of nakago below the ana. http://img718.imageshack.us/i/yarimei.jpg/ Had the nakago snapped at that point, the mei would be lost. Perhaps a reason for shorter nakago is purely that they snapped and the resulting rough end was cleaned up? The short blades are almost bullet proof so would remain useful even if the long nakago had snapped. So, my above curiousness is in regard to the swell around the nakago ana and whether it was a trait for some smiths or schools? Loses relevance when ana began to be drilled, though.

It's currently on ebay as a gendaito. 250621324087

Good to know, thanks.

I think various bits of the koshirae alone were worth that and certainly the sword stand was worth more than that. Katatan is gimei but I think most here would have not minded at that price...if it had stayed at that price. Eric is right about the auction category being wrong but I've a feeling this was bought privately.

Shame it's wrong...

I have a Koto wakizashi with a very similar sugata to this. It's signed Munemitsu and Tsuruta-San thought it might be Mino den. (it came from Aoi-art originally). Nakago jiri is the same as the one pictured and I, too, thought it might be Bizen. Is there any documentation of Mino smiths changing to Bizen style or vice versa?

Hi Jason, It's ok. We can view ebay as well...

Third hand information off the internet so take it for what it's worth but I understand it is very difficult to import a sword into China. http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showth ... a+shipping The question came up in the above thread(hope you can read it); I know Lance well so it's probably good info but nothing verifiable as I've never tried.

Simon? David? Forum rules?

This law was dumb from the start. Nothing clever about it at all. It's the same as the potential British law against 'pointy' knives. There is talk of removing the sharp point from all knives to make them 'safe'. No word of a lie. If the lawmakers think that a non pointy knife is going to help them, maybe they should come to Hong Kong and see the damage a cleaver can do...

I almost thought you were Scottish until I saw the humour. :D Good luck with the blade and its identification. Stephen et al will steer you in the right direction.

I think you're adding meaning to my words, Stephen. My undies are just fine and I don't see that I was rude in my post. Choji 'back in the day' is probably far removed from a modern day spray on Pam. Can you honestly say you know the ingredients for all current vegetable oils? No, neither can I. Hence why I suggest not using it and sticking with known oils. My friend did far more damage to his blade by using margarine than if he had left it alone. Zeugmax - no offence was intended by my post, if indeed you took it that way. I was merely pointing out my own experience.