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Utopianarian

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Everything posted by Utopianarian

  1. So far I can only make out Shitoku 至徳
  2. Please can you assist with this obscured mei for translation. Very worn and hard to read.
  3. Recently acquired a 18.1cm tanto from eBay. Might be Gendaito maybe edo era. Anyways here are some pictures. Mumei very small tanto.
  4. It has been said that natural oil from the fingers handling the nakago helps to start a good foundation for healthy patina to build on which will develop over many years. I also have read oil from the the pores from around your nose have a quality that may help to stabilize the rust if rubbed on the nakago frequently over time help with the Ph level of the red rust and change the composition of the harmful red surface rust to accommodate a more stable environment for harmless patina to establish itself. Sounds crazy but others may elaborate more on this.
  5. The polish looks like it was done fairly recent. Do you know who may have polished the blade? By the pics and polish work done on Hada looks like David Hofhine work
  6. Thanks Paul for your thoughts on the blade. The pics may be somewhat misleading because I zoomed in which makes the hamon look large or out of proportion to the actual size. The activity is actually very small within the hamon. The noi guchi is not very reflective but it is there along the length of the entire blade. The crumbling appearance may be due to the blurring from the zooming in close to get pics. I would prob best describe the noi guchi as mostly crowded choji with streaks of kinsuji and inazuma at and right above the choji. There is utsuri that shadows above the choji that is irregular. I know that many say you cannot see nie in an unpolished blade but this blade you can. Much sparkling nie in the hada even though this blade is not polished. The grain is also very tight. The scaling of the nakago and the curve where it is especially on a suriage blade seems out of place which I agree. This may be one of those Muromachi renaissance blades of the old tachi. This is a very slender blade. It may be one of those oddball blades that just doesn’t fit into any category/era. It may well be saiha or fire damage but I would think it would affect the hamon and the activity which the nie would blob together or look very unnatural. It might have been treated with chemicals at some point to clean rust. I also failed to mention the other side of the blade is complete relic condition. Like somebody polished one side of the blade at one time and left the other side relic condition. This could be a sign that whomever did that stopped and decided not to pursue anymore restoration. I figure get shinsa and then decide if early blade or school warrants polish. This blade is a tough one
  7. The bohi looks like it was added at a later period. The boshi is still there. The placement of the bohi does look odd to me
  8. Has most or almost all the features. Relatively narrow suguha based hamon comprised of kochoji, ko-nie. Lots of hataraki, uchinoke, ko-ashi, inazuma, kinsuji, ji-nie and chikei, nijuba. The pictures I think sort of reflect this sentiment. Looks better of course in hand than what is captured in pics. Casts rainbow of colors when light is cast on it. Hard to capture in the pics. Hada appears older than all the other blades I have examined side by side. Very thin blade. Probably an older tachi. In less than satisfactory condition. What’s your thoughts On it
  9. I’ve been studying this blade for a while now and posted pics of the hamon a ways back but the only conclusion I keep arriving at is yamashiro. 26.5 inch nagasa. Motohaba 2.6cm sakihaba 1.6cm sori 2.86. Kasane 0.535cm. It is suriage but appeared to be much longer nagasa. Many chips in the ha and would require a lot of work and don’t know study piece vs polish. I think I will eventually submit for shinsa. Missed the San Fran shinsa last year. Hassle to mail off to Japan or worth it. I didn’t get a lot of feedback last time I posted on school or era. Anyways here are pics. What would be your assessment.
  10. John I think I will take your advice on this one. A few hasn’t panned out lately with too much left to the imagination. I think I am going to get a cat instead lol
  11. I am presently looking into a purchase but pictures are limited with seller with limited knowledge on the blade. It appears to have been a katana at one time but possibly shortened at some point. Waiting for measurements but appears Wakizashi length. Shape looks promising but once again limited info. Nakago looks aged mumei or suriage and hamon obscured. Once again a gamble and seller was told from “Experts” possibly late 1500s Sue Bizen. If took a rock and threw it into a pile of swords chances are it would hit a Sue Bizen blade so that’s not saying much. I know it leads much to the imagination but what do you think from the few pics so far. My impression is looks older than Muromachi especially sugata. Before you beat me with wet noodle I know that doesn’t carry a lot of weight. Just one small piece of the puzzle with much more to observe and many questions
  12. Don’t know much about tsuba. Any thoughts on this style, age or school.
  13. Thank you both Moriyama and Ray for your assistance
  14. Hello, this was attached to a leather scabbard of a fixed blade dagger My grandfather brought back from the pacific. I posted it also in military swords of Japan section. Looks like surrender tag or? If someone can translate the tag I would appreciate the help. My brother sent me the pics which the blade is in his possession.
  15. Hello, I was hoping somebody on the board might assist with identifying this one. My brother sent me pics of this dagger my grandfather brought back from the Pacific after the war. Not traditional obviously and is a fixed blade. Here are the pics of the tag that was attached to leather scabbard and a pic of what appears to be an arsenal stamp in the leather scabbard. Any assistance of what it may be or translating the tag or arsenal stamp. Thank you
  16. Here are a few pics but I can’t get that bright reflective lightning stripe of kinsuji to reflect or show
  17. Need help on the Forum. I remember reading about a Smith whom was known for using Kinsuji in the boshi. I’ve been looking thru my reference books and online but cannot remember or find the reference where I’ve seen it. I was looking at one of the older blades I had polished a few years ago and noticed a streak of kinsuji in the boshi that I can’t believe I never noticed. I don’t think that is commonly seen. Please correct me if I am wrong. Trying to seek more info to piece together this sword that I have but still don’t know what it is. I posted it a ways back but proved to be a tough one to pin down
  18. Thank you for that info Bruce. You know your WW2 production blades
  19. The one blade actually to mention looks forged. The signed showato is definitely not. I could tell immediately by how heavy it is and the hamon appearance and no grain (definitely not traditionally forged)
  20. John you are totally right. I got two ww2 Showato blades. Both set of fittings are exceptional and as you said the tassels are original and the Gunto fittings as well. The one with the company grade tassel also had the higher grade Gunto fittings with the cutout Gunto tsuba all seppa and fittings match and haven’t been messed with or thrown together with mismatched parts. Exceptional condition for ww2 Gunto. Both are time capsules. Better condition than 90% of the Guntos I’ve seen. Not quite what I was looking for but a surprise nonetheless.
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