Tdognc

complete put togeather rubbish done by a clown about 10 years ago at the most.

 

nothing at all matches, so many points to list.

 

not worth $1

First off, I'm not trying to denigrate your argument in any way, and secondly you know way more than me about these sort of things. That being said, I've never seen a Type 14 with a screw on pommel, all of them that I have seen have been peened. I've only seen machine made police short swords (such as the one in the photo) with a screw on pommel.  It also looks like the tang on this sword has similar makers marks to the tang of that short sword (see photos). Also, the patina on the nut fits the reddish patina of the rest of the pommel as well. I'm not saying it's not a put together monstrosity but there looks to be enough ambiguity that it makes me more, and not less confused. What are your thoughts? Thanks.

(The peened end of the type 19 that came with the other sword.)

(Police short sword - can't say wakizashi as it's machine made)

(The tang of a police short sword)

(butt cap of pommel and nut with same patina)

(The possible makers marks on the tang)

That is outside my normal scope of study. DaveR would be a good one to ask.

Alright, thank you very much!

Taylor,

 

Dawson says your emblem is for Lt and Superintendant swords, and the backstrap shows it is for a Lt. You can see where the original nakago was before it was cut down for the police handle, so I agree the blade is a fighting blade, not for show. Interesting piece!

Very interesting, thank you! I have never heard of a nihonto being cut and fitted in such a manner. Do you think it's possible that the saya belongs to the sword even if the habaki doesn't fit?

So I just purchased a Type 19 Army Officer's sword as well as a very interesting police lieutenant's sword. The man I purchased it from told me his grandfather took both of them from the battlefield per grandpa (Grandpa was definitely lying as the officers sword isn't even service sharpened). He told me his grandfather used the smaller sword for weed whacking (which is why its been sanded a good bit). Long story short it looks like someone mounted a genuine wakizashi blade in a type 19 police hilt on a European style tang. I say authentic because I can see what looks like ware. It came with a traditional saya and the blade fits in it perfectly when the habaki is off, when it is on it wont fit. The hilt itself looks authentic although it's missing the locking mechanism (which would make sense if it had a wakizashi blade in a different scabbard.) 

Some will say you need to send them to a professional and spend a few hundred dollars to clean them. I do what Barry does and use an old toothbrush and soap if they need it.

Thanks for the info. I gently cleaned them with a toothbrush and some gentle soap. I then got out some high magnification glasses and I noticed there is some red lacquer on certain parts of the menuki. Could that be original to the pieces?

I have a pair of menuki from a wakizashi and I was wondering if there is any way I could go about cleaning them? I don't want to damage them so I thought I might ask around, thanks.

I don't think anyone can define art. I think Solzhenitsyn put it best when he said:

"So also we, holding Art in our hands, confidently consider ourselves to be its masters; boldly we direct it, we renew, reform and manifest it; we sell it for money, use it to please those in power; turn to it at one moment for amusement – right down to popular songs and night-clubs, and at another – grabbing the nearest weapon, cork or cudgel – for the passing needs of politics and for narrow-minded social ends. But art is not defiled by our efforts, neither does it thereby depart from its true nature, but on each occasion and in each application it gives to us a part of its secret inner light.

But shall we ever grasp the whole of that light? Who will dare to say that he has DEFINED Art, enumerated all its facets? Perhaps once upon a time someone understood and told us, but we could not remain satisfied with that for long; we listened, and neglected, and threw it out there and then, hurrying as always to exchange even the very best – if only for something new! And when we are told again the old truth, we shall not even remember that we once possessed it.

One artist sees himself as the creator of an independent spiritual world; he hoists onto his shoulders the task of creating this world, of peopling it and of bearing the all-embracing responsibility for it; but he crumples beneath it, for a mortal genius is not capable of bearing such a burden. Just as man in general, having declared himself the centre of existence, has not succeeded in creating a balanced spiritual system. And if misfortune overtakes him, he casts the blame upon the age-long disharmony of the world, upon the complexity of today’s ruptured soul, or upon the stupidity of the public.

Another artist, recognizing a higher power above, gladly works as a humble apprentice beneath God’s heaven; then, however, his responsibility for everything that is written or drawn, for the souls which perceive his work, is more exacting than ever. But, in return, it is not he who has created this world, not he who directs it, there is no doubt as to its foundations; the artist has merely to be more keenly aware than others of the harmony of the world, of the beauty and ugliness of the human contribution to it, and to communicate this acutely to his fellow-men. And in misfortune, and even at the depths of existence – in destitution, in prison, in sickness – his sense of stable harmony never deserts him.

But all the irrationality of art, its dazzling turns, its unpredictable discoveries, its shattering influence on human beings – they are too full of magic to be exhausted by this artist’s vision of the world, by his artistic conception or by the work of his unworthy fingers."

-Excerpt from Aleksandyr Solzhenitsyn's Nobel Lecture, 1970

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1970/solzhenitsyn/lecture/

I think Nihonto fits this category if it could be defined as such. It is so unique that it's not as easy to define as other forms of art. It is in and of itself, however, a form of art. Unique on this earth, unable to be reproduced. It seems to illuminate another unique part of that inner light.

 

After a short inquiry, I just got a reply from Dr. Stefan Mäder about this subject. He wrote:

 

Tatsächlich habe ich vor 12 Jahren einmal einen indischen Tulwar mit den japanischen Steinen auf die dortige Art poliert. 

Das Muster kam dabei hervor, aber nicht so deutlich und dunkel wie durch eine klassische, nicht übertriebene Ätzung und Politur. Da ich selbst in Japan nur zwei Jahre etwas über das dortige Polieren lernen durfte, ist davon auszugehen, dass ein erfahrener Togishi auch an Wootz deutlich bessere Ergebnisse erzielen würde als ich. Dass sich Wootz japanisch polieren und auch sichtbar machen lässt, steht für mich außer Frage.

 

In english:

 

Twelve years ago I have indeed polished an Indian TULWAR with Japanese stones the usual way. The pattern came out, but it wasn't as clear and dark as it would have been with a classical, not exaggerated polish and etching. As I had only two years in Japan to learn something about traditional polishing, I think that an experienced TOGISHI might achieve much besser results than me. I have no doubts that WOOTZ can be polished the Japanese way and that the pattern can be made visible.      

. 

 

Wow, that's amazing and insightful, thank you very much!

Dear Taylor.

 

Any chance of a picture of the whole sword?  I have a couple and find them interesting.

 

All the best.

Yeah, here are some photos. The pommel disk was covered in extremely hard oil but once it was removed I could see the koftgari that remained. It has a much more angular style than most other tulwar's I've seen. It's got a scarf weld about 1/2 way down the blade although I don't think it is visible in these photos.

https://www.amazon.com/Samurai-Sword-Handbook-John-Yumoto/dp/4805311347

https://www.amazon.com/Arts-Japanese-Sword-B-Robinson/dp/B002J6G74G

Thanks, I'll check these out!

     This is a crazy idea but I have to ask. I have an old wootz tulwar from India which has a very nice but barely visible watered steel pattern. (it's not Damascus steel but actual crucible wootz) I have looked into having it professionally restored by a group over in the U.K. but the norm for bringing out a wootz blade pattern is to chemically etch it (which is what they do). I was wondering if it were even possible to have a wootz blade professionally polished like a nihonto and bring out the pattern. The wootz pattern has similar characteristics to a hamon although wootz is crucible steel and is one solid metal. The first picture is a section of my tulwar, second is what it would look like in better condition. Thanks.

My first thought was Kaga too, Ray, though it deviates a bit from this example.

https://www.aoijapan.net/wakizashi-kiyomitsu-kaga/

Thanks for the info! I bought it from the guy and I have a few questions. This will be my first nihonto that I personally own. I already read the NBTHK care and etiquette guide for taking care of it. I was wondering what resources you all use to learn about nihonto's and their history? Do you have any recommendations? I'm currently trying to read through ohmura-study.net. Thanks.

Taylor,

 

this looks like a perfectly genuine KATANA, signed (and probably made) by KIYOMITSU. The mounting parts are not in good shape and the TSUBA is missing, but in case it is not expensive you could try to get it. But please consider that a restoration can not be made at home in your kitchen! If you are prepared to invest some money and you are really interested in NIHONTO, it may be a good start for a collection. 

 

The NAKAGO does not look like KAGA province, so it might be a later KIYOMITSU, but if it is not a WWII blade (which I cannot judge) it may still be a few hundred years old.

Well, that's good news! I don't know how to clean a Katana but I know enough not to try. Thanks!

Hi, there's a local man selling a purported "WW2 Japanese Sword" on craigslist and I was wondering what your thoughts are on it. Its beat to hell and almost everything about it looks wrong to me. The only thing that seems legitimate is the tang. Your thoughts are appreciated, thanks!

Thanks, I told the guy I'll pass on his swords so I can't get any more pictures for you all, sorry about that. Thanks everyone for all the good advice though!

Thanks, I've got some family out there so maybe I'll go out and see the show.

Hi, I'm new to the Nihonto world but have been getting more into it and wanted to buy a Nihonto of my own. There's a guy near where I live selling some Katanas and Wakazashis and I was wondering if you guys could help me tell if they are real or fake. Some of the pictures look promising but others don't. He did say that the first two are 16th century and that one of them (I'm assuming the one with the leather wrapped handle) was a vet modification. The first two look alright to me but the rest look fake. Any help is appreciated, thank you for your time. If the pictures aren't good enough then I can ask him for some more.

Thanks.

Can someone help me with this translation and if possible tell me if they think it's real/fake? Thanks

Imgur Link: https://imgur.com/a/r66xOl4

Hello, name please,

This is an older, Samurai sword; made well before WWII.  I notice that someone has been cleaning the fittings and this is a huge mistake.  DO NOT DO ANY FURTHER RESTORATION/CLEANING/DAMAGE!  Here is a link to a care and etiquette page; please read it twice: http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Etiquette.htm

I cannot overemphasize this; anything you do to make the sword better will only make it worse and may kill it.

The sword is in rough condition but it still could be quite valuable.  It needs to be seen in hand by someone with a great deal of knowledge and who is honest; we won't be able to tell you much from your photos.  The white material and rattan cording on the scabbard are not original; they were added to keep the scabbard from falling apart.

If you would like to ask questions you are welcome to give me a call.  I can also make suggestions for proper preservation.  Grey Doffin 218-726-0395 central time (in Minnesota).

Thanks, yeah one of the other guys at the museum cleaned some of the fittings and wiped the blade with mineral oil. I'll send him your link. Thank you very much.

Hi, I'm very new to the forum so please forgive me if I mess up. I'm helping out my local military museum catalog and identify their bladed weapons. This katana was donated to them by a family of a WWII veteran who supposedly brought it home. I believe it is a post-war bring back due to the lack of military fittings. If anyone can tell me more about the katana that would be much appreciated. It's in rough shape and is missing the tsuba and kashira. I noticed it has an emperor node as well. Thank you for your time. Due to a lot of photos taken for the museum's books ill just link an imgur album if that is okay. Imgur link: https://imgur.com/a/tbEQ4H7