ChrisW

Hamfish, I have a friend who might be interested in these. If you'll allow me to pass along the pictures to him, I'll get back to you asap.

I saw that video too! Cringed a bit when the curator demonstrated the blade's flexibility as if it were a European spring steel. I had a feeling it was Shinto Sukesada...

After seeing the new photos and the other's opinions, I have to agree. While these examples approximate the appearance of Japanese swords, they are not Japanese made. There's too many finer details that don't quite add up as Sam pointed out. I also agree again with Sam though: appreciate them for what they are and the bond they represent with someone you care about! Treasure them and treat them gently. Such memories are precious.

Agreed on this. The crude ito, the iron-hardware-esque menuki, simple tsuba point towards possibly Satsuma Rebellion mounts.

Well.. for the blade, there is really only one level of restoration that is appropriate. A full polish, or none. As for whether the blade deserves it? That depends on you. The mounts are going to need a fair amount of work- a rewrap of the tsuka at minimum, lacquer work on the saya. I would say that the saya and tsuka core itself need assessment on feasibility. They may be too thin and worn to be restored. The tsuba and fittings are pretty nice!

My personal preference is Bizen, Bungo, and Soshu in that order. Soshu tends to be the favorite of a lot of people for many reasons. I've sold a Mihara blade before. They're pretty good for study.

Hard to tell from the photos, but at a glance, these appear to be Japanese made swords. Paired together as a 'daisho'. The longer one appears to be possibly WWII-made, just by the length and the shape of the nakago but it could also be older than that. I would say that you should take some more photos. Do NOT clean or attempt to 'improve' the blades without first reading the care information on this page: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/faq/

I think it also depends on the polisher, their workload, and the anticipated amount of rework required. I only used one polisher, but I've never inquired about kissaki reshaping. You could find one, show the picture, and ask for a quote perhaps?

I'm afraid this is a clear case of a Chinese fake/reproduction. The Japanese never put kanji on a blade in this manner.

I think that accepting something that is a wakizashi would greatly increase your chances of finding something within budget then. There are plenty of longer Muromachi wakizashi in acceptable polish with papers that come in shirasaya.

My humble opinion would be to talk to several dealers (especially any that might be close to you -- moreso if it can be within driving distance) and find a piece that you like a lot. Then appreciate it in person, and finally work towards a price that you can live with. Setting out with a price in mind first is good for the wallet, but may not be as good for satisfaction with what you might end up with. A signed and papered Muromachi katana in old polish is a possibility. But a new polish alone with most polishers these days runs for a lot more than just 2k. The little to no flaws part is also a big factor in this case; as most lower condition blades of that eras will have flaws from being polished down. For example, I have an attributed Den Oshu Hoju katana in shirasaya in old polish for $2200 but if someone asked me for what you're looking for at that price level, I would politely decline even an effort to search for them. There is just nothing left at that price point to make the search worth the effort. At the price level you're looking at, you're probably going to have to accept a less than optimal polish or a blade with a fair few flaws or both. Its nothing personal to you, it is just how the market is. I would also probably be acceptive that it is almost certainly going to be in shirasaya, rather than koshirae. Since even minimally appropriate koshirae adds more than 1k value to a blade. My best advice would be to try to approach I suggested at the start of my post. You should end up with something that you'll enjoy a lot more and have a more solid resale value when you decide to move it on!

Looks almost like a plug bayonet, but perhaps made with the broken portion of a blade. That "mei" is almost certainly dremel-cut though. Maybe someone's home project to recycle some steel.

I'm not sure I am seeing the Bizen assertion here. If Roger Robertshaw said that, then shows what I know! He is pretty much the expert on Hizento. Wherein the US are you located? Looks Hizento to me. Has a very stout appearance to me with a proper Hizen-style nakago. Thin kawane (there is loose grain/possible core steel showing) which is an indication of a Hizen blade as they are made with very thin skin steel. I can't speak to the veracity of the signature; but you have a decent example of a Hizento at the very least.

Call me an optimist, but I think Andrew can pull it off!

Hi Randy, If you're looking for an in-hand opinion of your sword, I live in Indiana just south of Indianapolis and I could show you several examples of legitimate Japanese swords for you to compare yours to if you like. DM me if this interests you! ~Chris

A beautiful piece Curran!

Looks like a great time Sam! I know its a bit of a slog, but you should come to the Chicago Sword Show and stop by the Indiana island at the show! Would love to get a chance to chat in person.

Beautiful set.

I could see an argument for either, but having been dealing with a lot of Jumyo lately, I would agree that this looks like a Muromachi Jumyo den blade. The gunome/togari, the higaki yasurime, the longer nakago, and the styling of the boshi all point towards this. Early Kanemoto (2nd and later) lineage was a bit more formulaic with their sanbonsugi, which I am not seeing so much here; unless the wear is significant and the hamon has lost much of its original form. This might be a fun one to consider for Shinsa in my opinion! If you do pursue that, please let us know the results!

The Muromachi period is 1336 to 1573. Kirill believes it belongs to the Bizen school, which is one of the five major blacksmithing traditions in Japan. Kaga is a minor school, which does not belong to any of the five large schools. Utsuri is a secondary shadowy "hamon" that follows above the hamon itself and is usually a key point in attributing it to Bizen school in the Muromachi period typically. The hamon is the temperline that you're seeing on the body of the blade. It represents the hardened portion of the blade itself, from the edge to the wavy pattern you see in the body of the blade. The nakago reminds me of Kaga school blades, so my initial impression is that this is one of those.

Thank you for the compliment! I try to make sure that the listing, communication, and shipping is done the way I would want it to be done for me.

I wouldn't say its not an artifact. It is from WWII, which is still a good amount of time for something to survive. It certainly deserves care and respect. As for the cleaning of the tsuka, I would say its probably not safe to use isopropyl alcohol on the silk handle. I've never done it, so I am not sure. I will leave this up to my betters to respond to that query.

As Brian said! Also be sure to wipe in one direction in a singular swipe, do not do circular motions or back and forth as this will drag contaminants over the surface of the blade moreso than a singular swipe will. As for the isopropyl alcohol, look for 99.9% pure, do not buy any that is cut with water.

$50 donated. Thanks to Brian and everyone!

Sword is sold! Please archive, thanks to everyone! I will be donating $50 to the board.