Julien

Just to let you know, those are the Kitae ware and the mune ware in question. Other than that, the blade do not have any more visible flaws

And sold, @Brian would you mind moving this thread in the sold category ? Thank you !

On hold

Kasane : 8mm Motohaba : 2,95cm

Will add the kasane (8mm+ from memory) and motohaba tomorrow

Type (Tachi, Katana, Wakizashi, Tanto, Naginata, Other) : Katana Ubu, Suriage or O-Suriage : Ubu Mei : (Mumei, Signature) : Chikushu Ju Sa Yasuchika / Yasuhiro Ai tomo kitae kore / Jointly forged by Yasuchika and Yasuhiro, in the Chikushu province ; Meiji jyu nen shogatsu hi / Made in Meiji ten (1877), a day of the first month Papered or not and by whom? : NBTHK Hozon Era/Age : Shinshinto, Meiji period Shirasaya, Koshirae or Bare Blade? : Shirasaya Nagasa/Blade Length : 65,5cm Sori : 2,5cm Hamon Type : Suguha Jihada : Itame / Masame / Nagare Other Hataraki Visible : ko-ashi Flaws : a few small black rust spot, a straight muneware (or straight scratch) and some light kitae ware Sword Location : Japan Will ship to : Anywhere, if swords are accepted by your countries Payment Methods Accepted : Bank transfer, Paypal F&F Price and Currency : 2000 euros shipping included worldwide Returns Policy: If there is a fatal flaw discovered, return are accepted Other Info and Full Description : This katana is a Shinshintō-period gassaku by the Chikuzen smiths Chikushū-jū Sa Yasuchika(安近) and Yasuhiro (安廣). They were both in the late Samonji group of smith. The sword is dated Meiji 10, first month (January 1877), placing it at a remarkable moment in Japanese history, right before the outbreak of the Seinan War (Satsuma Rebellion) in February 1877, when Japan was transitioning from the samurai era to the modern Meiji state. As a traditionally forged sword made at this late date, this gassaku represents one of the final chapters of the centuries-old Japanese swordmaking tradition.

Type (Tachi, Katana, Wakizashi, Tanto, Naginata, Other) : Wakizashi Ubu, Suriage or O-Suriage : O-Suriage Mei : (Mumei, Signature) : Mumei Papered or not and by whom? : NBTHK Horyu - Could not decide if old or not Era/Age : - (Since NBTHK is hesitating, I will be conservative and say this is a showa period made sword) Shirasaya, Koshirae or Bare Blade? : Shirasaya Nagasa/Blade Length : 55cm Sori : 1.2cm Motokasane : 5.5mm Motohaba : 29.5mm Hamon Type : Notare and suguha Jihada : Mokume and Itame + chikei Other Hataraki Visible : Ko-ashi Flaws : only a few scratches here and there, and one tiny light black rust spot Sword Location : Japan Will ship : Europe, US, and any countries you can safely ship swords to. Payment Methods Accepted : Bank transfer, Paypal F&F Price and Currency : SOLD Returns Policy: If there is any fatal flaw not mentioned, I take in back Other Info and Full Description : Offering this really nice, traditionally made wakizashi, with a Torokusho registration dating from Showa 51 (1976). I originally purchased it mainly because of the beautiful hada it displays and the quality of its polish. At the time of purchase, I was also wondering which era this sword might belong to, and I was hoping that the NBTHK would eventually provide some answers. After six months of waiting, unfortunately, the sword remains a mystery. The only thing we can say for certain is that it was already registered in 1976, so, at minima, it was crafted during the Sowa period. If you have any questions, or would like additional measurements, close-up photographs (higher quality than images displayed here), or any other details, please feel free to send me a message.

Last price on the Hanayakana Nihonto Bizen Ichimonji : 90 euros shipping included

@jono1uk in case you are interested (again, depending what you want), I will soon list a shinshinto gassaku (forged by two smiths) katana (65cm nagasa), in shirasaya, with Hozon papers. I am happy to share you pictures and more details as a preview. And if the sword does attract you, I can tag you once the NMB sale post is finalized. (Ps: I am based in Japan, and do know someone that import swords in UK)

I had the chance to study it 2 weeks ago... Wonderful sword

If my memory serves me well, it was offered by Raymond Yan

I may be harsh or suspicious but... I think it would help you if you post a picture of the sword with your name / date written on a paper ?

The two other books are sold too

Looks like a hard book to find ! Good luck In case you do not have it (or did not knew about it), I can advise you the Hizen To Taikan, really good reference that focus on the Tadayoshi lineage (sadly, in Japanese)

Personally, when I see a photo of a kanteisho with the left side obscured (online auctions), I tend to be very cautious. The second key point is whether the torokusho details (Prefecture, number, era, and date) match with what is written on the kanteisho, and whether that section shows any signs of alteration (corrections, strike-throughs, etc.). Third, the nagasa listed on the kanteisho should match both the blade and the torokusho. I have seen cases where the torokusho and blade matched, but the kanteisho differed by as much as 8 cm. Finally, if something feels off, it is best to walk away.