Austus

Nice tsuba collection.   Where are the blades?

Congrats, Bruce!  I looked at that sword many times and was very tempted.  Looks like a great specimen.

Is it the camera angle, or is that kissaki very blunt? Looks like the hamon runs off the edge. Also looks like the tang has been cleaned. The tsuba is still partly gilded; and, yeah, that ito is really clean. Strange combination of qualities; but I say it's real, for whatever that's worth. And that's probably worth about 2 cents. On a good day. 

Great photos of a fascinating sword.  More, please.

But what about the Shin Gunto??   That looks very interesting, too!

Hey, Dan, you're absolutely right about everything you said; except maybe this particular specimen doesn't fit the OP -- it's not trying to be a Type 95.  If this blade is actually what they say it is; then we better be worried if these guys decide to do counterfeits instead of replicas.(Or is it reproductions?)  I was partly challenging the website claims; and wondering if they could be true. I don't see how; but if not, then they're lying about a fantasy sword.

If the prices of Type 95s keep going up, you better believe there will be a lot of fakes out there in the future.  Good ones.

Sorry to say; but that's a good lookin' sword.  But why the hamon? It's not real, right? How do they do that?  Why go to the trouble to put a nice looking but improper hamon there that would alert even novices to the truth of its authenticity?  If it's not being marketed as a true NCO sword, is it really a fake? 

Is the fuchi copper or brass? That was my first red flag. Could fool some folks.

Just out of curiosity, Were any of these fakes known to be hardened? 

Fantastic photos.  Next best thing to being there.

Interesting item... you did a good job with completing it. How long is the new blade?    It's fun to have something unique.

The name question is a hint to check out the posting rules, which require a first name, at least.  Welcome to the Forum.

Bruce -- Before this goes: Do you have or need a Kanezane kokuin?

I like those dragon menuki.  

Nice photos.  Can we see the blade??

Lucky You, Lev.  Not just the owner of a nice new sword; but now you live at the source. You can view the finest and best Nihonto every day.  Wow, I'm jealous! 

Bruce, when I clicked on the underlined "sword" I got an Amazon page. 

Looking forward to more on this topic.

Ray, forgive me. You answered the question that he asked. Hopefully, others will chime in and answer the questions that I asked!

Wow. I can't wait to hear more about this sword.

That's the coolest menuki I've ever seen; and we can only see half of it.  Three toed dragon? And what is that mon(?) above the ana? It doesn't match the mon on the tsuka. Chiseled ana? Looks tachi from here, long and thin. I'm just guessing, since no one else has responded.

At least let me say : Don't touch the blade or clean anything!! Looks like your family has taken good care of it; and looks to be a really nice specimen. 

Thanks Ken (and Steve), for the clarification and history. So the key is the tatara, not just the sand. Then my Yasuki steel Kanezane is definitely not a traditional Nihonto. Sure wouldn't know by looking at it.

That document is a bit of a tough read. Funny that it ended up saying that Swedish steel is the best in the world.

I couldn't find the date; but wasn't there a typhoon in the 1400s that washed away the bulk of Japan's iron sand? Was hoping someone would bring that up. Also wondering if that opened the door for Barbarian steel. If someone used a little of it just to be able to claim the ingredient; doesn't that reflect the quality of foreign steel? 

Another thing, does all Japanese iron sand qualify as tamahagane? What about Yasuki steel?  I will read the above document tonight. 

Great thread, Ken; very interesting stuff!

Tamahagane is what separates Nihonto from all other swords, even other Japanese swords.  It may not be the best steel; but it is the only one to offer up the hada and hamon activities that we all love, and some of us still struggle to understand. 

The fact that Japanese men were able to make this steel with such difficult raw material, using zero technology, and then make the finest blades ever seen in history, boggles the mind. And then they just happened to have the perfect rocks to be able to bring about the amazing polish that we still can't match.  Wow. 

From "The Samurai Sword, A Handbook" by John Yumoto, p. 83:

"Swordsmith Yasutsugu (c. 1700), of Echizen Province, stated that he made his swords with imported steel, chiefly wootz steel from India."

Pretty sure he had a choice.  Just sayin'.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Very Happy New Year to Y'all!  (As in, You All).

Good job, Bruce; great idea.  Is that dried oil?  What about a little pure alcohol treatment?   That sword just keeps looking better. Makes me wonder what those other ones looked like.

Hey, Dave, Thanks for the tip. I have read some conflicting opinions in the forum about Uchiko. Do think it will be useful on occasion; but worried that this one has already seen too much polish. I do want to try and rewrap that tsuka some day!

Steve, I hope you're right about the age. It doesn't seem to have a peacetime design. Mike Tyson would say that this blade definitely has "Bad Intentions".  I still have reason to research and compare with other eras; but with the reduced lines and my inexperience, it could be a long and fruitless effort.  It is what it is; I just don't know what that is.

The habaki was loose enough to slide up over the machi  about a quarter inch. That won't be happening anymore. Thanks for the feedback!

No, JP is probably testing some more sake.  Must like it.

Good sword, nice photos, great deal.  I think you should go back and consider buying some of the other swords from that collection. Opportunities like that don't come along every day.

Final Thoughts:   This Shin Gunto has little or no collector value.  Not sure who would have bought it but me. When I found it in a pawn shop, it was greasy and dirty and heavily damaged. But it was the perfect candidate for the Personal Sword Project that I had in mind. It was the right length, the right weight, And clearly a deadly blade. It was damaged enough to possibly justify re-purposing; and I got a good price on it.  But while I was carving a mahogany handle for it; I was researching the Pacific Campaign, and reading about Quantum Physics. That, plus the presence it has, changed my mind. It's more than a survivor, or direct connection to the past. It's a Viper, and I'm glad it's mine.

Many thanks to all who responded and any who shared interest in this specimen.