tbonesullivan

Well, we had our gunsmiths go at it, and they got it out relatively easily without any damage. Tang is signed 角秀國. The blade is 27 1/2 inches long (38 1/4 inches overall), and it has a very interesting profile It has a Yokote in the polish, but I'm not sure if there is actually a kissaki. I feel no difference in the taper, and the Yokote is about 3 inches from the tip. It almost looks like a Shobu Zukiri. I don't have time right now to take more photos and measurements, but I'll be sure to post them when I can. https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/HID60

I checked the blade, and there are not any arsenal stamps at all, which is definitely interesting. It's also actually a Wakizashi about 21 inches long, with a Type 98 Handle. I'll try to get some more pictures next week when I have time.

After playing with all kinds of angles, I managed to get some SLIGHTLY clearer photos. I think I will have to break out the chalk or something similar for some better visualization. The third character after bizen in some way looks like 井. I even went through all 13 pages of MEI I could find beginning with BIZEN. No clues.

That definitely looks promising. Thank you so much! I would guess ICHIMONJI is some type of title? I haven't seen it before in any MEI that I have looked at. The Oshigata I can find are all a bit more "neater" but it definitely looks right. 鍛之 means "forged this"? Quick search found this example, which looks a lot more like the signature on the one I'm looking at, both in style and letters. : https://sword-auction.com/en/product/6493/as21260-刀：一文字天秀鍛之/

This is from a pretty typical Shin-Gunto with a shorter blade, though we think the blade may be pre-showa. The spacing of the characters is somewhat odd, so I can't tell if there are 6 or 7 characters, or maybe even 8? The best I was able to come up with is: 一 長 守 六 ? 俊 之 - ICHI NAGA KAMI ROKU ? TOSHI KORE. I have considered that the first "two" may just be an extended 長 NAGA or OSA. I'm also thinking that the ROKU could also be DAI 大? The second to last character I've also considered 波 NAMI, 義 YOSHI, or 城 SHIRO. The character before that, I have no idea. Most of the signatures I look at now I'm able to find a few characters I'm confident in, and use those to figure out the rest, but on this one I am kinda lost, which is a bit disheartening.

I don't know how I missed the BIZEN, after I thought the second character was ZEN. I was too focused on the angled strokes on top and forgot about what was underneath. There don't appear to be that many smiths in BIZEN that have a name ending in KUNI. I'm gonna need to break out the 16x magnifier and maybe some chalk to see if I can make the faint characters present a bit better. It is really nice, even with the blade only being about 9cm long, with the really long tang. The hamon is great with lots of activity.

This is definitely one of the harder ones I have tried to translate, due to the thin tang as well as the blade condition. The last character is clearly 國 KUNI , but I can't figure out the first character, even though it is fairly clear. The second character I think may be 前 ZEN? And maybe the third 共TOMO? I also can't tell if there are more characters, and whether one was destroyed by the peg hole. I've tried my best to get a picture that actually shows the characters. I may need to try again. I am guessing there is a character above KUNI under the Mekugi, which is quite faint.

This is definitely something I haven't seen before, and I searched around and wasn't able to find out much. This Shin-Gunto looks to be a type 94, with the smooth brown finish on the scabbard. Perforated TSUBA, Scabbard lock, and the standard fittings. However, when we went to remove the peg, it would not budge. Looking at it closer, we realized it was made from brass or bronze, and may have been machine pressed in, or something similar. It doesn't have any screw slots. Has anyone seen anything like this, and do you have any tips for getting it out?

WOOHOO!!! Thanks so much! I remember reading that for "common" Kanji they would use a very simplified version, with the idea that everyone would know what it was. It's great if you know all of the shorthand, but if you don't....

Thanks! The character 幸 looks like it can be read as YUKI or YOSHI?

I even googled the hell out of it, and found a picture with two forms of it in the lower right, taunting me.

It is really rough for snake skin, so I definitely think it's Ray skin. I think on the signature I'm going to declare the second character to be 久 and move on. It's not like I'll ever find information on that smith anyway. It definitely looks to be a three stroke cursive kanji, so I can't think of any others that would be in that shape. Only 之 would be as simple, but the shape doesn't really match up in terms of stroke order.

The Same actually is black ray skin, probably faux. It looks like it was painted, and the paint has worn away inside the Kabuto-gane. I haven't seen that very often.

Oh no, this is horrible news. I hope he makes a recovery. I have not interacted with him personally, but his contributions are extensive.

I hate that people don't realize how much of an art form it is. I wouldn't want someone playing in an orchestra that had watched a few youtube videos. I play in a community orchestra, and even the people in that are expected to have a command of their instrument, which takes years of dedication and hard work. I work in the military antiques business, and the number of RUINED antiques that I have seen is enough to make many cry. I don't see how "polish the crap out of it" became the norm. I also have seen the tons of youtube "restoration experts" that have popped up, and they ALSO make my eyes bleed, even when they are doing something like an old screwdriver. There are definitely ones that know what they are doing, and are bringing great pieces of machinery back to a usable state. One I follow also has a machine shop outfitted with the correct tools needed to fix and repair these things, compared to the garage you see many of these "restoration" people working out of. And yes, we have gotten Nihonto, examples of which I have posted in the past, that were attacked by people with a buffer or a sharpening stone. Breaks my heart. We also get plenty of standard 20th Century Military Issue blades that have been hacked to bits by people who probably couldn't even sharpen an axe correctly. Anyway, back to playing with the Pillow Yari we just got in, which has a great polish already.

Thanks so much! I honestly had never seen the 廿 character for 20 before. I would also agree on Masa 正 being the first character. The second, I know I've seen that before, I just can't remember which sword I looked at before has it. Maybe 久 HISA?

This is what we've been told is a stainless steel Type 98, with a leather covered wood scabbard. The "signature" on the blade is a bit strange though, and looking at the usual Kanji charts I can only identify "本 金" in the Mei, which also is not on the usual side of the blade. It almost looks like a dedication, and the condition of the tang is pretty suspect. The date is normal except for the year number, which looks like some combination of 十 and another Character. Any help would be most appreciated. I'm stumped.

Thanks for the info! Usually I'd see "lucky day", though most of the WWII nengo don't have any dates listed. It's a fairly nice sword. I'd love to be able to have it polished and papered, but everything is so backlogged now.

Well, this wasn't really what I was expecting when I got this sword, but the guy who buys things (not me) picked it up and they did say it was dated 1529, and it looks like it reads the following: MEI: 備 州 長 船 則 光 - BISHU OSAFUNE NORIMITSU NENGO: 享 禄 二 年 八 月 日 - Kyōroku 2 (1529) 8th Month (August) Day Not sure why the "day" kanji is there, but I've seen other blades from the same era that have it. Hamon looks to be HAKO MIDARE, which I tried to get a picture of. The NAKAGO looks original, and I've seen some others that have that wider style, again from that era. Fittings are pretty typical Shin-Gunto, probably Type 94. Forgot to take a picture.

Still trying to figure this one out. I can't tell if the date is wrong, or maybe it's not a date. I guess I should have posted this in the translation forum.

Sure! If you search the website we sell them on, ima-usa.com, you can usually find them. Here are both of the examples we have had. One is definitely more carefully written than the other.

Definitely. I don't see any sign of a second hanger ring, but those were removable if I am correct. The paint is smooth and lighter than the Type 98s I have had.

Oh wow, that looks great!!! Definitely a great blade!

Oh wow! I'm totally lost on grass writing, so that was very impressive Mr. Morita! Thank you so much. I also would love to see the rest of the sword, as well as the fittings. With two plugged holes in the tang, it definitely must have had an interesting history. If only it could talk.

Just got in another Type 98 with what looks to be an older traditionally made blade. This unfortunately is not in nearly as good condition as the one by Masahiro. The fittings are quite worn, though it does have a perforated Tsuba and aluminum scabbard. The Mei is 横 山 上 野 大 掾 祐 定 作 - YOKOYAMA KODZUKE DAIJO SUKESADA SAKU, which is similar to one listed for 6th Gen Sukesada: https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/SUK893 It is missing the 藤原 FUJIWARA before the name, and has saku at the end. I did find examples with that MEI online, and most have writing on the other side of the blade. This one does as well, but it looks to be a date, and the first two characters look to be 永正 EISHO. I'm pretty sure I see the character 月. However that would be way to early of a date for 6th Gen Sukesada. Not sure what is going on with the tang. The blade has some light pitting, though the Hamon is still visible, and looks to be either Gunome or possibly three cedars.