DoTanuki yokai

If this is what I get from over polishing I should get this blade to a grinding wheel The blade is made in Nanbokucho period and I think the 2 piece construction won’t show Shingane, tired or not.

He got nice reference material on his website but looking for Nanki Shigekuni I came across this and wonder how he comes to think this is Nanki Shigekuni. https://new.uniquejapan.com/a-nanki-shigekuni-wakizashi/

I have thought about it and this morning I had my breakthrough I think The last picture is an example from usagiya website of a 2 piece construction blade.

IMG_1002.MOV Ok here it is

I have tried to let some people see it in hand to answer my question but there were too many blades and not enough time in the last meeting I participated. Can someone tell me what I see here ? I try to upload a video but struggle with the file size :/

Thank you very much I don’t think I could have solved this without help.

Hi, can someone help me read this date, I would think it should be Showa but Im not sure if it is even a date Thanks

Actually I know some of the Chinese makers take advise from Reddit swords and katana related subs to improve their products. But the price for this items are far higher then the regular cheap stuff. Just some examples of Chinese blades that are better made. https://www.swordjp.com/product/dragon-katana https://cloudhammerforge.com/products/katana-functional-pop-culture-sx105v-differentially-hardened-ruroni-kenshin-sakabato The market for this Chinese blades is fast growing and evolving lately I think. Most makers I see don’t try to fraud ( the prices are already the fraud). I check daily In the r/Katanas Reddit to help people translate and identify their blades and have seen some increase in the casting quality of fittings. I also try to educate people about Nihonto but most just look for “authentic Nihonto” not interested in understanding the differences between them and their makers. Alpha Raiders Blade is easy to spot as a fake with the offset hamachi munemachi because they make this cheap cast Habaki that fit these for decades.

Actually I was very successful growing plants under full spectrum LED lights but they are far too bright to look at swords. My trinidad moruga scorpion born and raised under Led lights, it is 5 months old on this picture.

I have seen some sellers reducing prices and list items new for example with new description or adding picture of certificates. Also I think they buy blades they had years ago in stock back and list it with the old pictures but actually I think there are many possible reasons.

I would recommend making pictures of blades in the same angles you would watch its features in Hand. Can’t see anything on this but in the right angle even with my old IPhone 8 I can see the Hamon. But with better equipment there are more possibilities with a strong light source and a camera but it is much experience needed. An example where only the Hadori is visible. And then with a strong light source and my 10 years old Sony Alpha camera. Closed shutter and long lightning time. (I hope I use the right words because my camera skills are only in German ) I have made more then 10000 of blade pictures and I think there is still much to improve. This examples are just what I have on my phone right now and not the best but I hope this helps. Edit: here are some more of my early pictures at the end of the thread and here are some more recent with the same equipment but more experience I’m struggling with the boshi :/

There is a Tanto of 24cm that is also known as Honjo Masamune, just saying. Are you sure they talked about the missing Tachi or the Juyo Tanto Stephen ?

https://www.nipponto.co.jp/swords8/KY335276.htm Description says it Is Gimei.

Every time someone comes up with the Honjo Masamune and is not even trying to show us the blade.

Maybe they liked the price and style of this Habaki and it was made always for them by someone else ? I think it is common for smiths to work with the same guys together for decades.

I think the bear just came out of the water, he is wet and that is the reason he is not carved all over. At his hind legs you can clearly see the wet hair sticking together. Just a wild guess

I would have bought them for the frames at 25£, looking perfekt for oshigata

Yes some surprising variation I think shinsa is the only way to find out what the NBTHK thinks, even in the nipponto linked blade it is mentioned that this is the first blade of this smith he saw. I would try to compare with the sword from nipponto and if their are at least some similarities I would send it for shinsa if I would need papers for this. Im not so annoyed from this thread. Some people just don’t come along with others and misunderstand each other on purpose, what I can perfectly understand from a viewpoint as human being

Im sure Markus Sesko list far more Sukesada because they are around 60 smiths signing Sukesada till the late edo period. More pictures of the blade could help estimate the age.

There are always good deals here https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/forum/6-for-sale-or-trade/ Sometimes you will have to wait for something to come up. Do you look for something special ? From your posts I’m not sure what you looking for ?

I would also check for Mizukage where the Hamon begins, this could really show us if the blade is Machi Okuri. But I’m also more interested in Sugata picture and Boshi. I thought this threat was done after we found the smith

Under the hole is the first kanji of the signature that reads Bizen Kuni Ju TadaMitsu. Why do you think the Mei is later added ?

Looks good, Bungo province smith Taira Sadamori worked in Eisho period.

Hi Warren I just want to point out that Chinese fakes does not look like this. If the signature is fake it was done in Japan, they faked signatures for century’s for more profit.

No core no Shingane. But i don’t know if there wasn’t some other construction with coresteel.