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ichiku

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    nicholas

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  1. These swords are unsigned and being new to this I am having difficulty figuring out what era these blade shapes relate to. Any help would be greatly appreciated as they do not seem to fit into most shapes I have found. The third sword may be calvary sword? They all have legitimate hamons (pictures below) and were brought back from WWII. I would also appreciate advice on the different methods that more knowledgeable people research an unsigned blade to properly assess its age, era, style, etc. I am also wondering what alternatives there are to professional restoration for blades such as these which may not have the high value which requires such exspensive treatment. Thank You!!! #1. - nakago 4.8 inches - nagasa 16.2 inches (although there seems to be some alteration to the ha-machi?? what do you think that is?) - sori 0.3 inches - kisaki 1.4 inches - kasane .25 inches - width at ha-machi 1.1 inches - width at yokote 0.8 inches - very thin delicate hamon, which is difficult to see in any photo I took, I tried many times. #2 - nakago 5.9 - nagasa 21.4 - sori 0.6 inches - kisaki 1.4 inches - kasane 0.25 inches at ha-machi, 0.2 inches at yokote - width at ha-machi 1.15 inches - width at yokote 0.8 inches - very wide hamon, almost entirely straight #3 - nakago 7.75 inches - nagasa 30.75 inches - sori 0.9 inches - kisaki 0.55 inches - kasane 0.2 inches at ha-machi, 0.12 inches at yokote - width at ha-machi 1.1 inches - width at yokote 0.5 inches - thin slightly wavy hamon
  2. Thank you Ken, I appreciate your advice. Only for solo kata, live kumidachi is absolutely not allowed in our dojo, and in my opinion is not necessary outside of a warring environment. If I may ask, who do you study with?
  3. Thank you everyone! Very grateful for you help, I am having so much fun researching these. Peter, I definitely agree, Ive been hunting antiques since I was young and the mystery and research are the best parts. Getting an old box of Japanese swords is a dream come true. That being said, there is so much to learn, and as a chef with a 90+ hour per week schedule, it may have taken me years going through books/online to translate these accurately, so I am very grateful that these communities of experts such as yourself exist. I have studied Budo, Aikido and Iaido since I was young and I love Japanese smithing, I definitely want to learn more. What resources would you recommend? For example, it seems that the "Hizen Kuni Tadayoshi" signature was used by that lineage through many generations and makers. How might one differentiate the time periods? I find any comprehensive collection of this information difficult to find via the Internet. Does anyone have any (or know where to look) information on Bushu oite Edo Kanesada? I can't seem to find anything aside from a few obscure references to a few different Kanesadas in that area, ranging from 1500-1700. Also do any of these jump out as being of unusually special provenance? (I don't necessarily trust or understand everything I find online) If so, I want to treat them appropriately. The first one seems to be the jewel, historically speaking. Should any of them be professionally preserved/restored? (there are a few rusty spots on a couple of them) I think I am going to outfit the Showa-to for Iaido practice but not sure about the rest. Again thank you so much! Nicholas
  4. Hello! I have been gifted a few signed Japanese swords that seem to be quite old. The swords were all found coated in thick dark wax in a basement that had not been touched for 80 years. I believe the blades were brought back from the battlefield in WWII, as some seem to have been used in live combat. I wiped them down with mineral oil and clean cotton rags (no abrasives/chemicals were used) and the wax came right off, most of them are in wonderful shape. (I hope this was not a bad thing to do, if it was, please let me know) I brought them to the only local nihonto specialist and his reaction was to want to buy them, but he would not give me any information on them. Fishy. A second inquiry online turned out much the same, so I would think they may be of substantial quality and possibly value. As I don't have the money to send them out, I am looking for any help I can get in translating what is written so I can continue to research them. I have grouped the photos so there are two shots of each signature, from different angles, with three photos of the last sword. I know the last sword is Showa but it has one of the most beautiful structures and hamons I have ever seen, so info on this as well would be greatly appreciated. I am happy to post photos of the blades if it would help. Thank you for your expertise. Nicholas
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