DTM72

Kai Gunto in Canada

I find boshi to be the most difficult to photograph. Yours turned out well.

For reference, the blue ruler is 12" (33 cm) long and 1" (2.54cm) wide.

Hard to tell from the pictures, but the nakago is a brownish black, and the mekugi-ana is punched. I would guess early Edo period. Could it possibly be late Muromachi period?

Came home from work today and it was here, waiting on me. So the actual nagasa is 9" (22.8cm) the overall length is 24.5" (62.2cm) the width across the wide flat is 1.5" (3.8cm) the nakago is 11/16" (17.5mm) square, at the largest point and is 14.5" (36.8cm long) That is going to be a huge pole to mount that monster!

Please let me know what I did wrong...this is all part of my learning.

Unless you buy one used, they have a 6 month to almost 1 year wait after ordering. He may get lucky and find a dealer on eBay that actually has some Hanwei in stock, and just take what they have. Barnejp, we all appreciate your interest in Nihonto. To be completely honest, you can't even find a WWII machine made NCO sword for $500 any more. (with aluminum tsuka and plain steel blade with no hamon) At that price point, you can get decent quality replicas, but those are replicas. Wishing you the best.

Makes perfect sense. You can see the straight yasurimei in the oshigata too. Much Appreciated Moriyama san!

Sugu is what is throwing me off. The hamon is almost to the shinogi line, at the yokote (Approx 3/8" or 9.5mm). Once it goes past the yokote line into the kissaki, the hamon dips down to run parallel to the ha about 1/4" or 6.3mm wide. To me, the kaeri is more O Maru or possibly Jizo with hakikake mixed in. Sorry for the poor picture...pics of the boshi are always the hardest to take!

石堂輝秀作 = Teruhide Saku http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/teruhide.htm

Greatly appreciated Piers! So Kiri = Nakago cut square. GUNOME-MIDARE - 互の目乱れ - irregularly undulating hamon Only thing I understand from column 5 is Omote = signature side, ura = side towards body, and komaru kaeri = small turnback in boshi. No idea what the other words translate to.

Should be arriving Monday. I'll give a full report on it then.

I'm having trouble with a couple of the translations on NTHK papers. The red writing is my digital writing for what I believe the paper translates to. I need some help with the bottom of column 3, and all of column 5. Thanks to all in advance!

Ah yes...good times. Can't show toons like that any more...someone might, I say someone might just git offended.

Wider...I edited my statement above after reading this.

Nice photo, coming from a phone!

Well, I'm a chicken hawk and you're a chicken. yep, I'm old too.

This is the best representation, so far, of the size comparison of different types of yari. I really don't want to call the one I am getting an Omi Yari, since that seems to imply that it is very long. The one I am buying is resembles the thick one in the center of the picture, but in my opinion, may be a little thicker than the one shown.

Gakusee, I will get photos posted as soon as I get it in my dirty little hands. I appreciate your information!

Adam, I am FAR from an expert on this, but here's my .02 cents...the sugata suggests Mino from the Muromachi era. The nakago is MACHI-OKURI - 区送り. The bohi also suggests Muromachi period. In my opinion, if the blade has no faults, 2.5k is not a bad deal. The tsuba, tsuka and the handachi fittings make a nice looking package. Consider the papers an information item, not a certification item. I think you have the NMB's certification that the blade is Nihonto and NOT a Chinese replica. Best of luck to you.

I had the item in hand this past weekend in Orlando, at the show. I kept thinking about it and decided, after the fact, that I wanted to purchase it. I want it for the fact that it is so different, and it appears to be well constructed with itame hada and notare hamon, in decent polish. And the fact that I'm supporting my two favorite sword dealers, Mark Jones and Grey Doffin! This will make the 6th item I have bought from them this year. lol I will post pics as soon as I have it in hand. I would love to hear opinions on possible mountings for it. It already has a saya, just need to figure out a suitable pole, etc. for it. Give me some ideas!

The bottom of your picture group basically means "Certification". I do not recognize the issuing group.