NewB

100% J.

Very good! Look up 'oil for nihonto' on the forum - small investment but it'd preserve it until you decide what you want to do with it. Someone more knowledgeable than me will definitely tell you the best route to go! I'd keep it haha P.s. I know second character above the 'hole' is 'mitsu'... still learning hahaha J.

Nicely done!!! I'll leave it to the experts but it is signed (and dated). Are the black spots in the blade (and in your photos) on the surface or indentations that go below? Like tiny holes in a sense? P.s. since i dont see any stamps this is definitely worth having examined by an expert IMHO. J.

Thank you. I appreciate the information. It makes me question the definition of some 'hi' types that make references to certain Era and schools. I presume some folks know how to tell the difference. p.s. I guess identifying the rust and the suriage possibly contributed to such conclusions/determinations? Tough lol J.

You're right overall but Not Gassan Sadakazu's swordsmaking days, that is for sure! J.

Hello and welcome, FIRST, read a bit about how to take care of nihonto - do not try to clean anything and please do not touch the steel with bare hands. You can use any non abrasive cloth while trying to disassemble the blade from its outfit (usually they are held by a wooden pin that is located right in the middle below the guard. If you are able to expose the tang by yourself then snap some good photos of both side along with: -Vertical photo of the whole blade 'naked' (please do NOT set it on the floor, any material would be better than leaving it directly onto a hard surface). -pictures of the tip (both sides) - pictures of the folded steel - try area where there's no scratches and rust. Playing with light angles could be exhausting but there's no other way around it. I usually have a dimmed light in a dark room at about 45' of light towards blade angle for best results. If you can't remove the tang cover please supply photos of the location right below the guard where the pin is, for further instructions Cheers J. P.S. do not hurry up and read a bit on it. Plenty of information on the forum Also I'm referring to the first and last vertically positioned blades in your photo.

At a first glance A lot is off - yasurime, nakago jiri .. But as everyone usually would suggest - same quality photos of the blade in as much detail as possible. Cheers J.

+1 Buy books and study about what constitutes a good purchase.. OR buy papered in recent polish after thorough research of the smith/school and price evaluation. The rest is throwing money away. Your money, your call though. There's nothing you can 'do' with this blade unless you're a bladesmith and you're buying the steel to create your own blade. Do not attempt to polish or cut/beat it to a pulp, it'd be disgraceful! J.

I found that interesting also as a suggestion as far as hamon goes http://www.sho-shin.com/sanyo11.htm J

Last attempt before reverting to meditation kai mihara? J.

Hello, Nice topic. I agree with @Geraint and I agree with your observations. I myself would like to know when they were added on my old blades - at the blade’s inception or after (to hide a flaw). Cheers J.

Just a suggestion https://studyingjapaneseswords.com/tag/kani-no-tsume/ and Also togari-ba Perhaps? Cheers J.

The daisho chose you. Congrats J.

Hello I believe the most experienced here would say - registered mail... or overnight usps (refundable if not delivered as slated). I go Registered Mail and sleep well. Hopefully others have more suggestions than me. Cheers J.

Hola I'd pass. Well unless is like $20. J.

🤔 https://www.ebay.com/itm/155368487356?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Twk6GX_BQYi&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=NyoWp882Tda&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY J.

J.

You are right! I stand corrected, thank you. I jumped the 🔫 The extension of the hamon gave me a feeling for the ooo suriage. I could barely see file marks in the photo ..

Picture quality we are speculating over that, plus look at the photo you edited - the blade is lifted up unevenly. Imho That could be giving you that feeling j.

Ooo suriage right? That must have been a big boy to carry such a massive tachi. I'm having a good feeling about this blade. Hopefully it is healthy enough J.

I have a 30" nagasa Kamakura blade that feels like a toothpick.. There's something about these old ones that the balance and weight just feels like the blade is an extension of your arm in a sense, where motion is just mindless rather than a tool you need to direct and control and fight with .. maybe because they were polished down so much.. I dont know - I love kamakura and nanbokucho periods, personally. If you could take better photos of where that orange/red hue that looks like a Lacquer of your nakago along with thickness of the blade at the notch ((without the habaki) photos below)) and some photos of the tempered part where there's no obstruction of rust or scratches, some photos of the tip temper and hopefully capture some of the folded steel pattern above the temper then someone considerably more knowledgeable than me might chime in. I know, a lot to ask lots of light angle playing. Last, i suggest that you please don't put the bare blade on a hard surface directly. Cheers J.

Ditto!.. and then the copper filled mekugi anas.. Definitely worth showing to a pro! J.

I own a bingo kai mihara blade with similar characteristics (not counting the nakago). This seems wider.. J.

Something might be off either with my eyes or the measurements or the photos. Maybe measure again? otherwise- High shinogi, koshi sori. Old J.

Hello, All I have is - beautiful sugata (curvature). J.