DGARBUTT

There is a sword club in NYC that meets on a regular basis. You can take it to one of their meetings and gets opinions. HOME (ny-tokenkai.org)

Modern Chinese reproduction

Where are you located? I assume you would prefer to meet in person, so tell us your general location and we may be able to help ou.

Just one more is the right answer!!!

I live near the auction site and had an opportunity to examine the sword in hand. The blade details were obscured by gunk, but no visible flaws. What appears as possible ware in the photos is gunk on the blade. Very nice shape and good length. But the selling price was a reflection of the fact that astute observers identified this as a probable kamakura nagamaki/naginata blade. See Brian's post above. There are hints of great age in the auction photos. The smaller grove evident on the tang is almost gone, polished down, on the blade(shown clearly on one of the photos on the auction site but not reproduced in this post) and one hole on the tang is clearly not drilled but probably chiseled. The tang also showed great age and was much thicker than the blade indicating a significant number of polishes. The condition of the blade obscured most of the hamon but portions were evident showing what appeared to be a gunome pattern. Impossible to say if the hamon is intact on the entire blade. Still the selling price was more than I was willing to pay due to the cost and uncertainty of restoration/shinsa outcome. I have no knowledge of the identity of the successful bidder and whether that bidder inspected the blade in person,. There was only one day of viewing prior to the auction \and when I was there only one other person looked at the blades. One lesson to be learned is that NOTHING can replace a personal inspection of a blade. Auction pictures/descriptions can be very deceptive making a blade appear much better or worse than it actually is.

The real issue is that any "paper" on an unsigned blade is just an opinion, no matter how esteemed the individual or group. Most experienced collectors have seen multiple instances where blades have received different opinions from the same "expert" organization. It is a fairly regular occurrence for a mumei blade attribution to change as it proceeds from one paper to the next at the NBTHK. "Expert" opinion in every field is often wrong and is always subject to change

In the early 1990's I purchased a collection from the widow of an army officer. As I recall he was Colonel Henry. The collection was primarily fittings with several swords. The colonel was deceased but his widow told me that the colonel and other officers were allowed to go into a storage room and remove the fittings from swords. There collection contained about 50 sets of fuchi kashira , a similar number of menuki sets, a few kozuka and kogai but no tsuba. Many of the fuchi kashira still had remnants of the ito. The quality was very mixed, a few quality items but mostly run of the mill. The swords were mounted but of mediocre quality and condition.

Need help with info on this smith tsugusada

thanks to all

Attached are photos of two tangs that I cannot completely translate. Please asist me with the gunto tang and the left column of kanji on the Kanetane. Thanks Dale

thanks for the help

As with the mantetsu I posted several days ago, here is another sword that I am helping the owner to translate. Both the signature and the horimno on the sword have stumped me. Thanks in advance for your help

These are all the photos I have. I was asked by the son of the marine who brought some swords home to help him with identification and translation. The mounts are standard army, better grade.

Thanks Steve, no way I ever could have gotten that

need help with the long inscription on this Mantetsu blade have attached photos of both sides as I know some will want to see both sides of the tang, but I only need help with the long inscription next to the date

Having trouble with translation of what looks like a personal name on a Sukesada. Need help on kanji after osafune up to sukesada

Signed Noshu Ju Kanehisa, which means made by Kanehisa, residing in Seki. The star stamp mans that this is handmade sword, otherwise known as a gendai. Nice find, absolutely genuine

I don't believe the scabbard is a mismatch and certainly not from a parade sword. . More likely the sword was originally in kyu gunto mounts from the 1800's and had a new handle put on it when it was used in WWII. I have seen a number of swords with this combination. No way to tell from the pictures if the longer blade is handmade without photos of the work in the blade/

absolutely fake, not even close to authentic Dale

“Samurai Warriors & Civil War Soldiers” programs will be offered at Gettysburg National Military Park September 5 Gettysburg National Military Park will celebrate its new relationship with the Sekigahara Battlefields of Japan on Monday, September 5, with special, free “Samurai Warriors & Civil War Soldiers” programs throughout the day. Gettysburg National Military Park Rangers and staff from the Sekigahara Battlefields will offer 45 minute programs at 10, 11, 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Gettysburg Rangers will talk about the Civil War soldier uniform and allow children to try it on. Sekigahara staff will have samurai uniforms for the public to try on. Poster displays will outline the history of the Sekigahara battle. The free programs will take place in the main lobby of the Gettysburg National Military Park and Museum and Visitor Center, 1195 Baltimore Pike. For more information call (717) 334-1124. At 2 p.m., the public is invited to a special joint signing ceremony for the creation of a “Sister City” relationship between the Borough of Gettysburg and Sekigahara, Japan, and a “Sister Park” agreement between the Gettysburg National Military Park and the historic Sekigahara Battlefields. The event will be at the historic Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station, 25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg. A reception with light refreshments will follow the ceremony. Sekigahara is remembered as one of the biggest samurai battles in history, with 160,000 samurai fighting on, and around, a strategic mountain pass. In just six hours of close fighting, thousands of samurai were killed. The scene of the battle fought in 1600 is now preserved as a military park. ### Photo attached: Samurai uniforms will be available to try on at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center on September 5. -- Matt AtkinsonPark Ranger/ VIP Coordinator

Thanks Stephen. Bitchu daijo is an honorary title. It means assistant lord of Bitchu province. The Hizen Masahiro line of smiths is very well regarded. I am not sure how the third generation ranks. If you google sandai Masahiro you should find information. I have not attempted to validate the signature as genuine, however the work and shape of the sword look like Hizen Masahiro work. Nice sword and nice mounts Dale

This is one of the signatures of the third generation Masahiro. First signed as Hironaga. Received the title of Bitchu daijo in 1665. Dale

Tom, I would like the Onin and Teimei tsubas. What is the discount for both. Shipping to the US Thanks, Dale

$150