noneed2hate

Hi Neil, While I may not know much about these swords, it would greatly help out the other members who do if you are able to take some photos of the actual blade itself and post them here. Thanks! -George

I appreciate all the replies. A few more observations/notes after some more studying of this blade, it should be noted that due to my lack of experience and the current condition of the blade I am probably incorrect in my assessment: Sori: Tori-sori at ~6.45mm Motokasane and Sakikasane are quite similar and relatively thick at ~7.75mm and ~7.55mm respectively Motohaba quite wide compared to the Sakihaba at ~31.25mm and ~23.55mm respectively Very shallow/low iori mune and a low Shinogi. Hada: Appears to be a tight ko-itame Chu-sugaha hamon with a wide nioiguchi with nie present O-kissaki (or perhaps extended Chu-kissaki?) with what appears to be sugu o-maru boshi fairly close to the yokote/ko-shinogi junction. Signature itself after comparing a bit further seems to have different emphasis on certain strokes and also appears slightly off angle compared to given examples. I do wonder if the above is perhaps a side effect of the bohi running through that signature space but based on the last character and it's vast differences I believe this is quite likely not the case. So while it does retain some characteristics of Yasuyos work it seems, perhaps it is best and safe to say this is Gimei? Below are some photos to hopefully better illustrate the hada and hamon present. -George

Greetings all, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas Holiday. Just wanted to share a recently acquired piece, a WW2 bringback a family had decided to sell recently, signed Shume no Kami Ippei Yasuyo 主馬首一平安代 of Satsuma. From what I can tell the Mon seems a bit different from other examples of this smith, the veins of the hollyhock in this instance seem shorter compared to other examples such as those in Markus Seskos books otherwise the mei seems consistent to my novice eyes. Tsuka seems to be wrapped by some sort of skin or perhaps leaves covered in lacquer which is quite fascinating. Saya is a bit rough and is missing a few components it seems. A few basic characteristics noted thus far: Nice and wide Mihaba, Sugaha Hamon, Higaki Yasurime, bulbous Kurijiri, Nagasa of about 19". Overall, there seems to be no fatal kizu that I can see and the blade itself aside from the rust seems to be in good shape. Looking forward to further studying this piece and likely having it professionally restored as it seems to be a good prospect to invest in. If you have any thoughts or observations about it, I'm all ears. Thanks! -George You can just barely make out the Higaki Yasurime, as it is quite worn but rest assured it is present and consistent with this smith.

Thanks again everyone for the replies. I'd say right around $3,000 will be the top end of my current budget. The link Dan provided is fantastic and I may be pursuing one of the Swords available there which falls well within that price point .

Hello John, First, thank you for the prompt reply. I was sadly attempting to justify the pricepoint in my head with the issues seen. Based on what you have mentioned, I'll abstain from purchasing this blade and continue my research/saving up. I appreciate the assistance Have a few books on the way that should help me make better determinations as well! Also appreciate your input Lonely Panet! The search continues. Respectfully, George

Looking at this as my potential first Nihonto purchase. Based on all my research it seems decent enough at the price point. The Kizu I can see in the pictures seem okay given the price point, the only real point of contention being the munegire as mentioned below. Things that I've noticed that are present: - Munegire (assuming this is the correct term) about 4-5" behind the kissaki - Muneware - Tateware - Fukure I'm having a hard time identifying the Nagako Tang end, it seems like it's a worn down Katayama-Kengyo style. Seller seems legit to an extent, but only has about 200 feedback or so with some recent negative. https://www.ebay.com/itm/333713770152 Any other input would be greatly appreciated!

Greetings All! I am a new member on the forum. I recently plunged down the rabbit hole of learning about Nihonto and Koshirae after attending a recent seminar hosted by Mike Yamasaki. So far I have a few Tsuba that I had acquired recently, but otherwise look forward to continued research and acquisition of more items in the future. I look forward to learning a lot from everyone here! Respectfully, George