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Quinn

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  • Location:
    Astoria Oregon
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    History, Japanese culture, Katanas, bushido, zen, Buddhism

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    Quinn

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  1. Thanks for getting back to me. I posted in the main nihonto thread with a link to a folder of pics of my sword, as well as information I gathered so far. From what others have mentioned there, it seems the blade is much older. Possibly Shinto era. There must have been more than one smith who used the name Mitsunaga then.
  2. Hey Ken, just wanted to say that my link to a Google drive folder with pics of the katana that I put in the main threat now include pics with the handle removed. Hope y’all can help me with my research!
  3. Thanks Ken! That university is out near Salem, right? I posted some pics in that thread already. I’ll need to get the handle off again tonight for better pics of the bare blade
  4. Thanks so much for the info! Were you able to see the photos in the drive folder?
  5. Also in regards to the tsuba: it’s shape is Mokko gata and the rim is maru Mimi style
  6. Hey all, I’ve been slowly making a little progress in learning more about this sword I inherited. Through the efforts of others in this group, I have tried to put together a sort of profile of the sword and it’s maker. Any corrections and insight would be greatly appreciated. The signature reads “Mitsunaga” who i did find listed in one of the publications as a gunto smith from the Seki province. I’m told his real name was Noguchi Heiichi and he was born July 5th 1918. The list mentioned that the smiths of this area produced both “high and low quality” blades. Generally referred to as “showato” (is that correct?), I found a list that categorized these swords by the quality of their forging. That led me to start to classify each characteristic of the blade. Here’s what I’ve learned so far based on some identifying guides others have made. 1. It seems to be a Shinogi-zukuri shape 2. it had a chū kissaki 3. it has an Ihori style spine 4. If I am seeing it correctly, it’s possibly a omoru boshi 5. if there is one (I’m too untrained to be sure) it would be a masame style hada 6. it’s faint, but there seems to be a present sugu hamon. Oil or water quenched, I don’t know. with this information and the list of 9 grades of quality of these kinds of swords. My best guess would be a “koa-isshin mantetsu-to” showato sword. In other words, Manchurian steel that was partially forged, partially engineered. It would have been differentially hardened, with water as a quenching agent. That is IF I am correct that it possesses both a hada and hamon. I know there’s a size limit for photo uploads so I will try posting some here. I might link to a drive folder for more pics. drive folder with all pics: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-Vh65R2UlgVjcW7VM__7627m5QL_DJ8Y
  7. Hey everyone. Quinn here from the Oregon Coast in the USA. Like many young collectors, I started out with modern made Chinese blades. Don’t get me wrong, I actually have some love for these, even if just for some of the aesthetic beauty. After buying 4 or 5 modern Chinese-made swords, I was traveling in Japan and bought an iaido sword in Kyoto which i proudly display as a wonderful work of art. Then about 2 years ago I was speaking to a distant relative and she said she had a katana in her possession that she inherited from her father. She offered it to me, which I graciously accepted. Since then I’ve done a little investigating and research, and through this message board I’ve found my best leads yet. Being new, I don’t know the best place/thread to make a new post (advice would be gratefully accepted), but my hope is to make a post with pictures of my sword, and all the info I have so far. Sort of a chance for those more knowledgeable than I to grade and correct my amateur research. I was reading a thread here about sword polishing. It has been my hope to find someone I trust with helping me to restore the blade, if the consensus is that it will be worth restoring. Thanks all! -Quinn
  8. i believe I too have a katana made by Mitsunaga. Is there a good resource to find out more about the sword maker? Seeing the dates above, I have to assume that the one I have was likely a spoil of war from WWII, does that seem correct?
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