PeterGB

Hi Jean and ckaiserca, Thank you for the detailed information and advice, it's so helpful. ckaiserca - With regards to the menuki there is only one, I have attached a picture below. Considering your message along with the missing parts to the saya, the damage to the tsuka and the irregular kozuka; the idea of removing the fittings and prioritising the care of the blade seems like an appropriate course of action. Realistically, unless there is a pressing reason I'm unlikely to try and get the blade polished in the immediate future. I'd imagine this is something I will consider once I have learned more and, as you say, only if it makes sense to do so. Of course, to make things more complicated, in order to remove the fittings I'd need a shirasaya made to store the blade and after googling for a few hours it seems that finding someone to make one is a non-trivial task. So I'm thinking that for now, while I find someone to make a shirasaya it will continue to live in its saya as it has been for the last few decades, but now on display in my living room as opposed to in the bottom of a drawer. Thank you again for all your help.

Hi Geraint, Thank you for your comments. It's good to know that a kogai would have been there originally and the possibility of it being in a fire is very interesting. Now I can see that its missing some parts and has some damage, it slightly bugs me (ignorance is bliss). If replacing the parts is impractical, especially for a novice, then I'm in a bit of a quandary as to what to do with it (in terms of how to best care for it). Perhaps for the time being I will leave it alone and just admire it as I read through the handbook to get more acquainted with the basics. However, if you or anyone else has any ideas on what you think I should do with it, or what you would do with it if it were yours, those ideas would be very gratefully received.

Hi ckaiserca, Thank you for pointing that out. This raises a few further questions, if that's OK... 1. With regards to the kurigata, after reading your comment I read an article which said that the kurigata was normally stuck to the saya with a traditional glue and that you can re-stick it using wood glue (or even gorilla glue) - is that true? 2. If the above is true, does that mean I could try and acquire an Edo period kurigata and fix it to the saya myself? 3. I'm wondering if the kogatana is not the right size for the saya. It's not flush and is slighter wider than the groove. Also there is a crack on the saya which could be because the kogatana is too wide. Is that correct? If so, is the kogatana also something I could replace? I have attached some photos for reference. (If it is the wrong size, I wonder why someone would have done that) 4. Is it considered bad practice to replace parts? I guess I'm unsure as to the relationship between the all parts, are they all independent or should they be kept together as a set? On a semi-related note, I ordered The Samurai Sword a handbook by John M Yumoto; as suggested. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Hi Shugyosha, Thank you so much for your reply. I will get those books you mentioned and look forward to learning more. (PS as a gesture of gratitude for the help I have received, I have made a small donation to the forum)

If I may ask some additional beginner questions (I'll try and use the appropriate terminology, apologies if I make a mistake)... 1. Am I correct in thinking that the blade may not be the same age as the Saya (scabbard), the Tsuka (handle) and the Tsuba (guard)? If that's correct, what normally determines the change of these fixtures over time? 2. Judging from the end of the Saya (scabbard) it looks to be missing something (photo attached) is that correct? 3. The Tsuka Ito (photo attached) isn't perfect. Is this something that can or should be repaired? 4. Is there anything I should be doing with it, maintenance/care wise? 5. Is the repair around the hole in the tang common? Does it imply/suggest anything? 6. Is there a book that is generally recommended for complete beginners? 7. Looking at prices of certified Wakizashi's online, they aren't cheap but they aren't insane money considering the craftsmanship and age ($5k or so) compared to a vintage guitar etc this seems very fair. I'm presuming mine won't be near that in value, but if it's worth over $1k then I should probably add it to my home insurance, is that what most people do? Or is it too difficult to insure if it's not certified etc. Thanks in advance for any guidance with any of the above.

Got it! Thanks for the tip Shugyosha. It came off with a bit of WD40 and knocking with some wood and a rubber mallet. Here are the pictures...

Thank you Shugyosha. I'll protect the tang while trying some WD40. I'll post back once done.

Hi Chris, With regards to the habaki, I'm not sure how to remove it. It won't easily slide down as it tapers in at the top. I can try and force it but it might bend the habaki? Below are some photos which I hope explains what I mean...

The nakago...

Hi Chris, Thank you for your reply, much appreciated! Here are a couple of photos of the kissaki (thank you for clarifying the terminology) I'll post some additional photos in another comment shortly.

Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone might be able to help me with identifying this sword. It was gifted to my mother around 40 years ago by a family friend who, in turn, had it in her possession for a number of years. It is now mine and I'm hoping to learn about it. I believe the friend had a contact in Japan but unfortunately she has passed on and I'm unable to find out any history on how she got it. I have been reading through some websites and am keen to learn but being new to this topic there is quite a steep learning curve and I'd appreciate any information or advice anyone can provide to get me started. I have attached some photos below and uploaded more photos to this imgur link (due to being limited on how many photos I can upload to the forum) which I hope will help. Thank you