eric-t

Welp, I guess I managed to compile several gimei Yasutsugu's all in one location, since there aren't any sites or references for gimeis. Lol Since receiving this sword, it has been a blessing and a curse because I can't seem to come to terms with the fact that such a beautiful blade is a gimei. I really wish the blade was just a mumei so I don't have to deal with the "false" aspect. And I already am aware with all the implications that comes with removing the mei, along with the cost so I don't want to deal with that either. Wish there was a good reference to compare all 12 generations of Yasutsugu's instead of just comparing the "yasutsugu" kanji to finally put my skepticism about this sword to bed.

So green papers are not legitimate? I guess I did read somewhere in the forum about that, now that you mention it.

I was looking at all Yasutsugu's in general.

Hello again, I posted pics of my presumably gimei Yasutsugu on the forum several months ago for feedback. And since it was determined as gimei based on the mei, I searched high and low for different variations of the Yasutsugu mei and the aoi mon to see if I can find similarities/inconsistencies with the mei to possibly dispute the gimei determination. I am in no way arguing that my sword is the real deal with these photos. I would like to simply raise the discussion and would like some of your expertise on the mei's I have found in comparison. And as photos would show, some of these yasutsugu's with unusual mei's were papered as legitimate. Examples of what is different about the mei's from the photos from typical Yasutsugu's are the aoi mon, the 之 kanji at the end(which usually looks like a blossom), and maybe the 康 kanji? Again, just wondering what everyone thinks. *I googled these photos awhile back and had them in my files for awhile so I have no information about the photos, besides what is photographed.* Thanks for your feedback in advance. My Yasutsugu is at the very end btw.

I guess my brother found this sword based on your information that looks almost identical in terms of the koshirae. A BIZEN BIRD'S HEAD TACHI https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5679445 Now its just a matter of whether the blade is legit.

Pretty cool info! Thanks Ray!

Yeah, my brother didn't know what he was doing when he took the photos lol. So would you say this is a pretty valuable sword based on the photos? Are there fake swords like this?

Hello, Just posting pics of my brother's sword that he inherited at the time I got mine. I wondering what your thoughts are and if you have any information on the blade make. Not the best photos so apologies for that. Mike Yamasaki simply said the blade can't be properly appraised unless he looks at it in-person but the mountings are more or less souvenir caliber.

I didn't ask but okay. Lost all credibility with that one.

I really appreciate all the positive feedback about the sword and encouragement to keep it as is. I would honestly love to keep to keep it as is and avoid all the trouble. But man, what Thomas had said about the mon really resonated and stuck with me. Not to mention the somewhat obvious falso mei, the botched attempt of making an aoi mon really bothers me about the nakago. I agree and this may be a bit of an exaggeration but it does feel like a crime and embarassment to own the sword with that mon. Keeping it as is just feels dishonorable to the Tokugawa name. I am in fact Japanese so it does weigh on me to a certain level. Leaving the nakago as is would be much easier to swallow if it wasn't for that mon. To be honest, I am also seeking feedback from Mike Yamasaki (The appraiser from Pawn Stars, if you don't know). His feedback will probably be the biggest influence on what I decide to do. He hasn't gotten back to me yet after sending the second email today. He did respond to my brother, however, about his sword he inherited in somewhat of a timely manner (Yes, we both got a sword from our grandfather. However, his sword is mumei). So I am hoping he responds to finalize my decision on what to do with it. Again, thanks for the feedback assuring me that I have a good sword with a quality polish. Since this has been my addiction as of late, I am happy to discuss my sword with you all and reading your input.

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I am strongly considering a full restoration at this point because of the gimei. If it was mumei, I would probably leave it alone and just appreciate it/take good care of it. I understand that the gimei is also part of the swords history but I am the type to be bothered by possessing something that has any feature thats "fraudulent" or "fake." Especially something this valuable that will stay within the family. Since the sword is now in my possession and I know what I know with everyones generous feedback, I can't help but want to just wipe the nakago clean to make it mumei, restore/polish it, and potentially submit it for shinsa. Submitting it for shinsa would heavily depend on whether it is even worth it from an expert as a mumei, and whether I decide to send it to Japan for a full restoration. I am also considering the cost of everything but removing the mei is a must for me. Thanks for the info Thomas! I looked up Jimmy and Brian it looks they're both in Bellevue, WA now? But I guess that is still relatively closer than the one I saw of Moses Becerra in Florida. You mentioned making the full investment to get it fully restored by sending it to Japan. How would I go about doing that? Would they also remove the mei and submit it for shinsa? I apologize if I am asking questions what may be common knowledge for everyone else. I tried researching about all of this through google but its been rough finding any information on services for Nihonto's, in general.

Would anyone know how I would go about removing the mei if I decide to do so? I would think that it involves a skilled smith to do it and not something that I can just call a local blacksmith/swordsmith for, right? If there is a way to remove the mei the right way, how much would something like that cost? Anyone know reliable references that would do it in California? I'm not sure if I should start a new post for this. Let me know if that is best. Thanks!

Thanks for the feedback all. I appreciate you all taking the time to provide your input. I guess my suspicions were correct after all, unfortunately. Even though its a gimei, I'm still stoked that I now own a beautiful looking sword. I never thought I would inherit anything cool like this from my grandparents. Gimei and all, it is still something I will proudly pass down. Thanks again!

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Nakago photos