Rawa

With this amount go for nice gendaito [1877+ jidai] you will get healthy traditionally made blade.

In states you have big sandbox. Here are pics from mine and if it wasnt t94 from beginning someone was playing with extra haikan.

Could you check if saya have any marks after second haikan?

Imo If dated after why add extra haikan to create non-statutory piece? Open tsuba was used in both types. Maybe thickness of tsuba is set in establisment act? Chuso isn't 100% indicator of type? I was sure that either centered or ofset chuso depends on mekugi-ana. If ofset was an upgrade why type 3 have centered chuso? https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/35744-central-chuso/ Which atributes/mesurements are mentioned in decrees? If somebody have full translation of both it's time to quote.

This type of finish is common in fresh fence before painting

It almost got 3rd mekugi ana. imo fake blade in cheap koshirae or fixed showato with grinded to match nakago. If it was type 3 mounting I would look closer to yasurime. Dunno about habaki.

I can't agree with it. I know it have historical value but compare price and quality. Quantity too. For example it's like comparison of Yasuhiro [500 blades made in shrine] and Copper NCO. Total madness.

Now same seller offers another copper 4064 kokura for 7500$. And I know I saw this example before [partial scabbard number] I found source dunno how long ago it was sold. No locking mechanism.

No you are not. There is a lot of crazy peps out there. Mentioned by me was sold 2 months ago. Paying price of tokuho Shigetsugu for any NCO still is crazy.

Record is 9k$ or at least it was sold "buy now" at ebay. Numbered 161 or sth similar.

Check tsuba for marks.

Another example with kao and visible kitae ware in shinogi-ji https://new.uniquejapan.com/an-ishido-mitsunobu-teruhide-navy-katana/

I agree with Brian. I don't see here anything indicating tamahagane. And we got here many closeups. With this price it's a pass. Mei indicates Ishido and its short one. It have thin hamon line. Imo not worthy. I will search for some more examples. First linked with Kanzan sayagaki with clear visible grain. https://www.toukenkomachi.com/index_en_tachi&katana_A070818.html

I prefer to read members opinions instead of using emojis. Forum exists to spread knowledge right?

Purpose is for them to suppport shape while holding. Without it you would crush them as they would be empty.

There were not 2 but 5 Teruhide smiths? https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/15163-ihara-teruhide-search/

You need more examples of 2 signs mei as @Scoggposted about Ishido and compare. I had same issue with Emura I bought. He too have many oshigata but it's quite a diference between blade being signed [as quality check] and being made by particular smith. In this cases demand for jigane photos is mandatory.

Maybe he is listed somewhere. They were 2 different smiths. As Ishido is described as only medium grade gendaito maker dunno if he got any prize. Only Ihara is noticed in Akihide's list at Tosho Banzuke but his list was made in 1942. https://www.japaneseswordindex.com/gendai.htm

In Poland if item is older then 250 years or its value exceeds 18k euro [dunno if this amount] importer needs export permit from country he bought this item. So buying with pappers is enough to meet one of those criteria. If you want to pay less at customs you need work more now. Dunno if this is worthy extra work from seller and buyer. Depends on value I suppose. Watch out which HS codes seller use. Disclosure - Im feeling more and more retarded every new year so maybe I don't understand this properly.

I don't complain since March ^^

Yeah it's samurai afterall and was shortened at least once. Tsuba is really good with those red accents. Individual order. It's sad that menuki are missing. Maybe someone more familiar with Suya soten would disclose if this manufacture used to pair crest at menuki with crest at pommel [kabutogane]. Give us measurements in spare time: Nagasa- from tip to munemachi and entire length. And why it's estimated age? "In the Edo period (江戸時代), the law regulated the sword size for different social class. Sword carriers, martial artists, and swordsmanship students were allowed to carry swords with blade length up to 2 shaku 3 sun (approximately 69.7 cm or 27.4 in) under Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川家光) and up to 2 shaku 2 sun 8 bu (approximately 68.6 cm or 27 in) under Tokugawa Ietsuna (徳川家綱)" More in a link https://romanceofmen.com/blogs/katana-info/katana-nagasa-know-how-to-measure-katana-blade-the-right-way#HowToMeasureNagasa

I see koshirae alone sells on ebay in 400-500$ range. But yeah paying ~1500$ for it or more is too much. Can anyne provide Fuller and Gregory 'Swordsmiths of Japan 1926-1945' oshigata 366? It is about this RJT I think. Dunno about this being oil tempered there are't any darker spots indicating oil.

@Barrett Hiebert I would like to encourage you to check @Jussi Ekholm list and compare other works of this atribution. Great source. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/53018-Japanese-old-sword-database/page/2/

Thanks for info. Good and bad items. Wakizashi in katana koshirae. Or blade with "papers" dunno if more photos is available.

Shin gunto T98 with open tsuba [guard] more info after nakago/tang is showed. I don't see signs of it having second hanger/haikan altough chuso is centered. Same about blade itself. There is hamon but close up would help in a matter if it was traditionally made [gendaito] or machine [showato] It's lacking menuki and tsukamaki. But no rust and tip is intact. Rayskin on hundle with full wrap. Have characterisctic lumps [bigger ones closer to pommel are nice to see] http://ohmura-study.net/934.html @Bruce Pennington how often you see seki/showa stamped swords with centered chuso? I wonder if this don't indicate gendaito/pre war sword. In manufacture/factory blades were made in batches. So thinking position of mekugi ana was standardized to speed up production.