Mark

I have a sword I am translating, I can make out the mei and date (1857) but there is a grass script type inscription that is difficult, and also above the mei are 3 kanji that I think say something about 10,000 but I do not understand it. I appreciate the assistance

I have tsuba without Hitsu ana, they are not as common but you will see them. Others will know more but I was told they were made for katana without kozuka and/or kogai.

You could contact Bob Benson, if you sent it to him he could give you his opinion, he could put a window in and advise after that and even handle polish shinsa etc. Bob has a lot of experiance

nice sword

seems we have discussed this before viewtopic.php?f=50&t=20068&p=181069&hilit=kaneyasu#p181069

maker looks like Kanesada to me

I know the seller, he is an experienced sword collector. I note his description says the temper is simulated like a dress sabre so it seems it is not tempered either oil or water.

pictures in the listing give me the idea of genuine, the rubbing where it was attached seems natural. I think it is a fair or good price, I think I have seen them for over $2k

but to debate if a mizukage belongs on the blade or is a sign of retemper we need to identify the sword. If it were a Kunihiro or his school then it may be a kantei point for his work, same with some other groups and schools. To just say here is a sword with mizukage, is it a flaw or utsuri without knowing what we are discussing seems difficult. can you post some clear pictures of the whole sword and a close up of the mizukage so we can see what we are discussing?

why do you think this is 13th century? Papers do not say that and the way THE attribution from thE nbthk is written makes me think they thought 1500's

is the blade signed or attributed? Are you sure it is ubu and not suriage? What maker/school? Some makers are known for mizukage but it is a concern. Can you post a picture of the sword in question?

looks ok to me. I would not think Showa, my guess is Shinto Kaga

are the "baskets" (2 parts where the tassel threads attach) hard and tight or sort of loose and "squishy"? Real ones are hard and tight and usually look smaller than your picture and the fakes are a bit bigger than the original and not as tight. I am not an expert on tassels nut that is what I was told. Other than that observation they look possible but as said the fakes are getting very good

sorry to bear bad news. It is a fake.. Please check the fake swords tab for similar examples

my best guess is kagenaga ??

I agree with Chris........... something is wrong here... John tells us he is the first bidder, check the bids, you can see he is H***T (1646).. he bids $100 first, then $200 -- ok I can buy that from his explanation..... but then he bids $1951 when he says he does not want it???????? Sure looks like collusion (John says he used to live in the same state where the seller lives) and/or shill bidding (bidding when you have stated you do not want it). I smell something fishy

thanks John......... Joe ha-ha

Thank you Morita-san. interesting what ends up coming back.

I am with Brian....... If you really think it is a good deal, and you do not want it, why not just post it here (while it is a Buy it Now)?? That way the buyer gets what he wants and is happy and a NMB members get a chance at something they might enjoy. A lot of NMB members spend a lot of their time helping others, they don't ask or expect anything in return, but if there was a good deal to be had why not allow a NMB to get it? I am not sure that at $1500 it was that great of a deal, it will go higher due to all the attention it is now getting but as the buyer "says" he does not allow returns there will likely to be someone who pays too much and regret it. If you buy it pay with paypal through a credit card, that way you can return it anyway.

I have a small stamp that comes in a neat metal case (looks like a small pocket watch). It was brought back from WWII by a vet with a sword and other misc. Can anyone tell me what it says? Not sure if it is military or civilian. I tried to make am imprint so you can see it the right way but it is a bit blurry so I showed the actual stamp (sorry it is probably a mirror image) Thanks!

Stephen you crack me up

length seems possible for the period, but looking at the overall shape and length of the nakago could give the impression of Shinshinto. I like the O-kissaki

Chris I think they are 2 separate swords. The Nobuyoshi looks very questionable

here is another custom order blade by the same maker http://www.legacyswords.com/fs_ant_daito43.htm

sword looks ok. I would figure value like an average gunto katana, in may area maybe $600-900 but that can vary depends where you live. I would discount t he photo, I would not pay much extra for it as all army swords like this look similar, that picture is not that clear so there is no way, In my opinion, to prove the auction sword is the one in the picture