Mark

as Stephen asked i will pitch in........ yes they are rare and maybe will be this price or higher at a show. But you can buy the digital version for a lot less....... so you have to ask " do you collect books, or is this for use and reference" ??????

I agree the tsuba looks Higo. The tsuka looks like it was wrapped in early 1900's, the fuchi/kashira look antique, the menuki may not be "old". The saya has either been restored or it is modern. The blade looks newer than Shinto to me. The steel "looks" Showa era, but maybe it is the polish, the nakago looks to be either Showa or Shinshinto at the oldest.......... only my opinion based on pictures. The price seems fair.

I have listed some books, Blue Hawley's, and Mr. Tanobe's book, also some fittings and misc. Please tale a look, my seller i.d. is Mark!!1 many members know me, you can be confident the descriptions are reasonably accurate, if something is misrepresented i will gladly take it back. http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZmarkQ2 ... ooZ1QQrdZ0

you have it right 4 th month Showa 20 april 1945

maker looks to read Bizen Katsumitsu, the pictures are hard for me to see in detail, i can't make out the date...... from seeing the mei i would agree with the previous post, it looks VERY questionable to me

There is a book about the Yasukuni shirine swordsmiths. It says they were given Tamahagane and used this making swords at the shrine. Yasunobu is listed in the book, it gives his history and awards won etc.

As i mentioned i would not recommend anyone getting it polished. I agree that it is best for a militaria collector or someone who wants a Yasukuni for study at a reduced price. I do not think it has a fatal flaw, the chip is a serious concern but not through the temper line. I made sure i noted the chip in the description and showed pictures so everyone will know it is there.

I agree with Stephen, i think that i can be enjoyed as is, or with a touch up that would leave the chip. It is a part of history. The sword is in great shape (other than the chip) so i think it can even be cleaned and left as is (save polish cost).

I have seen blades with similar chips survive polish, but as i said i think it would change the shape of the blade a lot, it would end up looking like a slim old koto tachi instead of a gendai

my guess would be Nobukuni but i have no idea why there is a hole that takes out the first kanji, the other whole is closer to the blade so i would think this was the fisrt hole....... i like the mounts, they look great, I think you should sell this one to me,,, haha thanks for the pictures

thanks for teh link. i think the sword would be a lot slimmer if polished. it may be better just to appreciate it as is. It would be a good study piece. I guess the market will set the price and hopefully the new owner will enjoy it

I have listed a Yasukuni sword on ebay, if interested please see Item number: 220180279344 It is genuine, but as noted has a bad chip. It is listed with no reserve so maybe someoen will get a good deal. Thanks

ayasugi hada is not as well controlled as you might expect, it is almost a flowing masame in spots. I have seen this seller with swords in the past, i would expect he is far from inexperianced. That being said, who knows, it is certainly worth the high bid now

Thanks! that is certainly a match, so i know it is Shigenaga...... Now i will have to try and find some more info on him. If anyone knows who he was or what group he was in please let me know

Good idea to clean it out, I did that and it seems clearer. I am not experienced with using smoke but ti think it is easier to see now. I still think ShigeNaga, anyone else?

Peter Thanks for the lead, i will see if i can find anything on Kanenaga using this type of mei. I had thought the first kanji might be Shige but Kane is a possibility. Any other suggestions appreciated.

I have a Gendai katana (clear hada and nie with activity). Other than the painted assembly number there is only a very small "stamping" on the tang. It appears to be a name, i think ___Naga. Does anyone recognize who used this stamp? I am trying to figure out the maker. Any thoughts appreciated. I can try and email pictures if the ones i am trying to attach are not clear. Thanks!

i had to read it 3 times to find what you mentioned.

hamon looks shinshinto to me

I understand some blades made to be donated to Shrines were made without ana. If that were the case i agree it is Ubu.

maybe the mei is Sadayoshi saku, maybe the buyer thought it was a famous smith, hard to make much from the pictures, possibly the seller emailed better ones to bidders?

thanks for adding to my psot...... i will be in Tokyo Oct 20-31, any chance we can meet??

dated Showa 8, 1943...... makers name Sukenori, personal name ___da (or ta)

Are you able to attend any sword shows in the U.S. ? If so there will be sword polishers in attendance you could show it to. You could also ask the opinion of some of the more advanced collectors. When it comes to polishing a sword it is best to make decisions slowly, do not rush, that way you will have the best outcome

The American Branch of teh NBTHK does not issue papers, so you can not submit it to them. if you wish to submit it for shinsa in the U.S. you will need to wait for a shinsa to be scheduled here. My thoughts on the license......... I see this type of thing quite often (sword brought to the U.S. in the late 40's and early 50's by GIs ). I figure if they were in Japan and issued a license (not confiscated by the military and someone takes it home ), then the Japanese knew what it was and the chance it is a treasure is very low, most of these items were sword the Japanese were happy to trade/sell to Americans, many times they were accompanied by paperwork making them seem interesting or important. As Darcy suggests the most accurate way to determine what you have it send it to the NBTHK in Japn. I am noy sure CG's prices but it will probably cost $400-600 if it fails and $700-1200 if it receives Hozon or TH papers (of course if it papers the cost is not important as restoration will be a lot more but its value has greatly increased). Another option is bring it to one of the sword shows here in the U.S. You can then ask dozens of people (many who are on this list) their opinions, there may even be Japanese dealers in attendance you could ask. Based on the feedback you get you could then make an informed decision if it is worth the investment of sending to Japan.