Just thought I’d share this with you all. A while back, I picked up a rather tatty-looking tanto in shirasaya, with a leather field cover.
Despite its rough condition, it had a certain presence... and it was pretty cheap, most likely because the blade had seen a lot of wear. It’s quite pitted, with nibbles along the edge, and the discolouration was so heavy that nothing could really be seen on the surface.
The nagasa measures 19cm, with an overall length of 24.5cm. The blade is engraved with Hachiman Daibosatsu (the God of Warriors). Judging by the WW2-era leather cover, I guessed that a Japanese soldier had once taken it to war for protection. The shirasaya was also in poor condition, but worst of all, the tang had been coated with what looked like JB Weld, or some other kind of metal fixative - likely used to hold it together because of damage. Every time I looked at the nakago, my heart would sink.
Eventually, I went online to research how best to remove this mess. With some patience, and a carefully administered dose of acetone, the crud began to dissolve. To my surprise, it revealed a signature: Kanenaga Saku.
Unfortunately, it also became clear that whoever had applied the glue had actually sanded the tang to create a key for the weld!
Still, I thought I’d share some photos. I've no idea of the age of this, (any thoughts?)... and even though the tanto is completely beaten up, I love it, and at least I’ve been able to restore the maker’s name to the blade.
