Cuirassier

Thank you

Hi Guys I have a blade I want professionally polished and then sent for certification. Are there any UK options? Is Tony Norman still going / the best option? What about certification? I thought I saw a UK based certification option some time back? RSVP / Thanks Mark

I've decided to get it polished and submitted for papers. Which is my best option (polisher and where to send it) anyone? Can it be done in the UK or does it have to go to Japan?

Thanks, but https://www.christie...m/en/lot/lot-4461867

Hi Guys Local UK auction punt. Came with "certificate" from old school expert Bill Tagg that (in his view) this is a true original Horikawa Kunihiro wakizashi blade. Comments? Mark

Thanks Guys. I just know he paid $800USD for it in 2016, nothing else. I bought it at auction for less! But then he had used a rotary polisher on it

Thanks Geraint. They will not say much because he western buffed polished the blade. I was trying to work out from the papers if it was worth the postage to send to someone like Tony Norman (if he is still polishing). Does the registration certificate say anything about the age, etc?

Thanks Piers. Yes, I whited it out; I bought it from him (actually via an auction). So the registration certificate is just an ownership paper? Not a certificate of what the wakizashi is / appraised / accredited to be? I know it has an unsigned Nakago, but nothing else.

Hello All Is this part of a NTHK Certificate, or an ownership certificate? Any insight gladly received. Cheers

Thanks John. Bang on

Hi Everyone I hope I am right. Yasumitsu, but not his standard kanji? Late war gunto, no seki / showa stamps Very well / clearly done signature But unlikely to be Gendaito at this stage in the war, right? The one that nearly got away; it was lost but then found Family mon to the Kabuto-Gane Hopefully can post more photos soon...

Thank you Moriyama. I would not have got that in a year of trying

Hi Guys This has me beat. I have been through "The Arts of the Japanese Sword" but can not find characters like it (the round one). I don't think it is some pseudo-kanji thing, so I thought I would come here and be put to shame. Any help appreciated.

Thank you all very much

Hi all Someone touted a shin gunto to me. I passed on it based on these markings. But I thought I would post a pic here to see if anyone says "OMG, you idiot"

A theory? The two Mekugi-ana got me too. If it were a post war bodge, that would not explain the two holes; sure, you could say "parts replacement saya, tsuka, etc." but for a machine made blade? So, the second hole was made for this tsuka. So what could have come before it and explain also the tsuba? Sherlock says "A for military katana, converted to a gunto, tsuba retained". We all don't want our own bodges / parts swords, I know. But I did not pay a fortune for it and really it is a case of do I keep the tsuba as part of its war time history, or buy a regulation gunto tsuba and replace it? The thing besides the two Mekugi-ana aspect for me is that the tsuba (brown) sort of matches the saya colour wise; is that because the tsuba has since patinated (tend not to think so)? And yes, Bruce, you are right, a lot of saya paint has worn / come off. Keep the tsuba as part of its WW2 history? Or buy a gunto tsuba and sell the copper one? What would you do?

I believe the seller. He had a number of different things (medals, etc.) from his grandpa. He did not sell / negotiate as a typical BS'er. Not least as I bought another from him, a Supreme non-military Gendaito waki, absolutely golden.

Gday John Here they are. There is the remains of a silver mon on the pommel, which I presumed the officer defaced pre-surrender. The saya is an unusual colour as well perhaps? Cheers

Hi Guys. Thank you. You are right; it is not iron (not magnetic). It is just so heavy I presumed it was. Gunto blade is 1942, so would this likely have been added from the outset, or as a replacement for a traditional / standard gunto tsuba? Any thoughts?

Hello Dave. It was on a shin gunto which the seller was disposing of for his grandfather's (deceased) estate in the firm belief this was an untouched WW2 bring back.

Thanks Ray, Piers. Not in the format I'm used to.

Hello all I wondered if anyone else has come across these; a plain brown iron tsuba for a gunto, styled like a true 1934/1938 shin gunto tsuba, but not. Any info / input welcome; note the fitting punch marks.

Hi All. I don't need help with the mei; I have uploaded it here only for reference. It is a machine made Seki stamped blade; the mei is HideToshi, a very common mei. But I don't get / can not figure out the inscription on the reverse side; it is not a date, at least not on the date format I know. I have always just assumed these thihgs are battle cries, but would like to know if I am right and what it actually says please. Thanks in anticipation

Sure

As a follow up to my post, I never heard back from Richard Adams but have found and used a great tsuka restorer (he brilliantly rebound my WW2 Kai Gunto tsuka); Bal (Balbir Jhheent), email balbir.jhheent@hotmail.com - I hope this helps others