David Price

Randy Please add me to the list. Thank you for providing this reference to us. Dave

OK, I see the "tada" but wow...if that is "Kane" it is a mess Thanks Chris Dave P

Hi all Looking at a Type 98 Gunto with a TAN (KITAU) stamp. So...hand forged (I do see clear hada) but oil quenched? I do not have photos of the blade yet. Also, not much luck translating it yet. Need more practice :? . What do you guys think? Dave P

I am shattered 30 children sit at school and wait for their parents... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1366898/Japan-tsunami-earthquake-30-children-sit-silent-classroom-parents-vanish.html I fear my arms are not big enough to shelter the people of Japan Dave

Is there any proven connection between the smith Kawachi no Kami Nagakuni and Miyamoto Musashi? I can find very little about this smith. Some swords that are said to have been owned by Musashi were made by Nagakuni but some sources say that Nagakune was born too late and would have been about 12 years old when Musashi died. A third hand source says that in his writings, Musashi told his students to seek out swords made bu Nagakuni. Thanks Dave P

New post with photos. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8231 Opinions please. Thanks Dave P

Photos of a wakizashi signed "Kawachi no Kami Nagakuni" and "Oite Hishu Kumamoto Saku Kore". Original post http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8202 Opinions please. These photos are not the best. If needed I will try and get better ones this weekend. Thanks Dave P

Thanks all, I will try and get photos next week. I am happy that I did as well as I did with the translation. It wasn't that long ago that it all just looked like "chicken scratchings" to me. Dave P

Gentlemen I got a chance to briefly view a very nice looking wakizashi in shirasaya that the son of a WII vet sold to my friend’s gun shop. It came along with a Type 44 carbine that had it’s mon ground off. This wakizashi looks very nice. The condition of the polish is very good with very slight surface rusting that may clean up with very gentle cleaning with uchiko, It is not bad enough to warrant a repolish. The shinogi is very clean and crisp. Under bad florescent lighting it looks to be in a hadori polish with suguha hamon and O-mokume hada. I was not able to get photos of it. It is a fairly wide shinogi-zukuri blade with a copper habaki. 18”-19” nagasa, lori-mune with chu-kissaki or maybe a longish ko-kissaki, ko-maru boshi and very nice 1 ½” long nagashi on the mune-saki The nakago is ubu, I think funa-gata with (if my memory is correct) katte agari yasurime. The nakago has a dark patina with some lumpy rust on it and is signed on both sides. As a beginner that is trying to learn I ask for your help with the translation. This is the best translation that I can come up with. I welcome any help with the translation and additional information. I will try to get photos to post of it. Hopefully after I buy it! :D The gunshop owner is showing it to a few people that he knows that buy Japanese swords trying to get a value for it. Omote mei 河 内 守 永 國 “Kawachi no Kaminaga Kuni” would be “Kaminaga of the Kawachi province” Not sure about “naga”. Ura side mei 安永 Era = a sloppy "Anei"? 1772-1781 肥 Hi / Shi / Koe ? ? 本 Hon? 作 Saku = made 之 Shi / no / Kore? Thank you Dave Price

Gunto koshirae?!?! I must say that I find that more than a little unsettling Dave P

Both! Dave P

That about sums it up! Very nice set Dave P

Even if it is the work of a American smith, (I have not seen any "production" swords from China that look this good!) I would think that it's value has been lowered if the mei has been removed. I think it looks similar to some of Rick Barrett's katana and his typically bring $3,000 to $5,000. If it is from DiCristofano, well... his work is harder to find and higher priced. The photos of the other Nihonto also look very similar. The patina on the nakago of very troubling. From the photos I must agree with those that say it is artificial. I cannot say that there was/is any attempt to deceive. I have seen people rust a nakago on a new blade to get the "proper look" just for their own pleasure. Ether way, I believe that having removed the mei and aging the nakago has lowered the value of a fine katana. Dave P

It looks that the tip of the boshi is completely broken off in this photo . I had Chris Osborne look at it and he also thinks it would be a waste of time and money to try and reshape the kissaki. There just does not appear to be any tempered steel left at the tip of the kissaki. Very sad. Dave P

John (Stuart) and John (L), thanks for your comments. Stuart, do you favor Mito because of the style of the floral work? John L., I was leaning towards Nara because of the hammer worked plate. Although I am a rank beginner so my determination was a just one step removed from a "SWAG" :lol: Also, please explain the "C19" reference. Which book or other source can I find this in? Thanks Dave P