Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'katana'.
-
Dear Folks just after some general feedback please on this massed produced (I assume) WW2 katana. The sword has been stored poorly in a cupboard without any intevention or preservative measures. It has the original owners name tag on it, or so I was told some 35 years ago. Any Ideas on tracking down him or his decendants would also be apreciated. Thanks in anticipation. Ken
-
Hello all, Can someone or anyone please tell me a little about this addition 2 b!? Problem is that all i have is his description/photos of sword thats it. It's in transit at the moment. and I'll post better when in hand.ta
-
Hello, I am trying to figure out what the inscription on the sword my grandfather sent home from Japan during World War 2. There is also an arsenal stamp on it that I can't quite make out. I am posting a few pictures of the tang of something different is needed please let me know. I am also going to post a picture of the hamon on the blades edge in case it is needed for any info. I just would love to learn as much as possible about this because I love military history and would really just like to learn more about the things my grandfather went through or seen during his time there and be knowledgeable in the correct way to inform others when they see these items on display at my house. Thanks for any help with this. Yours truly, James B. Davis Wilkes county, Georgia, United States of America
-
I'm looking for help translating the inscriptions on a sword I inherited from my father, who brought it back to the US in 1945. He was a captain assigned to weapons collection duty in the Okinawa area. I'm thinking of having it restored, as the menuki and wrap are missing, and the ray skin is shrunken and missing sections. The blade is covered in cosmoline, but it appears to be in excellent shape. I am interested in restoring it with historical accuracy, so any additional information or pointers to background material would be also appreciated. I have been told that it is likely to have been made in the early 1940's. I have not found any stamps or serial numbers on the tang or tsuba. I'm hoping these Dropbox links work. Thanks, Bruce E https://www.dropbox.com/s/6oxal3087f2shoa/sword%20and%20scabbard2.JPG?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/7xyuj57lqjk2wn0/Sword%20tang%20long%20inscription4.JPG?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/3q6mpfdnt37ex5y/sword%20tang%20short%20inscription.JPG?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/9mny5cdv3b3awf9/sword%20parts2.JPG?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/3ogh0sfczivysp1/sword%20tip3.JPG?dl=0
-
Hello, Not long ago I got this Katana by Masanaga (signed HIZEN KUNI BICHU DAIJO FUJIWARA MASANAGA). I would like to learn more about the sword and its maker, so any comment would be welcomed! Regards, Marius G
-
Hello, I am a novice collector and recently purchased the Katana in the photos attached below. I would like to know if it is a mass produced sword or it has much more merit?! Signature : Bizen koku Ju Osafune Sukesada Saku Tenbun 16 nen 8 gatsu kijijitsu (August 1547) Blade length : 65.2 cm or 25.67 inches. Sori : 2.4 cm or 0.94 inches. Width at the hamachi : 2.93 cm or 1.15 inches. Width at the Kissaki : 1.77 cm or 0.70 inches. Kasane : 0.63 cm or 0.25 inches. Regards, Marius
-
hello, i went to a museum and found this sword stuck in the corner. some info was on it in the display but i was wondering if anything else could be added. I am curious as to: 1) what type of sword it is; 2) when it was made; 3) who might have made it; 4) what the decorations are; and 5) would it be considered unique and important to Japanese history also? Any other info you can had would also help. thanks, RJ
-
Dear Friends: A friend wants to sell this sword. Another friend tells me that it is made around 1941 and is inscribed with information that says something like, "The new work Japanese sword which the swordsmith of Seki forged. Tachi-mei: Kaneyoshi Kawai" I noticed on the web that there were a number of sword makers named Kawai during that time. Unfortunately i speak and read ZERO Japanese. I would like to know if anyone can help with the translation and provenance of this sword. Thank you in advance. Kind regards jeffrey atkin
-
Hello Everyone, A sword came into my possession today, and as with anything I plan to keep for my own collection, I would like to know as much about the piece as possible. And as always, I have reached the step where I would like to translate the writing that I have found on the piece. In this case, there is a very visible mei on the tang and additional writing on the tsuba. Here is a link to the gallery for the sword, the mei pictures are towards the end: http://imgur.com/a/eDe6E In terms of the known history of the sword, the story is pretty typical: I received this sword from a gentleman who has had it in his personal possession for about 15 years, who had the sword handed down to him from his father, a WWII veteran serving in the Pacific Theater. How exactly the veteran received the sword himself is a mystery, and no associated paperwork or certificates are present with the sword. The main focus of this thread would be to determine the translation for the mei and inscription, but I am also curious about the general nature and history of the piece itself, the extra information would be greatly appreciated! I will tell you what I have observed so far. The tsuka appears to be pre-war based on condition and design, fairly old looking. Most of the metal pieces appear to be made of brass, I would assume the skin on the handle would be stingray, and the wrapping is made of some sort of cloth (not silk). The blade itself is great condition besides the tang. It has definitely never been sharpened, and is in fact quite dull, which is reminiscent of what I have seen in Type 98 blades. Finally, the scabbard is made of wood, and painted with a dark burnt umber-kind of brown paint. The scabbard has a matching brass design and the sageo is also made of cloth. Unfortunately, the bottom of the scabbard splits slightly when the sword is sheathed, you can see the crack that runs down the middle of the foot of the scabbard that it splits along. The mekugi was also damaged, with only one half of it remaining, but other than that I did not find any other significant damage. If you have any other questions, specifications, or need pictures of a specific part I overlooked, let me know. I appreciate any and all input you all can give me! Link To Gallery: http://www.imgur.com/a/eDe6E Thank You!
-
Hi All, I am brand new to this forum, and have signed up as it is about time I researched a sword that was given to me roughly 10 years ago. I know almost nothing about Japanese swords, so please forgive me if I ask basic/silly questions. My brother bought the sword at auction and gave it to me as a gift as I was training in Ju Jutsu at the time. I was perhaps a little naive and didn't really consider that there might be an interesting story / history to the sword. I would like to put that right now and find out more (if there is anything to find!) I would appreciate any information you can provide, from whether this is a genuine sword or not, to any information on the smith, the quality, age etc... I am attaching a number of photographs which I hope will allow some of you to comment. I have had the inscription translated by a friend in Australia that speaks Japanese. I am told it reads 'Matsuda Masahiro'. A quick search online has not provided much so far. In terms of construction, all I can really say is that the saya is lacquered wood with brass decoration. The blade is heaver than I was expecting and is magnetic (I read somwhere that this is important). Thanks in advance guys, it really is appreciated. Jamie
-
Greetings from a new and inexperienced nihonto enthusiast here! Just wanted to share a few pic of my recently acquired shinsakuto blade, and would like to seek some help with the mei inscriptions. So here's the whole blade, a gendaito or shinsakuto katana blade with an impressive 2.6shaku (30.5in) nagasa. Sorry I am not very good at taking photos, the flash on the camera made the Choji hamon pattern look way more intense than it actually appears... Here's a couple photos of the hamon under more natural lighting conditions. Please correct me if I'm wrong, it seems that this blade is polished with a traditional sashikomi finish (as opposed to the hadori finish more commonly seen in contemporary blades): The blade features a fine wood-grain Ji-nie pattern, and Chu-kissaki: There are several surface scratches on the blade, and a chipped area on the cutting edge. Otherwise I haven't noticed any other major flaws: Here's the nakago of the blade, with a mei that I don't really recognize. Based on my rusty kanji knowledge and some internet research, I think the mei reads "Oite Bushuu Takakura Minamoto Juou (於武州高倉源寿王):
-
I was just offered a sword online from New Zealand. I'm normally hesitant to go through online seller but a friend recently purchased a beautiful edo period tanto from them. Anyone who can help with this translation would help me make a final decision.
-
Hi, Could anyone please help me translate this mei ? it is very fainted and it was hard to take a good photo but hoping it is good enough. I was told it migh be Bamen Tsunemasa 馬面 序政 . Could anyone confirm that? And give me some links to read about the maker? And actually wondering if it is even genuine since the mei is barely visible. Thank you, Lukas
-
This video show you guys the way forging a Katana famous sword of Japanese used by Samurai. It also show the way Samurai using this sword, the life of Samurai, and you guys can learn how to be a Samurai! Enjoys it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlP8ezLQ7Wo
-
Hello. I joined this forum because I do have a couple of Japanese swords one of which I purchased "in pieces". I am puzzled by the markings on the tang of the one which came to me in pieces - which do not look anything like the markings I have looked at elsewhere being much more cryptic looking and falling under none of the schemes described. Attached is an image of the tang with the markings on it and I was hoping someone might know more about them ? If I were to guess I would haphazard they be some sort of modern armoury markings not related to Japanese Katana at all - but what do I know ? Nothing. Regards , Ostin.
-
Sale - Gendaito? Katana Iron Mounts - Mei 23 Gen Kanefusa
drbvac posted a topic in For Sale or Trade
This is the second blade I ever purchased and in hindsight probably paid too much - It is the only non- koto blade I still have and am letting it go to a collector of these. The Tsuba,Koshi,Fuchira,Kojiri are all carved dragons and the menuki are bunches of arrows. There is a horimono on both sides - one a dragon and this is a pretty nice all in blade. I paid nearly $4000 for this but will let it go for $3500 and the good thing for you southern friends is that is about $2500.00 US which you have no hope of getting one of these for that price - maybe in a shirasaya . I am heading south for a month but wanted to put the message out there - I can;t take pictures worth a damn but have these and will upload some more later if I can get them ready. Will ship FED-EX you pay - about 50 bucks - will accept pay pal
-
Hello all, I am a newbie here but am happy I found it. Forgive my terminology but I am looking for info on this. It has signatures on scabbard and blade and appears to be handmade. There was more significant rusting but I had to wipe to see markings. Have seen that showa stamp = garbage? It is sharp all the way down to handle. Thanks in advance John
-
I recently inherited this katana sword and would like to find out the history and age
-
Hi,i would like to know if someone can help me with this signed katana.Probbably edo.It has a lot of flaws. Thanks.
-
Hi,lets say i have a blade in very bad shape,extremely rusted,so my question is:would it be better to leave it like that,or take out the rust by force? I don't care about looks,i could always take it to a polisher someday,but i want to get rid of rust to prevent it from spreading,what do you recommend me to do? How could i start the proccess? Is there any way to remove the rust without ussing abrassive tools? I heard somewhere that wrapping the sword with a cloth with some oil and leaving it rest for a few days will weaken the rust so it could be removed,does that work? The picture attached is taken from the internet,my blade shape is similar to that one's Cheers Josh
-
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu (Happy New Year!) Well, it has been quite a while since I last checked in, but I’ve made some inroads in the blade markets here in Japan recently. How would you like to have your own personal buyer in Japan ? I am an antique dealer selling on eBay as araki0726 (check my excellent feedback!) as well as to an ever growing list of direct mail clients all over the world (many of them Nihonto Message Board members). You can also find me on Facebook: Japanese Antique Auctions: https://www.facebook.com/Japanese.antique.auctions. I am not an authority on blades, but I do specialize in Samurai armor, and I can help you find what you need. Much better selection and less competition! I send out offers twice a week. I’m afraid I do not check in here often, so by all means mail me at schmidt_araki@ybb.ne.jp or through my ebay or Facebook pages. Yoroshiku. Kelly Schmidt
-
Hello All, I am in need of assistance with translating the kanji on this Katana. The photo was taken with a smart phone and sent to me. I had advised the young man who owns this sword to highlight the kanji with Talcum powder but he did not do a great job. I do not have this sword to make a better photo. I belive this form of Kanji is called Go Sho(?) and I do not have the books necessary to translate. But then I am not very well versed in this style anyways. The fellow lives in Maryland and has agreed to bring it to me around Christmas holidays. Any assistance this forum could provide would be greatly appreciated. The young man recieved the sword from a family member and was taken during WWII by his great uncle. He does intend to have it restored at sometime in the future. Thank you all for your efforts, Charlie
-
Well I just purchased a new Katana from a friend, and have been doing a lot of research over the last few weeks. I've got a few ideas as to the swordsmith, and the date, but I wanted to run it by a group of knowledgeable individuals. So I will post some pics, and give you some stats, and see what everyone thinks. If nothing else, it is an impressive blade, and will hopefully give a few minutes of entertainment for you all. So here goes, please forgive any and all errors in descriptions, the blade is 24" to the Tsuba, the hada is very tight, and is mokume/masame showing on one side, the other side is mostly masame. The sori is torri zori (I think), it has a O-kissaki, the hamon is gunome-midare (again I think), the mune is iori-mune. Well that should do it for now, more info will follow when asked. So enjoy!!
-
All, I am selling a sword by one of the better shinshinto smiths, Miyaguchi Ikkansai Shigetoshi. He was one of Kasama Shigetsugu's teachers and is discussed at length in Chris Bowen's article, "The Forgotten Craftsmen: Swordsmiths of the Meiji and Taisho Eras" (found here). The sword comes in shirasaya and is accompanied by pristine shingunto mounts and would make a nice addition to the nihonto and military sword collector. About the Sword: Mei: Bu-un chōkyū (Eternal luck in war) Ikkansai Shigetoshi Nengo: Meiji 36 nen 8 gatsu hi, 66 okinasaku (Made in August 1903, when Shigetoshi was 66 years of age) Habaki : Copper single foiled Habaki Blade length : 63.5 cm or 25 inches. Sori : 1.4 cm or 0.55 inches. Mekugi : 2 Width at the hamachi : 3.24 cm or 1.27 inches. Width at the Kissaki : 2.40 cm or 0.94 inches. Kasane : 0.7 cm or 0.27 inches. Era : Meiji (1903) Jitetsu : Koitame hadawell grained with JInie attahce, Fine Chikei work is appearing and most Jigane. Hamon : Nie deki suguha with mixture of Ko-NOtare mixed. There is KOashi appearing in the ha. Boshi is round ended. I will offer a 3 day inspection period as well as a 12 month shinsa guarantee (NBTHK or NTHK). As always a donation will be made to the NMB. Price: $5,000 OBO About the Smith (From the Sesko Index): "Shigetoshi (繁寿), Keiō (慶応, 1865-1868), Suruga – „Ikkansai Shigetoshi“ (一貫斎繁寿), „Sunpu ni oite Miyaguchi Ikkansai Shigetoshi“ (於駿府宮口一貫斎繁寿), „Sunpu-jū Ikkansai Shigetoshi“ (駿府住一貫斎繁寿), civilian name „Miyaguchi Hachirō“ (宮口八郎), he was born in the ninth year of Tenpō (天保, 1838) in Shizuoka in Suruga province but went later to Inaba where he was first a student and later the adopted son of Hamabe Toshinori (浜部寿格), but he later returned to Shizuoka and to his family name „Miyaguchi“, in Inaba he signed with „Hisatoshi“ (寿俊), later he adopted the gō „Ikkansai“ (一貫斎) and also signed with „Shigehiro“ (繁広), he worked in Sagami´s Odawara (小田原) too, transmission says that he learned the art of horimono carving at the lineage of Ozaki Suketaka (尾崎助隆), he died January 25th 1906 at the age of 69, dense itame, chōji-midare in nioi-deki or gunome-midare in ko-nie-deki"
-
I have had a WWII NCO sword for many years, but as I go to try to dig up it's history I'm running into some oddities with it. As long as I've had it, I don't think it's a fake, as the quality is on par with another more easily traced NCO sword I have and it's aging seems natural. The Hamon is very light and flat, the tip lack the hard lines, and the Fuchi is brass rather than copper with only 2 marks instead of three. the serial number (which does match the saya) is only 5 digits and lacks a mark with it. I cannot get the brass screw in the aluminum tsuka to loosen as it is too stripped to get any leverage as well as corrosion to inspect the tang, which of course just makes it all the more difficult to track down. The oddities of this one just have me stumped. I would greatly appreciate any information on this sword as possible. I have no intention of ever selling it. I just want to know it's history. Thanks!!
