Kleme88 Posted February 2, 2014 Report Posted February 2, 2014 Hi. first time on this great site. I recently found an old Japanese blade in an antique store near home (Sydney Australia). The owner Bill who is a friend of mine said he was given the blade by his neighbour years ago. The old Scotish neighbour has long since passed away, but Bill tells me he served in New Guinea during the war. Bill fondly remembers the old bloke using the blade to hack at shrubs and trees and on occasion use it to trim the edges of his lawn. I intend to hang the sword on a wall as a conversation piece. I would love to know what is written on the tang, where and when it was made...etc. I'm sure Bill would appreciate it also. And whether you think it is worth while restoring it back to a sword. Sorry for the long winded rant. Kleme Quote
Stephen Posted February 2, 2014 Report Posted February 2, 2014 so we dont have to stand on our heads, think its this guy http://home.earthlink.net/~ttstein/kanefus2.jpg Quote
obiwanknabbe Posted February 2, 2014 Report Posted February 2, 2014 Kleme, Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your acquisition. As Stephen has revealed, it appears that you have a Showato in your hands. The small stamp you see just above the Mei (signature) is a Seki stamp. This 99.99999% (I think there are one or two out there that defy the rule) indicates that the blade was not traditionally made. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it does put a certain price cap on the blades intrinsic value. A basic polish on a blade (Done by a professional) will cost upwards of $1000 USD. A full polish can cost $2-3K USD. Then, after it is polished, you must have a new saya (scabbard) made as you would only damage a fresh polish by using the old one which is likely full of contaminants (RUST, DIRT, ETC). This will cost you a few hundred more. A blade, like this one, in nice condition with all the mountings may only have a retail value of $800-$1200 USD, + or - with market fluctuations. Considering that, having it restored would need to be a decision based on your love of the sword, and not return on investment potential. I think that most of the members of this board would agree that oiling the blade to clean, stabilize it, and keeping it in its present state is the route to take in this case. Best regards, Kurt.k Quote
Kleme88 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Report Posted February 3, 2014 Many thanks Steven and Obiwan. I have taken the advise of Brian (Administrator) and am trying to learn some more and hopefully not ask stupid questions. The Fujiwara Kanefusa 23rd Generation page on the Japan World Index depicts the exact charecters as my sword. "Noshu Seki ju Ni Ju San Dai Fujiwara Kanefusa saku kore". This is the stupid question time....Am I correct to assume "....Ni Ju San Dai...." is a date? If so, can someone let me know.I can't figure it out.... Kleme Quote
cisco-san Posted February 3, 2014 Report Posted February 3, 2014 Hi Kleme, well done!!! Ni Ju San Dai mean 23rd gen (Ni = 2, Ju=10, San=3 --> = 23) See also: http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/kanefusa.htm Quote
Stephen Posted February 3, 2014 Report Posted February 3, 2014 youll notice in JSI link i gave its missing the kanji for Kane, wonder if he was abducted as well? Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.