bone Posted January 3, 2015 Report Posted January 3, 2015 Nope. Not the same one. This is the "wavy hamon" sword. He's got a zillion of them. ("Zillion" being a relative term.) No signature. Any ideas on what it might be? Still learning this new setup. Hope these get your juices flowing! Steven Quote
cabowen Posted January 4, 2015 Report Posted January 4, 2015 Any shots of the nakago? By the lack of any prominent jitetsu, it allmost looks like a gendaito. Quote
bone Posted January 4, 2015 Author Report Posted January 4, 2015 Hope it's not gendaito. Here are some pics of the nakago. Quote
cabowen Posted January 4, 2015 Report Posted January 4, 2015 Hard to say from the photos. The rust seems to have that pitted look that can often be seen on nakago that are abused and prematurely rusted. I would hazard a guess that this sword is not that old, based on the muji hada and rather featureless hamon (assuming that too is not a misconception fostered by the less than optimal photos)....Does it have ubu-ba? That would be a very good sign of a more recent work... Quote
leo Posted January 5, 2015 Report Posted January 5, 2015 Sorry, Steve, I think Chris is right(like so often) The nakago looks artificially corroded, probably to match the Ichimonji-look of the blade. Looks like gendai to me, too. Best, Martin Quote
Stephen Posted January 5, 2015 Report Posted January 5, 2015 Steve not sure if you have heard of ubu ba. if the last inch or two is blunt (as in never been polished) that tells you its ububa. as wide as the hamachii is id guess not Quote
Jean Posted January 6, 2015 Report Posted January 6, 2015 If you look at the hamachi, you will see it is brand new and the nakago is not curving in at this level. The sword is not machi okuri and does not seem old. A picture taken from above of the mune machi and nakago could give a good indication. 1 Quote
bone Posted January 6, 2015 Author Report Posted January 6, 2015 Gentlemen, thank you for your comments. Since you haven't told me what I want to hear that obviously proves you wrong. And leo? I heard from a friends cousins' girlfriend that Chris was wrong once back in the '70's. It's rumored he wore bell bottoms so... yeah. Seriously though it's disappointing that it's probably gendaito. I see what you mean Chris, (after hitting a lot of books) it seems likely that the nakago has been exposed to water or worse but I'd never have seen it without you pointing it out. Thanks again guys! Until this thread Stephen I had no idea what ubu ba was. Now I do. Hope I see you all at the chicago show. 1 Quote
nihonto1001 Posted January 6, 2015 Report Posted January 6, 2015 I once had a Gendaito with the same dark rust. I wonder if rust color is also a function of the qualities of steel, as much as age. Gendaito is not a bad word around here, by the way. Many like to collect them. I am finding myself increasingly interested in the genre. 1 Quote
jason_mazzy Posted January 8, 2015 Report Posted January 8, 2015 I wonder if its salt water in the tsuka Quote
bone Posted January 8, 2015 Author Report Posted January 8, 2015 Jason, hadn't considered that. Still it seems that if the entire blade was exposed to salt water, wouldn't it have had the same effect on all of it? Or are you suggesting only the nakago was exposed? Maybe by the tsuka being soaked on a ship? Or does that indicate that someone purposely soaked the nakago in salt water to "age" it? Quote
Jean Posted January 8, 2015 Report Posted January 8, 2015 I have seen a shinshinto katana with a totally decayed nakago after having passed a few years in a cellar. the blade in itself was good. Quote
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