Translation Of Tang Need Help .

[Pitomnik]

Please help !

Kai-gunto , with showa (?)  blade .

Many thanks for your help !

 

[Shugyosha]

Hi Roman,

 

武蔵國昭富造之

 

Muzashi Kuni Akitomi tsukuru kore. In the province of Muzashi, Akitomi made this.

 

昭和十八年四月日

 

Showa Ju hachi nen yon gatsu hi. A day in the 4th month of the 18th year of Showa (1943).

 

Best,

John

[Pitomnik]

Thanks !))))) I think - nice "Untouched" Kai-gunto  !

What do you think ? 

[ggil]

Roman, the tang is nice and elegant: nakago sugata ( tang shape) and nice Showa yasurime (tang filing), and good deep mei chiseling. if you reaearch the smith and see what quality of blades that he was known to make, then you have a better idea of what you have. If your pictures of the blade were more detailed, maybe we could speculate whether it is traditionally made or typical showato. As there were so many RELATIVELY low quality blades made during this era, collectors call these sword "showato." Often simple drawn steel, not multi-part construction involving forge welding various parts then assembling and drawing. In differential hardening, where only the edge is made brittle/hard while the balance is kept soft, showato were oil quenched, as water quenching would tend to cause cracks and make a blade scrap. Generally, it is considered normal to lose 1/3 of swords at this (towards the final stages) stage in manufacturing, but the oil quench sacrificed edge hardness to some degree, in order to save the 1/3 of blades that would break in a water quench.

 

Also the saya is nice lacquered skin of some sort. It would be rare to spend all the time on this kind of saya if the blade is junk.

 

Just guessing by the nakago, this is a good candidate for gendaito ( traditional made), but just GUESSING, you know.

 

-Grant

[Pitomnik]

Thanks Grant !))))

When i receive my new Kai-gunto - i post in thread big  blade photos !))))

[ggil]

I hope what I said didn't influence any decision to purchase, because I would hate to do that, as there is way more to consider than traditional vs non, when buying Showa era blades. For instance: is the polish good enough to observe hada (metal grain pattern), and hamon? Are there chips to the edge? THE BIG ONE: are there FATAL flaws? These are things that undermine the blade's primary function: to cut well. A crack in the edge is the one that everyone looks out for, but there are others too. Than there is rarity and the smith's reputation. Price has to be considered, as known good Showa era gendaito arent too hard to find, so you don't want to pay too much if there are any doubts. Hopefully you were already buying, or my post was another poor attempt on my part, to contribute to this forum.

 

- Grant

[Pitomnik]

I hope what I said didn't influence any decision to purchase, because I would hate to do that, as there is way more to consider than traditional vs non, when buying Showa era blades. For instance: is the polish good enough to observe hada (metal grain pattern), and hamon? Are there chips to the edge? THE BIG ONE: are there FATAL flaws? These are things that undermine the blade's primary function: to cut well. A crack in the edge is the one that everyone looks out for, but there are others too. Than there is rarity and the smith's reputation. Price has to be considered, as known good Showa era gendaito arent too hard to find, so you don't want to pay too much if there are any doubts. Hopefully you were already buying, or my post was another poor attempt on my part, to contribute to this forum.

 

- Grant

I have bought , before starting this thread ! )))) 

Will be surprise for me )))

I know about only one crack ...... 

[ggil]

Good Luck then Roman! Definitely an exiting prospect, I THINK!