Beautiful Sword #2

[Prewar70]

So this sword is huge, very long blade.  I did not measure but I am guessing Tachi length.  Very nice polish as well.

 

[reeder]

Looks like Kanefusa.

[Prewar70]

Doing a search by that name I was able to find many signatures that are the same as this.  Grey had a tango that he sold, same signature.  So would this sword date mid to late 1500s?  The habaki, tsuba, and other fittings look to be higher quality than the wakizashi.  The saya is protected by a red leather covering.  For a tachi is it normal to have the squared nakago.  I see in other swords that this might point to a sword that has been shortened, suriage?  

[Shugyosha]

Hi James,

 

This isn't a tachi - it's signed katana mei (signature is normally on the side away from the body when worn) and so this one would be worn edge upwards. But you are right, lots of tachi have a squared-off nakago from suriage.

 

Looking at the position of the mei and mekugi ana I'd suggest that the tang is ubu, though it does seem quite a short tang for a long blade (might be the pics). Not really sure on the date but I wouldn't rule out it being a shinto blade but that is my own feeling based on the colour of the patina on the tang and you may well get other views.

 

Looks like a nice sword, however, and longer blades are a rarity. 

 

Best,

John

[Kronos]

It's a katana not a tachi as it's signed katana mei (signed on the Omote when worn as a katana). The squared nakago is called kiri jiri and is usually a sign of suriage (shortened) swords which this is. For the record i don't think it's been shortened much, maybe only a couple of cm's.

[Prewar70]

If somebody has the time could you display what each of the kanji translates to and if you are using on on line reference let me know. This mei is shorter so would like to try and use this as a template to help myself translate the others. Thanks

[Stephen]

KANEFUSA (兼房), Kan´ei (寛永, 1624-1644), Mino – “Nōshū Seki-jū Kanefusa” (濃州関住兼房), Zenjō school KANEFUSA (兼房), Genroku (元禄, 1688-1704), Mino – “Hitachi no Kami Fujiwara Kanefusa saku” (常陸守藤原 兼房作), Zenjō school KANEFUSA (兼房), 1st gen., Kyōhō (享保, 1716-1736), Mino – “Kanefusa” (兼房), real name Katō Mago´emon (加藤孫右衛門), Zenjō school, he died on the seventh day of the tenth month Kyōhō 20 (1735), posthumous Buddhist name Kigai Jōgen (機外常玄) KANEFUSA (兼房), 2nd gen., Hōreki (宝暦, 1751-1764), Mino – “Kanefusa” (兼房), real name Katō Uhei (加藤宇兵衛), he later took over the hereditary first name Mago´emon (孫右衛門) and died on the 25th day of the fifth month Hōreki five (1755), posthumous Buddhist name Hakusa Yōji (亳柤要自) 

 

from e sword book, lots of Kanefusa hard to say which gen yours is

[pcfarrar]

Nice matching set of Jakushi school fittings.