New Guy, New Wakizashi

[monkeyboy]

Hi all,

 

I'm new to the board and while my collecting interest is mostly WW2 era Japanese militaria I stumbled on a wakizashi last week and I'm hoping to learn more about it. I have a few shingunto but this is my first non-military sword. Please understand swords aren't my collecting focus so I'm not up to speed on all the terminology, though I know the basics.

• I know it's been cut down to wakizashi length
• The cutting edge is 24"
• The remnants of the signature is simply Bizen Osafune.
• The bottom peg hole appears to be punched, while the top appears drilled

Beyond that little bit I'm turning to you for help. Thoughts as to the blades vintage? The vintage of the scabbard and fittings?

 

I realize the pic's aren't the best but I thought they'd do. I can get better pics if needed.

 

Thank you for your time

 

Jon

[Geraint]

Dear Jon,

 

This is a true Japanese sword, made in the traditional way and at first glance quite old.  Did you measure from the tip to the notch on the back where the habaki starts?  If this is 24" plus then you have a katana, not a wakizashi.  The mounts appear to need menuki and a wrap to bring them up to speed.  Go slowly and carefully and don't attempt anything yourself at this stage.   The signature or mei reads Bishu Osa, this might matter as shu is an abbreviated form for the province and if your blade is Muromachi period, as it might well be, then usually better swords for this group would be signed Bizen.  You are looking at the Bizen group of smiths and there are very many!

 

Try to get some better shots of the blade, overall, tip (kissaki) and the point where the habaki comes off.  We might get some more information for you.  Also a shot of the tsuba, guard.

 

Welcome to the forum and to the exciting world of Nihonto!

 

All the best.

[Stephen]

[Shugyosha]

Hi Jon,

 

Your post tells me that you know more about this than you are letting on as you would have had to do some research to glean some of the information in there. 

 

The signature reads Bishu Osa... which is basically what you said. Bishu is an old name for Bizen province in Japan. Osafune was a village that was significant in making swords prior to around 1600 when it was wiped out by a flood. Swords made there varied in quality from high-output low quality blades made to feed the needs of the wars of that time to masterpieces.

 

As you are probably aware, if the mekugi ana nearest the nakago jiri was punched rather than drilled it probably dates the sword prior to 1600 but you need to post some detail of the hardened edge, the steel's grain pattern and the area around the point of the sword if you want a better view on its likely quality. 

 

Swords changed their clothes fairly regularly and it isn't likely that these are the blade's original set. The fittings on the handle don't look to be particularly high quality but these probably aren't original to the set: I get the feeling that they may have been good but they have been stripped out and sold separately. Likewise the tsuba. If I have that right it means that someone has had a pretty good look at the blade and concluded that it was lower quality and that it made better economic sense to sell these bits separately. It's hard to put these into a time frame but they may be Edo period but could be later.

 

Sword blades' curvature, whilst not individually unique, makes it harder to sell a scabbard on to fit a different blade. This scabbard, however, does look like it has had some care taken in its manufacture, though it has seen better times. Incorporating the pieces of shell in the laquer is a time consuming job and that is an indicator of better quality but the availability of time indicates that it wasn't made in the sengoku period so it's probably Edo period. 

 

All of this is my honest opinion and that of a nice bottle of Argentinian Malbec. You may well get better opinions than mine.

 

Sorry to repeat what Geraint has said but his reply came in whilst I was typing but again, welcome to NMB and the surprisingly addictive world of Japanese swords.

 

Kind regards,

John

[Geraint]

"Argentinian Malbec."    

[monkeyboy]

Thank you Geraint and John for the replies. And yes John I did some research, however I found a biblical flood of information and without studying swords as you folks do I'm out of my league. That's why I'm here.

 

Here's some additional pics. I hope they'll help determining the swords age.

 

Thank you again, Jon

 

 

 

P.S. Forgot to add, the measurement from the tip to the notch where the habaki starts is 24 3/8'.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Good, then you have a katana, by definition. I'm a little puzzled that the yokote looks so worn on the omote. The hamon is a consistent suguha, but I can't see any sign of choji, which is found in a lot of Bizen blades. From the mei placement, I'd also guess that the blade is o-suriage, which would add considerable sori, so Muromachi isn't out of the question.

 

By the way, I'm not explaining these sword terms, so you can go out & learn some more - I think that most of us will agree that learning is a lot more fun when you have a blade in front of you. Yup, a "biblical flood of informtion" is a good way to describe what you've stepped into! Welcome to the forum, Jon.

 

Ken

 

[monkeyboy]

Hello Ken,

 

Thank you for the reply. I've done some study and some measuring and here's what I've come up with,

 

• Blade length 62cm Shinogi-zukuri
• Blade width at Machi 3cm at Yokote 2cm
• Sori 1.2cm
• Mune Ihori
• Hammon Suguha
• Nakago O-suriage
• Nagago length 18.6cm 2 Mekugi-ana
• Nakago shape Futsu
• Nakago jiri Haagari
• Kitae Masame(?)

 

Here's a few more pics. Any additional information is appreciated. I'm trying to absorb all I can about the sword and it's koshirae. Jon

[Ken-Hawaii]

Jon, none of the photos you posted are sufficient to tell much more about the blade. The boshi looks pretty good, & that little nick can be easily removed by a togishi.

 

I was going to tell you which photos you should post, but that wouldn't teach you anything. So, instead, let me turn you on to an NMB member's most-excellent study guide: Markus Sesko's Kantei series, which can be found at https://markussesko.com/kantei/. Kantei is the process of identifying a sword by its characteristics, starting with the blade's shape, or sugata, & progressing in a series of steps that is always the same. Markus has posted this free, university-level teaching guide in which he takes you through what to look for, & when. The only hint on photos I'll give you is that a full-length shot of the bare blade will allow the sugata to be determined, & from that, the age of the blade. The rest is up to you to figure out.

 

Have fun, & don't forget to sign all of your posts.

 

Ken

 

[monkeyboy]

 

Hello Ken,

 

Thank you for the additional information. And for what it's worth I didn't forget to sign all my posts.......Jon

[drbvac]

The blade is certainly worth some study but I have to say the mounts are a little odd for the blade itself or maybe I am looking at them with the wrong attitude. They almost look cast but I know less than nothing about these things - just thought they really didn't go with a blade like this one ?????????

[6pakki]

The koshirae is quite odd. The same is done as cheap as it comes. maybe koshirae was added later? I could not see any kizu, ware, fukure... so I dont think it's "Kazu-uchi"

[Greg F]

Hi Juha,

Could you please explain how then Same has been done as cheap as it comes, im not sure I understand?

 

Jon my guess would be the Koshirae was put together along its travels and probably had a little better fittings when the Tsuka was new imo. Cheers.

 

Greg

[6pakki]

In the first picture you can see how the same is used. This is called "Tanzaku" This way you use only small piece of ray skin and often not the best quality.

[kissakai]

Hi

On your third image in the first post I'm intreged about the tsuba

Is it in two halves?