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Info On Sword


ww2collectors

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Its a hodgepodge of fittings: WW2-era scabbard, pre-20th century tsuka and fittings, tsuba also looks pre-20th century. I wonder if the habaki is a shell, or if it is a rising sun motif. Hard to tell about the sword itself. I don't see any arsenal marks, but I also can't see enough of the sword to make anything more than a wild guess. The tsuka looks way out of proportion to the rest of the sword. Is that a photographic illusion, or is it really that big?  

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Robert,

of course we would like to help you, but with these photos it is not easy. Have a look at comparable posts, they come in every day!

What we need for a guess is a photo of the naked blade (without HABAKI), and not shot at an angle so we can see the shape. Then we would need well focused shots of the NAKAGO, the different parts of the blade, and especially the KISSAKI. Photos can be helpful when they are very detailed and enlarged to show HADA and HAMON, but it may remain difficult to give a judgement to school and age.

By the way, the age is of much lesser importance than you may mean. A very good sword from 1850 may be more desirable than one not so well made from 1400! 

In your case it looks as if a private blade (maybe SHINTO period) had been taken to war with some remaining civil parts. It could also be the case that the original SAYA of a private sword was lost and replaced by a military one. There are details which we may never know!

In any case, your sword can take you on an interesting journey through Japanese history, so please read a lot here at the forums or even buy some books! This will help you with your next purchase. 

P.S. I have seen HABAKI like yours. They are rare, but you see them from time to time. 

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As fate would have it I have a very similar sword here at the moment, not my own but a friend's.  This seems to be a civilian wakizashi converted for carry during WWII.  The habaki might indeed be chrysanthemum, or possible rising sun.  The sword here has an almost identical one but silver foiled and is a Fujiwara Takada blade with nice civilian fittings.  If the case is the same as yours, and it matches in almost every regard including the leather collar around the fuchi to secure the sword,  that would account for the apparently large tsuka.  

 

Looking forward to some more pictures but Fujiwara Takada would be a reasonable guess at the moment.

 

Al the best

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