Another Wwii Bring Back - Looks Real, But Maybe Gunto?

[DaveM4P99]

I am no expert, so I defer to you guys as always! Posted over on AR15.com...

 

I am trying to get better pics of the mei.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you!

 

Dave

[vajo]

Sandpaper on the nakago - thats a no go you destroy the worth of your sword. 

Looks like an old katana.

 

Only a try (I'm novice).

 

[Prewar70]

I had to check the calendar and make sure it wasn't April first.....

[DaveM4P99]

Sandpaper on the nakago - thats a no go you destroy the worth of your sword. 

Looks like an old katana.

 

Only a try (I'm novice).

 

test.jpg

 

 

 

Ah trust me...I told them not to do any cleaning! Not sure if that was already done to the nakago or not.

 

Thanks for the translation!

[DaveM4P99]

I had to check the calendar and make sure it wasn't April first.....

 

Haha...So I assume this is a very famous signature? And therefore most likely gimei?

 

Yeah...looking up Masamune now...very famous. The most famous. Haha.

 

What do you guys think?

 

The blade looks pretty nice, even if the mei is fake.

[Ray Singer]

Perhaps Bingo ju Masaie (備後住正家). There was a line of smiths signing Masaie in the Bingo Mihara school.

[Jean]

Dave,

 

Begin by translate the province, first two kanji and you will have your answer..

[DaveM4P99]

Wow thanks guys!

 

So more like...Bingo Ju Masaie? Bingo Mihara group?

 

And era is looking like what? 1300s??? 1400s? 1500s?

[Ray Singer]

It is difficult to evaluate considering the damaged state of the nakago and removed patina. It is also questionable whether the mei is good. My off-the-cuff impression is that this might be a Sue-Bizen, late Muromachi kazuuchimono with a spurious mei.

[DaveM4P99]

It is difficult to evaluate considering the damaged state of the nakago and removed patina. It is also questionable whether the mei is good. My off-the-cuff impression is that this might be a Sue-Bizen, late Muromachi kazuchimono with a spurious mei.

 

OK nice thanks for the info! Definitely an interesting find either way I assume.

[DaveM4P99]

Would better pics of the nakago/mei help?

 

I will request them now. May take a little while though.

 

Pretty neat that it could be such an old blade though.

[DaveM4P99]

Better photo of the nakago!

 

[Jamie]

You might post a better pic of the tip also. I think it may have been re shaped but it's only in one pic and far away in that one so I could be wrong.

[DaveM4P99]

Ok I will try to get a pic of the Kissaki.

 

So this is definitely not a gunto blade? Most likely pretty old?

[ROKUJURO]

Dave,

the age is not so important, but quality is. Your blade has a bad FUKURE (blister) under the HABAKI which lets me believe it has been shortened to hide this KIZU. This means that the value of the blade will be considered quite low among collectors.

[DaveM4P99]

Dave,

 

the age is not so important, but quality is. Your blade has a bad FUKURE (blister) under the HABAKI which lets me believe it has been shortened to hide this KIZU. This means that the value of the blade will be considered quite low among collectors.

Thanks for the analysis!

 

Yes - understood it is all about quality - and this blade has some big flaws.

 

But I am also trying to determine the history of the blade, more than the value.

[Ray Singer]

My impression is that this sword is ubu, and that the kizu reflects that the sword is of lower quality. The sori, shape of the nakago, etc point to me in the direction of a kazuuchimono (mass-produced) blade from the late Muromachi Sue-Bizen group. The tachi mei of Masaie was probably intended to pass off the sword as an earlier tachi by the Ko-Mihara smith.

[DaveM4P99]

My impression is that this sword is ubu, and that the kizu reflects that the sword is of lower quality. The sori, shape of the nakago, etc point to me in the direction of a kazuuchimono (mass-produced) blade from the late Muromachi Sue-Bizen group. The tachi mei of Masaie was probably intended to pass off the sword as an earlier tachi by the Ko-Mihara smith.

 

Wow thank you for the analysis! Great thoughts.