By Whom Was This Gendaito Wakizashi Made

[TheGermanBastard]

Maybe someone here bought this interesting blade?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Old-Japan-Japanese-Signed-Tanto-Wakizashi-Fighting-Knife-Sword-Scabbard/323030265788

 

Made in 1911 or 1912 ... don't remember ... but I couldn't read the maker. This grasscript is tough. This was an interesting, solid Gendai blade in my humble oppion. I wonder who made it. Not that many smithes active around that area.

[Keiji]

I wanted to buy but this night eBay didn't work..

 

 

Thanks to Markus Sesko for the help:

 

 

The mei is "Ryūminsai Kaneyuki" (龍眠斎兼行). Not so many works of him are extant.

 

KANEYUKI (兼行), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gunma – “Kaneyuki” (兼行), real name Matsunaga Shichirō (松永七郎), gō Ryūminsai (龍眠斎), he was the chief priest of the local Suwa-jinja (諏訪神社) in Tomioka (富岡) and he made swords at the side, he also used the name Yukitsugu (行次) and he learned sword forging from his father Matsunaga Michitsugu (松永道次) who supposedly lived in Echigo province, latger he also learned from the 11th gen. Aizu Kanesada (兼定), he died June 3rd 1913 at the age of 69.

[TheGermanBastard]

Thank you Francesco for letting me know and cheets to Markus Sesko for his great Kanji reading abbilities!

 

Is there an error in the short bio? It says he loeved from 1926 to 1989 but that he dies in 1913? I think this sword was dated 1911 or 1912?

[vajo]

Luis its the showa period.

[Brian]

Yes, but if he died in 1913, then he wasn't part of the Showa period anyways

[vajo]

1. First not the same smith

2. A Bug in Markus book

3. He was born 1913 and died in the age of 69 ????

[Surfson]

He was born in 1845.  There is a typo in the book.  I considered buying this piece, but I thought it got a bit pricy, since it needs a new habaki and a new polish.  Can get a nice koto tanto for what it brought.  I do like the grass script signature.  

[TheGermanBastard]

He was born in 1845.  There is a typo in the book.  I considered buying this piece, but I thought it got a bit pricy, since it needs a new habaki and a new polish.  Can get a nice koto tanto for what it brought.  I do like the grass script signature.  

 

This makes sense!

 

But for the Habaki. I don't see why you would want to exchange it bob? In my oppinion the biggest bummer was thatb it is a Wakizashi size blade. Again a nice thing though

[lonely panet]

I tried to buy too. my fleabay didnit work either. 

 

great buy and good money to be made after a polish I think

[TheGermanBastard]

Interesting to see hoiw many of you have had intentions to buy this sword!

[Surfson]

Not sure Ham.  Polish, habaki and saya cost you $2300 or so, so you have to sell for $3K to break even.  It's a fairly unknown Meiji guy and it's hard to see that there is any interesting activity in the hamon or the hada.  I think that it went at full price.  

[TheGermanBastard]

I think you don't need a new Shirasaya and Habaki and not even a full foundation polish. Then being a Waki I think there is not huge value in it. A nice piece for the collector of that periode swords though

[lonely panet]

its really a O tanto, and I don't think you would need either a habaki or shirasaya. but you would just have to make that choice once you see it...

 

easy flip for cash. you never know, under that milky polish might be something very nice

[Surfson]

At the very least, a new gold foil on the existing habaki (which costs as much as a new habaki) and a polish.  I still don't see the value in it, especially without knowing if it even has nice hada or hamon.  It's also quite slender.  The tang is my favorite part. 

[TheGermanBastard]

Why a gold foil habaki?

[lonely panet]

because people feel the need to pimp up a simple habaki and waste money

[PNSSHOGUN]

Looks fine as is, I think folks are too keen on hauling off on new polishes.

[TheGermanBastard]

It is just my personal oppinion but I fully agree to Hamfish. Doing a Habaki Upgrade would be wasted my money. Take two blades of equal quality but a different price tag due to one having a gold habaki or better Shirasaya and the other one being just copper and no tiger stripes bells and whistles. Would you pay feel like paying for example 4250.00 for the better quality Habaki and Shirasaya or prefer to go with 3000 for the same quality if blade and "just" copper? I can understand why someone may want a high qualiyt Habaki on a very high qualiyt blade. Probably it will then just change the price in a much smaller relation. Otherwise I personally treat Habaki and Shirasaya just as what it is: A fitting with a purpose. Or ask yourselves: How many people collecting Tsuba, Menuki, F/K or Kozuka do you know? And how many people do you know who collect Habaki and Shirasaya? Persoanlly I know none who fits the later category ...

[b.hennick]

I collect iron habaki. Please let me know if you come across one.

[TheGermanBastard]

+1

[SwordGuyJoe]

I agree on the haste to polish and to upgrade habaki and shirasaya (I am guilty of the latter - happily so ). But that being said, given the condition of the sword, IF one were to spend the money for polish, they should also invest in at least a plain habaki and shirasaya. I would be highly concerned that even if cleaned, residual rust would ruin the polish that one invested in. I would hate to see a polish wasted - keeping in mind that swords have a finite number of polishes in their lives - because a person didn’t want to spend an additional $600 for shirasaya and habaki - albeit plain ones.

[Surfson]

If I am going through the expense and trouble of polishing a blade, I certainly don't want to look at a dinged up copper habaki.  But that is just me.  I tried to reuse even a nice copper habaki after a polish (remember, the blade loses steel and the habaki gets looser generally), and wished that I hadn't. 

[TheGermanBastard]

Well I am not with you on this one guys ... look at the blade ... no rust. So no need for a new Shirasaya imho. I won't give any names here but I have had very reputable togishi simply clain the saya and put the freshly polished blade back in there. This not having been my idea but their suggestion. over a decade later not the faintest of rust. However this can not be generalizd and it is on a case by case decission. but in this case I see absolutely no problem with this sword, hence no need for a new Shirasaya. The best I'd do is have it split by my Shirasaya maker of choice, get it cleaned and reglued. As for the Habaki a silver foil would do just fine or getting some rain pattern added and goldwash. Spending like 1k on Habaki and Shirasaya would be a waste of money in my humble oppinion. But everybody be their own judge. If you have plenty of cash to spend new parts sure will do no harm but to your wallet.

[SwordGuyJoe]

What would you call this, if not rust?

 

[TheGermanBastard]

Hello Joe, that is rust , under the Habaki, I would getit knocked off, get the Saya cleaned and split and be done with it. Take for example the littel Tanto you had bought from me. I am sure it resides in its old Shirasaya despit a recent polish and I think you did not get a new one made for it, did you? No need in my oppinion.

[SwordGuyJoe]

But I didn’t polish it

[TheGermanBastard]

No, because it was in perfect polish and will remain so despite not having had a new Shirasaya made

[SwordGuyJoe]

Lol - agree to disagree then. I’m not going to risk wasting a polish for a $300 shirasaya or a $300 habaki, but I understand that others will.

[vajo]

When a unpolished old sword has no rust in its saya. Why it should become rust in the old saya when it is fresh polished?

 

I think it is more dangerous the sword gets rust by laying and handling around the saya and habaki maker.