New Acquisition

[Dave R]

 New to me and bought at the weekend. A very robust blade and spec's on the photo's. What intrigues me on this heavy blade, 7 mill. thick at the mune base and weighing 600 grms, is that it has two mekugi-ana, but looks to be Ubu. Sadly scrubbed at some point, including the nakago..  A more knowledgeable friend hazarded a guess as it being Mino and dating to the 1720's. Thoughts please.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Dave, can you please take some better closeup photos? And if we can get some light reflected from the ji & hamon, it'll be a lot easier to estimate jidai & school/

[IJASWORDS]

Dave, looks a lot like a similar blade of mine, described as 1700's Mino, and mumei. But I am no expert, so any comments would be welcome.   

[Dave R]

Dave, can you please take some better closeup photos? And if we can get some light reflected from the ji & hamon, it'll be a lot easier to estimate jidai & school/

 

 As said, sadly scrubbed, probably with wire wool or even buffed, and so little or nothing to be seen. There are a few ware but otherwise bland. I have tried giving it a good go over with Uchiko, but I think the buffing has prevented that from being effective.

 

 What I would really like to find out, is why it has two mekugi-ana. I know that some Katana have this feature, surprised to see it on a Wakizashi.

[paulb]

Dave

I think the simplist explanation is that at some point in it's life it has been shortened and the lower hole is the original, the second cut to accomodate a new koshirae. It is not unusual to find this on wakazashi.

[Ed]

With the mekugi ana being so far apart, I would agree with Paul.  Difficult to determine much more from the photos and condition.

 

Sexy photos, the way you added the dimensions. Very clean and professional looking 

[Baka Gaijin]

I agree with Ed & Paul.

 

Nice buy, shows it's still out there!! 

[SAS]

Could have been a katateuchi originally, shortened to wakizashi with nakago reshaped; looks like it was mounted at least 3 times. Structurally, it looks like a good candidate for restoration, though it may not make financial sense.

[Dave R]

Could have been a katateuchi originally, shortened to wakizashi with nakago reshaped; looks like it was mounted at least 3 times. Structurally, it looks like a good candidate for restoration, though it may not make financial sense.

 

 Genuinely looks to be Ubu, as in not having the square cut Nakago Jiri (Kiri Jiri) usualy seen on suriage blades. As for financial sense, does collecting Nihonto ever makes financial sense.   

[SAS]

My thought was due to the placement of the mekugiana, it could have been a few centimeters longer originally; the nakago is longer than usual. If it was from the era of katateuchi,  it may have been machiokuri and suriage, with the nakago reshaped for a more aesthetically pleasing suriage and style.....just some ideas

[Blazeaglory]

Cleanest nakago I've seen yet! I can hear that wire brush a scrubbing away!

[Dave R]

Cleanest nakago I've seen yet! I can hear that wire brush a scrubbing away!

 

 Yup, which is why I think I got it at the price I did. The Habaki had been scrubbed and varnished as well, when I got the varnish off (acetone) I found the remains of gilding where the lower piece had covered the upper. Sorry for the poo® quality of the photo's, I was using my phone as the camera is not playing.

[SAS]

Neil, that habaki is fantastic! I can't really make out much on the blade in the state of polish it is in.

[Blazeaglory]

Yup, which is why I think I got it at the price I did. The Habaki had been scrubbed and varnished as well, when I got the varnish off (acetone) I found the remains of gilding where the lower piece had covered the upper. Sorry for the poo® quality of the photo's, I was using my phone as the camera is not playing.

I don't mind some oddities either. I jyst find it amazing that we can own such aged items with a history behind them!

 

I know there are many on this sight that would see Nihonto that I find appealing but they would scoff at the mere thought of owning such a "terrible" blade. I mean God forbid there is a bad weld or a Mekugi Ana chiseled over a Mei haha

[paulb]

Dwain

I hope as you read more here you will find very few if any that would "scoff at the thought of owning such a terrible blade" everyone has their own interets and motives for collecting. Doesn't make one wrong or another right just different. What you will find here is guidance for those that ask for it as to what to look for and what is best avoided.

[ROKUJURO]

.....I know there are many on this site who would see Nihonto that I find appealing but they would scoff at the mere thought of owning such a "terrible" blade.....

Dwain,

 

you can hang a Rembrandt or an art print on your wall and be happy with it. It is mainly a matter of taste, perhaps personal ambition and expertise, and certainly of budget.  

[Blazeaglory]

Dwain,

 

you can hang a Rembrandt or an art print on your wall and be happy with it. It is mainly a matter of taste, perhaps personal ambition and expertise, and certainly of budget.

Yah and especially in my dimly lit room (cave) anything looks good! Haha

 

I just bought an old Hasegawa woodblock print for 25$ from a Japanese seller in Hawaii. They dropped it in price because of some old fungal type stains and other blemishes that in the "light" looks totally noticeable. But the condition of the actual character Shibaraku was straight and bright with no white areas on borders or other "reprint" issues which led me to believe based on multiple comparisons that this one might be from his own hand. Who really knows but the cleaner ones were going for over 75$ and more but were reprints and badly done. Anyways framed and matted (covering most of the stains) and in my room looks amazing.

 

Im rambling but what I guess I'm saying is I understand the wanting for a perfect or hard to find popular sword smith or other Nihonto with great details and if I had the funds I would be a little more discerning but the other part of me likes blemishes or other issues because it gets my mind going and helps me appreciate the items without blemishes.

 

I'm the kind of guy who picks the runt of the litter or the 3 legged puppy. I collect freaks and oddities haha but I still very much appreciate and understand connesours(sp?).

[Blazeaglory]

Dwain

I hope as you read more here you will find very few if any that would "scoff at the thought of owning such a terrible blade" everyone has their own interets and motives for collecting. Doesn't make one wrong or another right just different. What you will find here is guidance for those that ask for it as to what to look for and what is best avoided.

Yah I know. I really wasn't trying to insult anyone but with all collections and antiques or any niche market you have varying degrees of "personal opinion".

 

Im fine with others scoffing because like you said it helps point out flaws or similar but again sometimes those flaws are personal opinion or in the eyes of the beholder and could actually lead a newbie astray or turn them off to Nihonto. I guess it depends on how it comes across or each individuals attitude.

 

I can take allot but some ppl can't. I wouldn't want to stop someone from enjoying their blade because someone put a minor flaw into their head as a major nono. Same goes for the opposite as well.

 

Basically I'm agreeing with you in my long winded manor because I don't want to get back to work haha

 

Take care

 

D

[ROKUJURO]

Dwain,

it is 'Connoisseur', the same word as in French.

[Blazeaglory]

Dwain,

 

it is 'Connoisseur', the same word as in French.

Lol I knew there was an I and any E in there somewhere. Spell check on my phone seems to only work when I don't need it!

 

Thanks "Monsieur"!

[Dave R]

 I have a little more information now on this one, having taken it to two different meeting of knowledgeable Nihonto collectors. The nakago is apparently distinctive of Kaga blades, though the blade is more Hizen. Which possibly explains something else.... It appears to have been signed, and the signature then carefully removed. The conclusion is that it had been judged to be Gimei, and then "corrected". This probably also explains the scrubbed nakago.

 

  I need a much better camera to take photos worth sharing, but I can now say that it has a suguha hamon, of a healthy 6 to 7 mm in depth all the way along the blade.

 

 Not a connoisseurs blade, but a good healthy piece that I am happy with.