new to group Wakizashi help needed

[steve_h]

Hi all my name Steve and I'm new to the group

I'm only new to collecting and hope to learn a lot by getting involved in some of the discussions

This is a Wakizashi i pick up lately from my research i think it may be Shinto era but not 100% sure can anyone shed some more info on it

thanks in advance

Steve Hill

[Bugyotsuji]

The furnishings were often changed around, Steve, so the age of a blade is literally that, the blade and Nakago (tang) itself. No judgement on the age can be made from most of those piccies!

 

We would need to see photographs of the whole blade, and some close-ups of each of its constituent parts before the guessing/narrowing can begin.

 

Your signature on the fuchi reads, Munenori, BTW.

[Guest reinhard]

Your signature on the fuchi reads, Munenori, BTW.

 

I'm sorry, but it reads: SOTEN SEI

 

reinhard

[Bugyotsuji]

Your signature on the fuchi reads, Munenori, BTW.

 

I'm sorry, but it reads: SOTEN SEI

 

reinhard

 

Thank you for your probably correct On reading, as opposed to my literal but blind Kun reading Munenori = Soten (sei, made by)

 

Edit. Steve, the last letter SEI means 'made this'. It doesn't mean 'made the sword'. It means 'made this particular fitment for the hilt decorations'. Sei 製 here, or often saku 作　

You should be looking for the two previous characters 宗典　which should be read "So-ten" according to Reinhard. Judging by the nature of Reinhard's field, and the tone of his voice, I would say that he is the man to ask. :lol:

[Brian]

Take this from a tsuba amateur, but is that a Bushu school tsuba?

 

Brian

[steve_h]

Hi All thanks for the info

here are a few photos of the blade i hope there OK

also is so-ten a well know maker and what era?

i looked it up but its a bit confusing with all the different generations and stuff

Also should i try and clean the green of the fuchi and if so what should i use

thanks

Steve Hill

[Guido]

Thank you for your probably correct On reading, as opposed to my literal but blind Kun reading Munenori = Soten (sei, made by)

....

You should be looking for the two previous characters 宗典　which should be read "So-ten" according to Reinhard. Judging by the nature of Reinhard's field, and the tone of his voice, I would say that he is the man to ask.

I don't really know Reinhard's "field", and I certainly don't hear his tone of voice over the internet, but he's not alone in reading it the correct way, i.e. "Sôten" ...

[IanB]

Steve, Just to add a little to what has been said. Your tsuba depicts the attributes of Guan-yu, a gunbai fan, a book and his favourite staff-weapon with the blade issuing from a dragon's mouth. The fuchi/gashira obviously depict military objects; a face mask, a sode, a saihai and a horse bit.

Ian Bottomley

[Brian]

Steve,

 

Not a lot to go on, without pics of the hada and any real defining characteristics that stand out. However I would guess it is a generic shinto. Doesn't look to have enough age to it to say a Koto, and nothing that screams shinshinto either. I doubt you'll get much closer without a shinsa. The blade does look ubu (not shortened) but am I seeing traces of a hamon going through the nakago? The ana (hole in the tang) also looks drilled, so it may have been a much longer blade that was shortened, but I am not sure of that. Clues to the school might be that long turnback.

Soten was a school of fittings makers, with varying quality. Search the forum for soten for more info. A lot of fake signatures too. Your fuchi looks reasonable quality. The fushi, kashira and tsuba don't match, so I would think the fittings were changed over time, as most were. Unfortunately sometimes we come to a dead end where nothing can tell you more about the blade without a costly shinsa process. Not saying this is the case here, but there isn't a lot to tell the whole story.

 

Regards,

Brian