Gunto Horimono, yes or no no?

[waljamada]

Wondering any opinions on this type 98 gunto with horimono. Anyone recognize the maker? In a more trained eye does the horimono appear good quality? From my research I'd say decent to good carving. General opinions, are you guys fans of horimono? I cant tell how I fully feel about them, part of me thinks dragon horimono makes them feel like a chinese mall ninja blade and part of me thinks dragons are cool. Then I'll see a blade like the one linked below and think it's really cool...again I'm torn...

 

https://www.samuraisword.com/nihontodisplay/CUTTING_TEST/Munehiro/index.htm

[Ray Singer]

To be frank, the horimono is at the lowest quality level.

[waljamada]

Raymond

 

Yeah, the quality doesnt stand out for me too. Design is simple and it doesn't seem to be unique. Almost like picking a tattoo off the wall of a tattoo shop. The blade looks ww2 era to me but can't read the mei (which also seems a meh mei) to google the smith and his quality. Perhaps a special order option as an add on at the soldiers expense or perhaps the sword maker himself has a history with horimono?

[IJASWORDS]

Some gunto horimono, both by Kanemichi, the kanji example signed Kanetoki, his early signature.

[waljamada]

IJA, the horimono on your first sword (the more comparable one) has evidence of greater craftsmanship than the example i posted. Thanks for sharing it. Also your horimono's design has more serious weight than my example. The design carries more power in its image if that makes sense. Would the horimono on my example add more value in the market than if the blade was without it and no flaws where the carved area is?

[IJASWORDS]

Adam, from a militaria collectors point of view, to me it adds value as they are not too common. But only if it was done in WW2 and not a later addition. 

[David Flynn]

Nice Horimono Neil.   I particularly like the Kanetoki.

[IJASWORDS]

Thanks David, it is a very early war example, with my favourite vermilion painted  saya. 

[Bruce Pennington]

Adam,

I know almost nothing about horimono, so take what I say with a grain of salt. But I see this like any art form - you have craftsmen from one end of the spectrum to the other making swords just as any other profession. Maybe this guy wasn't the Picaso of the gunto world, but he was doing his best. The fittings are higher-end fittings (judging by the gorgeous tsuba), so the officer that bought this put some extra money into the piece. It is quite above the norm for officer gunto.

[Bencld]

Hi all. A supposed gendai copy of ikanshi tadatsuna with horimono. It looks reasonably exucuted and I have no idea which gendai smith may have forged it. It has a kiku hamon.

[Lance]

Mei is Kanetsugu, It almost looks like the same sword I posted some years ago and someone messed with it a bit between the time I had it and it madecits way to you:addition of an extra mekugi ana and (unless its just a lighting difference) darkened the recessed portions of the horimono? When I had it, or the one I had by same smith everything that wasn't burnished had a frosted appearance. Also if I remember correctly the wrap had some fraying so someone may have swapped tsuka and added tsuba and seppa, that would explain the extra hole.

Or its another sword by the same smith with almost exact horimono, See post below:

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/11756-help-with-gendaito-signature-request/

 

Regards,

Lance

[waljamada]

A sword boomerang! Lance, I made some composite images and I'd have to say this is indeed the same sword. Would you guys say the work done to it is in the realm of understandable or an overreach?

[16k]

I’m among those, probably scarce crowd, who don’t like any kind of horimono. I’m not too much of a fan of grooves either. Not that I wouldn’t buy one if the occasion presented itself, but I always prefer practicality over art and for me, horimono are more like a way to be showy (or hide a defect) than anything else. I like the average warrior katana, used in battle, not the katana of the posh samurai or high ranking officer who sits in the back and watches his men do the dirty work. For me horimono conjures up just that.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Wow....what absolute f*ckwit got their hands on this sword between you two......

[dwmc]

Aha, a "f*ckwit" mystery. Lets root out that sucker. Lance; Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth so help you god?  Adam; Do you swear...   

 

Just kidding fellows...seven years a lot can occur!

 

Dave M.

[waljamada]

Ha, I just found it for sale and am working through my opinions on horimono while trying to see if I liked this sword enough to possibly purchase. Now I look at it differently...it might not have even been a gunto! Plus a second hole drilled to fit the gunto tsuka...and honestly I liked it more in the shape Lucas had it without the darkened lines.

[Lance]

Anything done was most likely at least 1 other person away from me before any alterations were made;   I did some "almost" literal horse trading  for a nice (but sort of naughty) horse  kogai and other fittings with a dealer/collector I was friendly with somewhere within a year of that post.  I doubt he altered anything as he wasn't a mix and match kind of person.    If it was him, he would most likely have just had new tsuka made with the old fittings after sourcing tsuba and seppa without adding a new ana.

 

Regards,

Lance  

[dwmc]

My comment was only made as a weak attempt at humor. I obviously can't speak for everyone, or anyone but myself for that matter, but I personally don't find an adjustment or an honest attempt to bring a sword back to original configuration as long as the modification (if known) is identified when selling...

 

I realize neither of you had anything to do with changes made, but to see a sword show up seven years after traded in a different configuration leaves one to wonder "What the hell". People simply want to know what their buying...to many deceptive "Monkeys" out there these days.

 

Dave M.

[Lance]

No problem Dave, I just wish whoever did  it just had a new tsuka made instead of adding a new hole to the  tang. 

Regards,

Lance