Bugyotsuji Posted October 19, 2008 Report Posted October 19, 2008 A friend of mine is visiting her sister in the States and has taken pictures of a sword that their father left them. He was in Japan at the end of WWII apparently, and brought this back. They have no knowledge of swords. I had asked her to see if she could take some shots of it. Please add any opinions or comments, positive or negative, but useful if possible, to this thread! Thanks... http://forums.netsuke.org/tool/post/net ... &trail=210 Quote
Brian Posted October 19, 2008 Report Posted October 19, 2008 Hi Piers, All I can really tell from the pics is that it is a wakizashi (assumed from the size of the nakago, but could be a katana) and it has a surrender tag. Looks to be at least a few hundred years old. Polish is bad, so would need a window before you could tell much more. Brian Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted October 19, 2008 Author Report Posted October 19, 2008 Hi Piers,All I can really tell from the pics is that it is a wakizashi (assumed from the size of the nakago, but could be a katana) and it has a surrender tag. Looks to be at least a few hundred years old. Polish is bad, so would need a window before you could tell much more. Brian Thank you, Brian. You have moved the story forwards. A possibility that it might be 'at least a few hundred years old.' (What is telling you that, I wonder?) Hmmm... Looks like no Mei on the Nakago, but I told her not to touch the rust in any way. The surrender tag seems to have the name and address of the owner or owner's relative at that time. Quote
Brian Posted October 19, 2008 Report Posted October 19, 2008 Piers, I would need to know the blade length before I could be sure about any age at all. If a wakizashi, then it is unlikely it is a WW2 blade, and doesn't look shinshinto either from the nakago age and patina. That would leave a Shinto or Koto..both a few hundred years old. It doesn't appear to have the typical shin-gunto style nakago either, so even if a katana I would be betting on Koto..maybe shinto. Just a gut feel, and not based on much concrete proof. Brian Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted October 20, 2008 Author Report Posted October 20, 2008 Piers,I would need to know the blade length before I could be sure about any age at all. If a wakizashi, then it is unlikely it is a WW2 blade, and doesn't look shinshinto either from the nakago age and patina. That would leave a Shinto or Koto..both a few hundred years old. It doesn't appear to have the typical shin-gunto style nakago either, so even if a katana I would be betting on Koto..maybe shinto. Just a gut feel, and not based on much concrete proof. Brian Thanks, Brian. I can sort of see what you are seeing, as you describe it. She was just passing through. Maybe there is still time to check the blade length. I'll ask. Later! Quote
Bungo Posted October 20, 2008 Report Posted October 20, 2008 looks like a katana to me but then I am not over 6' tall................. milt Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted October 21, 2008 Author Report Posted October 21, 2008 looks like a katana to me but then I am not over 6' tall................. milt ... and Brian is? :lol: Quote
Bungo Posted October 21, 2008 Report Posted October 21, 2008 Bugsy, We are looking at the same pics, right ? The ones with the red background and bottom of the page ? milt Quote
Brian Posted October 21, 2008 Report Posted October 21, 2008 I'm nowhere near 6', unless you turn me on my side :lol: I could be wrong, was just going by the pics but it could easily be a katana. Perhaps with the shorter nakago it is closer to a uchigatana...will have to wait and see. Brian Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted October 21, 2008 Author Report Posted October 21, 2008 Bugsy,We are looking at the same pics, right ? The ones with the red background and bottom of the page ? milt Yup, Milt, those are they! I am not quite sure what to tell the good lady. She says she has some more pics which she will post in due course. I have written and asked her for some overall measurements. Quote
Bungo Posted October 21, 2008 Report Posted October 21, 2008 Brian, If you were the Jolly Green Giant, then your short pants will be a regular men's trousers....... p.s. I used to have a Meiji period D-guard sword, the nagasa ( spelling ? cutting edge ? ) is over 29 inches, so I figured whoever carried that sword must have been a tall dude. milt Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Posted October 30, 2008 Piers,I would need to know the blade length before I could be sure about any age at all. If a wakizashi, then it is unlikely it is a WW2 blade, and doesn't look shinshinto either from the nakago age and patina. That would leave a Shinto or Koto..both a few hundred years old. It doesn't appear to have the typical shin-gunto style nakago either, so even if a katana I would be betting on Koto..maybe shinto. Just a gut feel, and not based on much concrete proof. Brian This came thru the ether... "My sister measured this sword for me as I didn't get back to her house. Since I am not knowledgeable regarding the proper names of parts of the sword, I will try to explain this as best I can. The sword, overall length, including the part that is inside the handle is 86cm. From the hole that the wood peg inserts in to the tip is 67cm. " I know that in an ideal world we would want the length of the blade but this just about decides the issue to Katana, right?! PS On the surrender tag I think I am seeing Kita-Urawa Shi (now Saitama City) (X?) 548, Watanabe Kiyohachi? Quote
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