A Taisho Era Wakizashi by Suishinshi Minamoto No Hideaki

[acoyauh 5]

Hello, forumers

This is a big ask, I guess, but any bit of information shared will be appreciated greatly. I am not a big fan of non-Nihonto swords, but this one seems historically interesting.

This is a Navy School commemorative wakizashi made, as I understand it, from the steel of a 12" cannon of the Mikasa battleship, used during the Sino-Russian war (1897?) under Admiral Heihachiro Togo. Made by Suishinshi Minamoto No Hideaki? 2 of them were made?

 

I would like your opinion regarding authenticity (looks kosher to me) and maybe even possible value. Validate if I read correctly author, date, etc.

 

Thank you!

 

[Shugyosha 748]

Hi Jean Paul, 

Blades made using Mikasa gun steel aren’t all that uncommon. According to Aoi art Hideaki made about 1000 blades from Mikasa steel out of 3,000 blades made in total (if I’m reading their blurb correctly). There’s a big difference in the prices of these two: 

 

https://www.aoijapan.net/tanto-hideaki-sakuhorii-tishihidemikasa/
 

https://www.aoijapan.net/tanto-mikasa-hideaki/
 

 

[Shugyosha 748]

Another tanto by him here: https://www.aoijapan.com/tanto-hideaki-2/

[Hamish 931]

a very well rated smith, so either way is should be  a pleasing blade i would have thought. if you could post so photos of the hamon and hada ?

[Geraint 863]

Dear Jean Paul.

 

You say this is a wakizashi but everything about it suggest that it is a tanto.  Do you have a length for it?

 

All the best.

[PNSSHOGUN 2,053]

It is certainly a Tanto, for the moment only Tanto & Katana were known to be made from Mikasa steel.

[Shugyosha 748]

Whatever the motto on the blade says, the carving hasn’t enhanced its artistic value. 

[acoyauh 5]

20 hours ago, Hamish said:

a very well rated smith, so either way is should be  a pleasing blade i would have thought. if you could post so photos of the hamon and hada ?

You're right, it's a tanto.

 

[Bruce Pennington 2,776]

Do you have no fittings for it? The ones that I have seen in the past were navy dirks.

 

here is the page about it on Omura’s site: http://ohmura-study.net/741.html

[acoyauh 5]

4 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Do you have no fittings for it? The ones that I have seen in the past were navy dirks.

 

here is the page about it on Omura’s site: http://ohmura-study.net/741.html

Nope. Just the shirasaya and box as shown above.