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Help identifying shirasaya wakizashi


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Hello all!

New to the forum and the hobby! 

I have been collecting and interested in katana style swords since I was about 10 years old; I loved watching the old classic samurai movies, and have always wanted to own an actual Nihonto, so I’m a newbie to the hobby, but a lifelong samurai and Japanese swordsmanship fan. 
Today I was able to acquire two wakizashi, in hardwood shirasaya fittings. I’m still very new to identifying swords, especially by nakago, so I was hoping you guys could help me out? I tried taking the best pictures I could for now. 
Anything these old Nakago can tell you? 
:D

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I like looking at blades much more then looking on nakago :glee:

The first  one is shortned.

the 2nd looks to be Ubu (unshortned) with ugly looking rust but this could be only the light.

If you want to get more information you also need to give more information and pictures.

Best are pictures of the whole bare blade from a 90degree angle without the habaki so you can see the sori, (the curve of the blade) you dont need to see the hamon on this pictures. 

And pictures of the boshi (the hamon in the tip).

This will help to estimate the time period they are made.

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Dear Max.

 

(Sorry, Christian posted as I was writing but at least we are saying the same things, :))

 

Welcome to NMB!  You already know that you have two, mumei or unsigned wakizashi.  Usual advice is to avoid these but as you start to read in detail about swords you will be able to see some of the features you are learning about and that will help.  

 

For the best opportunity for someone to tell you about these then photographs of the bare blades, rather like your last two shots but without the tsuka and habaki will be useful. We would also like to have some dimensions, length from the kissaki to the machi, or nagasa, width at the machi and at the start of the kissaki, thickness of the blade at the machi  would all help. If you look at the nakago of the first blade you can see two mekugi ana and a change in the yasurime which suggest that the blade has at least had the machi moved up to shorten it a little.  The other appears to be ubu or unaltered.

 

Enjoy looking and learning, look at them closely in different lights and at different angles, see what you can see and compare that with what is described in your books.

 

All the best.

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Ok so I did some picture taking and some measuring, and here’s what I came up with 

 

Shortened:

length from kissaki to machi: 18”

 

width at machi: 1 1/16” 

 

thickness at machi: 1/4”

 

Un-shortened:

length from kissaki to machi: 17”

 

width at machi: 1 1/8”

 

thickness at machi: 1/4”


all help and any advice is much appreciated.

 

 

 

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