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Any guesses?


Brian

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Hi all,
There is a wakizashi that I am selling for someone locally. But turns out I have a custom knife in my collection that the owner wants, and we may be able to do a trade. The waki isn't cheap...but the knife didn't cost me too much and the waki has nice fittings. So I am considering it, since there wouldn't be any money laid out. Anyways...value isn't the concern here.
It is mumei, and I was wondering if anything on this sword rings any bells as far as school or maker is concerned. The yakidashi seems Shinto to me, but maybe the sword is shinshinto?
I don't have very good pics, and it isn't in a great polish. The hamon does seem to be fairly unique though. Maybe o-gunome leaning towards hakoba? Hako-midare?
Not a lot to go on, but I was curious if any guesses at all are possible.
Thanks in advance.

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Dear Brian,

 

I used to have a sword like that with a similar hamon in a shin-gunto koshirae (leather covered saya). The blade was also mumei with a very similar nakago and reputed to be shin-shinto.

This one seems to be shin-shinto too.

 

Just my two cents......

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Brian,

Decent wakizashi, I wouldn't hesitate to make the trade!

I can't say what era the sword is, but here are a few of my Shinto nakago for comparison. If I were to guess, I would say the one you are considering would be Shinshinto.

Basically judging from nakago and yasurime appearance.

 

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Yakidashi on both sides indicates an ubu blade, & usually Shinto. I like the hamon, but can't hazard a guess from your photos.

 

Looking at the tsuka, I don't see any wear on the tsukimaki where they cross, so it's probably modern, but nothing wrong with that. Nice fittings, too. I'd also vote for the trade.

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Chris,

that may well be in the style of KIYOMITSU, but perhaps not an UTSUSHI. I meant the shape of NAKAGO JIRI. In Brian's photo, it is an IRIYAMAGATA JIRI. Typical KAGA NAKAGO JIRI is different.

Taken from MEIBOKU:  IRIYAMAGATA JIRI was named after a particular shape of woodsman's axe. It is seen on some Yamato swords, those made in the Hokuriku region, and some blades produced during the Shintô period.

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I made this from Brians photo. Its not typical shinto to me, more shinshinto as an utushi of an older sword. These hamon in the boshi is to eye catching. So my guess was Kiyomitsu. But you are right it has not a kaga nakago, thats look different.

 

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Thanks Chris, great pic. I'll try and get some more pics done...nice to have a digital diagram like that. Very tip of the kissaki was broken at some point and it needs reshaping. Plenty of boshi left.
I still need to add your other pic to the faq...will get there.
You keep doing nice digital oshigata like that, and you are going to find yourself with a sideline business :glee:
 

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Having no horse in this race and no expertise, I still think it is a well-made and attractive piece. Buy the blade and not the name/story as it were. Well, in this case, trade for it. But I think the whole package is attractive, even if the koshirae is fairly modern. I'd go for it!

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For anyone who collects modern knives..it's a Shirogorov 110 Kickstop. It's an awesome flipper, and an easy $1700 on the secondary market. So the waki isn't cheap. But it fits into my main interests better, and add a kozuka and kogai, I think antique swords will hold value better than modern customs.
I'll do the deal. And then spend a few months trying to replace that knife anyways :glee:

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Hi Brian,

 

I had a sword very much like yours, many years ago, it was from the Heianjo group - muromachi period.  But,  it could be later, most likely shinto, pointing to the yakidashi, and simple boshi.

 

Regards,

 

Tom

Edited by Tom Darling
adding further info
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Hello Jacques,

It's not a round hole that gives away a drilled hole (usually), it's the perfectly symmetric, evenly pushed out burr on the back side, that is still very thin but still has a crisp edge on the burr. An older punched hole would(should) have aged by now, without a thin sharp burr still remaining.

But it's just an observation from a small photo, so.......

Mark

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I did ;-)
But I really miss that fancy Russian folder. Going to find a way to get one back.
The wak is showing some nice stuff under the right light. I'll try some video over the weekend. Fittings are very nice. Kogai is soft metal that bends easily in hand. Some form of copper? But it's a good one.

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