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Wakizashi translation and opinion needed


ChrisW

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Hey guys,

 

I've got a wakizashi of a friend here. He is curious about whether or not it makes sense to have restored. I told him it largely depends on the signature. The signature looks confidently written, but that could mean nothing. The blade has a clipped/snapped tip, but it appears to not pass through the hardened edge (a few mm of tip loss). The blade is about 18" (from what I remember, I'll change this once he gets back to me) and appears to have a suguha type hamon. It has a shirasaya with integral wooden habaki in poor condition but appears to have once been of good quality. The blade is quite stout and appears healthy enough to receive a polish. It gave me the impression of a Sukesada-type work.

My asks for my friend's blade are:

Translation of mei

Veracity of mei: shoshin or gimei?

Worth restoration or no?
General impression/opinion

Again, any help/feedback is appreciated guys,

 

Thanks!

 

~Chris

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Chris -

Looks like Hizen (no) Kuni Yoshitsugu - cannot comment on the veracity of the mei. You want an opinion, my opinion is that many blades are worht restoration regardless of the signature - bad signatures can be removed. We really need to see more photos of the blade itself - especially close ups of the jigane just above the habaki and below the kissaki - from what little I can see I think it very much is worth restoration.

-tom

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11 hours ago, ChrisW said:

Those were my thoughts too Barry. Rather hinges on whether or not the mei is any good, that was my initial assessment. Even then, a risky proposition.


Hi Chris,

Also, if a genuine mei, whether the smith was any good. There’s more than one generation, this one gets a fairly average 15 in Hawley’s: 

 

https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/YOS915

 

Also, you’d need to consider that Hizento often have thin outer steel so a polish might reveal an unsightly amount of core steel. I’d not put money into this. 

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Sorry - had to wait to get home and look at this on the tablet - I agree with Barry the tip is the most significant damage, that we can see. the question of restoration I think should go to a polisher - regardless of the validity of the mei - it would obviously be a labour of love since reshaping the kissaki would alter the original shape...

-t

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