Opinions on this smallish wakizashi

[firebee1976]

So... I've been perusing the antique shops around Eugene and I ran into an interesting setup. I wasn't able to get a good look at the nakago, but the wakizashi appears to be a smallish aikuchi style setup with a tsuka and saya that's made out of ivory and has imari style decoration? Unfortunately, the saya is a little damaged about 6-7 inches from the koiguchi. I've been looking around to find something similar and see if the price the guy is asking is semi-reasonable, but to no avail... I can't find anything. Has anybody heard of or seen anything that resembles what I'm talking about?

[pcfarrar]

Most ivory stuff is late 19th century tourist trash. Very rare that they have decent blades.

[Grey Doffin]

I agree totally. Often the mounts are bone gussied up to look like old ivory, but even if ivory they are almost always dock work (sold near the dock to sell to departing tourists).

Grey

[firebee1976]

I never got to take a good look at the blade, so... I should probably make the guy take the blade apart and get a better look at the blade, take some pictures and get some more input on it. The guy's only charging 300.00 for it, so I didn't expect it to be a fantastic blade, but at the same time... the guy doesn't know anything about the wakizashi, so I thought it might be something to look into. You never know when you'll find a diamond in the rough. Maybe if I'm really lucky... It'll be a semi-decent blade remounted in the tourist crap. I know it's unlikely, but it doesn't hurt to check it out.

[Brian]

Expect it to be low class tourist. Most are, as explained. Often you will find a small waki or tanto sized blade with shinogi zukuri that seems wrongly shaped.

First step is to check mekugi ana. If one..then usually original and low class. If more than one, it has some (very small) chance.

 

It is like all those cane swords. 99% are junk, but there is always that 1% that ensures you have to check them out first before writing them off.

 

If touristy ivory/bone as typically found, then $300 isn't a decent deal. That would be about average price.

 

Brian

[firebee1976]

Thanks for all the input guys... That helps me out a ton. I guess I'll have to go back and check that blade out some more.

[Ted Tenold]

I hear the best place for finding diamonds in the rough is in Kimberlite pipes. :lol:

 

The odds that something good is in those mounts are astronomically slim, especially if the mounts are bone sections and not ivory. Even most examples of the very best carved ivory koshirae usually had less than appreciable blades in them because the work was about the ivory carving, not the blade holding them together. Good luck with it but don't psych yourself up for a major disappointment.

[firebee1976]

Well, I got a better look at that wakizashi and it is what it is. There was only one mekugi ana, the fittings were retarded paper thin brass fittings and there wasn't any signature on the nakago. On the brightside... It does appear to be real ivory. I talked to the lady about giving it up for 200.00, but she has to talk to her husband about it. I guess we'll see what happens.

[Gunome]

It does appear to be real ivory.

Probably bones

 

Sebastien