Help identifying kozuka from the flea market

[Akaei]

Hello everyone,

I found this blade at the flea market, does anyone have information on: when it was made/by whom/does the image describe a story from Japanese folklore? I bought it for 100 euros. 

[Dan tsuba]

Hello member Akaei !

 

And welcome to this great forum!

 

I don’t know much about the kozuka (handle) and kogatana (blade) that you have shown (although the kozuka looks very interesting).  I am certain other members will tell you everything you want to know.

 

However, it looks to me like the kogatana (blade) is very short.  Could it be that the blade appears short because it has been pushed back into the kozuka (handle)?

 

If it has, be careful trying to take it out of the handle.  I have a few of these kogatana blades that are old, and they can still be as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel !

 

With respect,

Dan

[Gunome]

Hello,

Nice kozuka. You did a bargain at 100€ ! 

 

[Akaei]

1 hour ago, Dan tsuba said:

Hello member Akaei !

 

And welcome to this great forum!

 

I don’t know much about the kozuka (handle) and kogatana (blade) that you have shown (although the kozuka looks very interesting).  I am certain other members will tell you everything you want to know.

 

However, it looks to me like the kogatana (blade) is very short.  Could it be that the blade appears short because it has been pushed back into the kozuka (handle)?

 

If it has, be careful trying to take it out of the handle.  I have a few of these kogatana blades that are old, and they can still be as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel !

 

With respect,

Dan

Hello and thank you! That is it’s length actually, I took it out a couple of times, and I just realized when you said it that it is short when compared with other ones yes! I wonder why

[Dan tsuba]

You're more than welcome Akaei !

 

Maybe some better pictures of the kogatana (out of the kozuka) and better close up pictures of the kozuka may be of help to members to answer your questions ? 

 

With respect,

Dan

[Bugyotsuji]

They were essentially a ultility knife, and only the 'kozuka' (small handle) was the essential work of art. The blades were therefore to be used for anything and everything, and sharpened as necessary. Blades were, and still are replaceable. Old blades are still valuable, but their quality varies considerably. Your blade has probably been sharped and shortened, but it is still better than nothing or a totally new blade. You can take your time and look for another one that fits, and swap it out, if it bothers you. Nice find! 

[Brian]

Agree with Piers. This has been drastically shortened through repeated use and sharpening. Not uncommon.

[Akaei]

12 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

They were essentially a ultility knife, and only the 'kozuka' (small handle) was the essential work of art. The blades were therefore to be used for anything and everything, and sharpened as necessary. Blades were, and still are replaceable. Old blades are still valuable, but their quality varies considerably. Your blade has probably been sharped and shortened, but it is still better than nothing or a totally new blade. You can take your time and look for another one that fits, and swap it out, if it bothers you. Nice find! 

Thank you! I actually like it this way, it gives the feeling that it was actually used in some way by someone. What do you think it was used for so that it needed such sharpening? 

[Akaei]

5 hours ago, Brian said:

Agree with Piers. This has been drastically shortened through repeated use and sharpening. Not uncommon.

What do you think it was used for, and do you think it would be an indication of the era of which it was made in, being that it was used frequently? 
 

[Akaei]

13 hours ago, Dan tsuba said:

You're more than welcome Akaei !

 

Maybe some better pictures of the kogatana (out of the kozuka) and better close up pictures of the kozuka may be of help to members to answer your questions ? 

 

With respect,

Dan

Yes good idea I should do that. 

[Brian]

It was the equivalent of an EDC Swiss Army Knife...so it was used for everything. Everything except combat.

[Bugyotsuji]

With a kozuka you could whittle sticks, and even make mekugi pins. In Kyushu they had a little fleam in the sheath called a Bashin/Umabari, for bloodletting from horses' legs. (I was going to write more, but Brian beat me to it above!) 

 

Without giving away the story, it played a vital role in the Japanese film 'The Hidden Blade' Kakushi Ken, Oni no tsume..

you tube 映画 隠し剣 鬼 の 爪 - Bing video

[Akaei]

30 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

With a kozuka you could whittle sticks, and even make mekugi pins. In Kyushu they had a little fleam in the sheath called a Bashin/Umabari, for bloodletting from horses' legs. (I was going to write more, but Brian beat me to it above!) 

 

Without giving away the story, it played a vital role in the Japanese film 'The Hidden Blade' Kakushi Ken, Oni no tsume..

you tube 映画 隠し剣 鬼 の 爪 - Bing video

Very very interesting! Given that it was used frequently for such activities, that it needed often sharpening, could we say that it wasn’t used solely as a ceremonial-decorational item but its welder was an active samurai?    

[Akaei]

40 minutes ago, Brian said:

It was the equivalent of an EDC Swiss Army Knife...so it was used for everything. Everything except combat.

Thanks for the information

[dimitri]

the kozuka is very beautiful, rare to find it at flea markets these days, nice deal and it is superb, moreover the handle looks very clean and well detailed.

[Akaei]

4 minutes ago, dimitri said:

the kozuka is very beautiful, rare to find it at flea markets these days, nice deal and it is superb, moreover the handle looks very clean and well detailed.

Thank you, a lot of gold on the handle has worn off I think, I’m debating whether I should keep it this way or restore it with gold. 

[dimitri]

I would say leave it as it is, the kozuka is a few years old, it's proof of time. after personally, I will leave like that.