Unknown Japanese Sword followup.

[John H]

Hello,

 

I posted about Japanese sword my grandfather obtained during ww2. The name signed was nio kiyonaga. On another forum, it was thought to be from the 1500s and then outfitted for ww2 (pictures are in the previous post, with dimensions in the comments). I am really trying to find out more about the sword but unsure the best way to go about this. Any thoughts?

Thank you very much.

[Stephen]

John you should post on org inquiry. Or at least link it.

[Stephen]

Where is the Kiyonaga post???

Sorry I'm lost.

[Scogg]

Here is a link to his original post 

 

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/45515-unknown-Japanese-sword/#comment-471911

 

best of luck!

[John H]

It is probably my fault, I am new and not the best with electronics! Sorry!

 

Thank you Sam. 

[Guest Simon R]

You've probably found out everything you're going to. It's an old blade by someone called Kiyonaga in WWII mounts. From what little can be made out, it is out of polish and not worth restoring beyond oiling it and thinking fondly of your grandfather.

[vajo]

There are some swords signed nio kiyonaga from all periods. I would not say it is gimei. It looks shinto/ shinshinto but it is not that early Kiyonaga for sure.

If you like your fathers sword as a family treasure nothing speaks against a polish? You have some polishers in the States, much more possibilities than we in Europe. 

But its not an investment i think.

 

 

 

https://aucview-aucf...hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp

 

 

 

[Stephen]

5 hours ago, vajo said:

If you like your fathers sword as a family treasure nothing speaks against a polish? 

Absolutely nothing wrong with having it restored.

They don't have to be national treasures and if you're keeping it you don't worry about recouping the cost.

Ask Bruce.

[Scogg]

Hi John,

I also have a sword that I inherited from my grandfather. I treasure it dearly, and plan to have it restored. Not only for my grandfathers sake, but because its the first traditionally made Japanese sword I had ever seen, and it had fascinated me my entire life. Only now as an adult, have I grown to truly appreciate it and it's history. It also represents my entry into this fascinating subject. My sword is a Shinto blade (1597-1780), and it will never be worth the money I will put into it, and that's OK. Preserving a sword so it survives the next hundred/s years is always a noble goal in my opinion

I've been reading and studying for a couple years and am still very much a beginner. Take my observations with a grain of salt. Because of the condition your sword is in, its hard to say much about it. What I can say is that the shape is Shinogi-Zukuri, and the tip is Chu-Kissaki. It has a WW2 Tsuba (guard), and what looks like a WW2 leather saya(scabbard) cover. I don't recognize the Tsuka (handle) as war issued, but I haven't seen everything. It's signed Kiyonaga 二王清永 thanks to the translation from @vajo, and I would believe his opinion on age being Shinto (1597-1780) or Shinshinto (1780-1876)

I can see the hamon, but not clearly enough to determine the type or style. Is there anything written on the other side of the Nakago(tang)??

Again, I am a mere learner, so grain of salt and everything. But I hope I helped explain some things

Cheers!

Edited July 13, 2023 by GeorgeLuucas
humble clarification on time studying

[John H]

I think the plan is to have it restored whether it is worth the money or not. We never plan on selling it and if my grandchildren will eventually inherit the sword, then that makes it worth it. I will say I was surprised to see that every inch costs around $50-150 but we can make do, haha. I truly appreciate all of the input. 

 

There is no other writing on other side of the Nakago.

[Scogg]

46 minutes ago, John H said:

I think the plan is to have it restored whether it is worth the money or not. We never plan on selling it and if my grandchildren will eventually inherit the sword, then that makes it worth it. I will say I was surprised to see that every inch costs around $50-150 but we can make do, haha. I truly appreciate all of the input. 

 

There is no other writing on other side of the Nakago.

Good to hear John. I imagine it will look really beautiful once it's restored, and at that point you will be able to learn a lot more from it

Very expensive I know, but it will be a very special heirloom 

Cheers!