Tanto with shinogi and yokote

[Mark S.]

Currently on EBay, there is a mumei tanto length blade for sale that has a shinogi line as well as yokote.  As has been discussed on NMB in the past this ‘usually’ (nihonto rule - never say never or ‘always’) indicates a tanto fashioned from the end of a katana or wakizashi and wasn’t intended this way… and is considered a bit of a nihonto faux pas as tanto were not ‘made’ in this form.  What is interesting is that it has NBTHK Hozon paper.  
 

Just for discussion sake, do you believe the reasoning they papered it was just as in the case of a naginata-naoshi or a yari cut down and mounted as a tanto?  Based on previous discussions I was able to find, it just seems tanto with shinogi and yokote seems to be a more ‘egregious’ modification?  
 

https://www.ebay.com...r=artemis&media=COPY

 

If this belongs in the General Discussion area, please feel free to move.

[Franco D]

Quote

Hozon Token
1) Edo and earlier blades with correct mei, or mumei blades on which the time period, kuni and group can be identified, may receive Hozon paper.

 

http://nihontocraft....hinsa_Standards.html

 

Regards,

[vajo]

For me it looks like a cut down Katana from shinto period. 

 

Nice Hamon with a lot of activity.

 

 

 

 

[Mark S.]

What follows is a bit of a thread back in 2014 that I found, which is why I brought this subject up.  Main portion was Darcy’s response to a question:
 

“Question for everyone: Has there ever been a high quality shinogi zukuri tanto?”

 

Darcy: I haven't. I asked Bob Benson about this too and he gave the thumbs down.  Any tanto with a shinogi that is acceptable seems to be either moroha-zukuri, osoraku-zukuri or some other derivative. The yokote is bad news on a tanto. It's a curious thing about why it's so abhorrent. But it just looks like sin on its face. Since form follows function it would appear then to make the argument for the tanto as primarily a stabbing weapon, and that the yokote exists to manufacture a kissaki, which exists to top off a cutting instrument. Which is not of course breaking new ground for anyone here, but just interesting that it logically follows from something so simple.

[Brian]

Exceptions include Boy's day and mamori-gatana that have all the dimensions scaled down. This could be a cut down wakizashi, or depending on how it looks next to a short wakizashi..maybe made that way as a scaled down sword.

[Mark S.]

Snicker… snicker… Brian said “mamori”…