Opinions on a possible purchase Tadayoshi Katana

[stevel48]

I'm fairly new at this so I wantes to see what you experts think of the blade. Needs a polish.

 

signed: Tadayoshi 忠義

 

Links to photos

 

http://proxy.f3.ymdb.yahoofs.jp/users/4 ... LBRO_wz08C

 

http://proxy.f3.ymdb.yahoofs.jp/users/4 ... LBI7UosDA4

[leo]

Hi, Stevel!

 

I am not a superexpert, but as far as I can see, it has a nice wild midare hamon and looks worth polishing. Not much more to tell from the photos. The nakago looks Shinshinto to me. There are several smiths from this period who signed Tadayoshi that way, even though the 2 character signature is unusual! There are two who might come close, one from Satsuma and one from Mino. Right now I am not near my oshigata books, but if I find something I`ll let you know.

 

Best regards,

Martin

[pcfarrar]

At first glance it looks more like a showa period gendaito. Either way restoration will be quite expensive and may not be worth it unless the sword is quite cheap.

[cisco-san]

I think it is this auction from well known Komonjo

http://cgi.ebay.at/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... K:MEWAX:IT

[stephan_hiller]

Hi Steve,

 

it is almost 100% certain that the blade is gimei. The Tadayoshi school was one of the most faked school as they made excellent swords and there are much more out there than could ever have been produced.

 

Mike (Komonjo) knows his swords well and although he has some nice pieces up for auction he does not guarantee for the signature and you get exactly from him what you can see in the pictures. I bought from Mike some time ago and was happy with what I got - I think he is an honest guy and if you ask for his opinion whether he thinks the sword is a genuine Tadayoshi you will get an honest response.

 

Stephan

[stevel48]

Yep, it's that ebay auction. So it may be a fake sugnature. It is cheap and you do get what you pay for so I think I'll keep looking for a nice sword with papers.

 

Thanks so much for the help everyone and I look forward to being part of these boards.

 

Steve

[Stephen]

didnt read the auction, but i doubt it was aluded to the Tadayoshi, there was a gendai smith with that name.

[stephan_hiller]

Stephen,

 

I think you are correct - it is the Gendai Tadayoshi. I only read "Tadayoshi" and had a quick view at the pictures as I knew that Mike was also selling several "Hizen Tadayoshi" recently and they were definitely Gimei.

 

Stephan

[pcfarrar]

I don't think its the well known gendai smith Kawashima Tadayoshi:

 

http://www.jp-sword.com/files/blade/tadayoshi/tadayoshi.htm

 

Maybe another?

[Jean]

Not the same Yoshi kanji - there are a lot of diffrent kanji reading Yoshi

[stevel48]

Well for the price point of 1000 USD what is the concensus? Is it worth spending the $ for a simple nihonto. I don't need the best of the best but just a good example of a nihonto sword to add to my worldy antiques collection. I would have it polished. The hamon that is hidden looks very nice..mimigata-midare

[cisco-san]

stevel48,

Forget the Mei, I you like this sword buy it. But don´t buy a sword just because of its Mei !!

If you want to buy a great sword with a great Mei on it - you have to spend much more money

[stevel48]

All I want to be sure of is that it is real. That is a nihonto from a time when the samurai were active and when swordmaking was a religios art. I just worry about well faked modern swords. So i'm wary as a new buyer of non paper swords. I'm reading and learnign as mich as I can about smiths, eras, mei etc etc

 

I hope I am not breaking board policy by posting a link to ebay but this is another option I am looking at as well as one sword listed in our forum for sale with papers. If the seller is correct it is from the era i prefer.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/SIGNED-SURIAGE-KOTO ... 5636dfcf77

[Grey Doffin]

I believe the mei on the sword on ebay which the seller lists as Naganori actually reads Nagahiro. The fuchi & kashira aren't a matched pair, the handle wrap looks to be very recent and inexpensively done without menuki, the tsuba looks to be Heianjo Zogan with almost all of the brass inlay missing, and the polish looks slapdash (Made In Hurry). I wonder if the few kizu he mentions are pictured or if they will be a surprise to the new owner.

All in all, this doesn't strike me as a bargain.

Grey

[stevel48]

The fuchi & kashira aren't a matched pair, the handle wrap looks to be very recent and inexpensively done without menuki, the tsuba looks to be Heianjo Zogan with almost all of the brass inlay missing, and the polish looks slapdash (Made In Hurry). Grey

 

 

Agreed. I'm waiting on some new photos of the blade to look at the ware. I would have the handle re-wrapped and the tsuba cleaned iup.