Need your expertise on wakizashi.

[Nazar]

Need your expertise on wakizashi.

 

Yesterday night one local seller approached me offering this Wakizashi.  The price he asks is USD 3850.  Seller states total length is 80cm, length of blade 57cm.

 

He sent me a bunch of photos along with some photos of  Tokubetsu Kicho Origami.  And Origami became my main concern. I figured that it was issued in 1970, and found the article on how to read it. Yet, I found the section where description has to be confusing to read. The section where mei has to be does not match mei on photos of nakago in Origami.  Also I noticed that photos of nakago stamped with a round stamp that looks like a stamped seal from Tokubetsu Hozon papers. I went through some Tokubetsu Kicho Origami  pictures and none of them have round stamped seals. They all have identical rectangular stamps on areas with pictures and with writings.

 

 

 

 

I asked Jean (ROKUJURO) for help. Thanks to him for his expertise and especially for confirmation that my confusion of Origami wasn't baseless!

 

Ater Jean's words it all clicked together.  The papers turned out to be tampered.  As you may see, the photos of Nakago were made on the  graph paper. It intrigued me from the start since such kind of paper was (and is) popular here. I used it as a student and later on I used it in my workshop to make blueprints for some complicated shapes. Meanwhile, photos for Green Paper Origami usually have a plain paper for background. I was taking a closer look at the stamp on photos when I noticed something so obvious that it's a shame I didn't notice it earlier. There is +38 and part of 0 visible on the blank edge of graph paper. It's an international code for Ukrainian phone numbers. Obviously it's part of a phone number printed by the manufacturer of graph paper that was used by some local "geniuses" for the background of nakago photos. And sure, after that one may spot the remains of the original picture/photo and the red rectangular seal in between photos of nakago.  

 

 

However, I like this wakizashi and its fittings, especially habaki. So I am interested in the opinion of this community on this sword. 

 

Here is a complete set of photos sent to me by the seller: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YXsMuJVrYOapahQZp7eoXg0Z4kzNURi4?usp=sharing

 

 

 

I believe I may figured family of swordsmiths with this signature 備中守橘康廣 (if signature is genuine of course):

 

https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/YAS804

 

https://nihontoclub.com/swords/0000-0766

 

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/10073-absolute-amateur-needs-translation-help/

 

 

 

[Nazar]

Some photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jacques]

Unfortunately it's gimei :

 

[ChrisW]

Old Kicho papers. Almost always you should disregard them.

Edit: To explain, there was a major scandal in the 1970's where it was found out that there was Yakuza meddling in the papering process that resulted in probably thousands of blades getting papers that should have not. This scandal nearly broke the NBTHK and forced a completely new papering system and rule set to be devised so as to de-legitimize the old ones. When you see old Kicho papers, you should dismiss them as force of habit and judge the blade on its own merits. Not to say that all old papers aren't correct; but by now, most blades have been repapered in the new system and thus what is left is highly likely to be false.

[Rawa]

"Photos attached to certificate". Pass

[Shugyosha]

Hi Nazar, 

I'm sorry but someone has switched the photo on the papers: the description relates to an Echizen Shimosaka blade and not the one you have or are looking to buy.

 

If you haven’t bought it already, please don’t. 

[Nazar]

Thank you, Jaques! Alas for the sword, I liked it. 

 

Chris, thank you for the great story. 

 

Marcin, as I said, I liked this wakizashi. So if it was not gimei I'd consider buying it even with no papers (with some negotiations on price, sure).

 

Thank you, John! Thank you for the information! Yes, I figured out that photos were replaced by some local persons.  Will not buy this sword. 

 

This whole story may be sad for the seller, but I believe he will worm his way out with this wakizashi. For me it was very educational, so thanks once more to all who participated in this topic!

[Ed]

Easy to spot scam, and never mind it is gimei. The sword is signed Bitch no Kami Tachibana Yasuhiro.  The papers say Echizen Shimosaka.

 

This is a prime example of why newbies should study more before they make a purchase. Fortunately, there are resources online today.

[Nazar]

 

Thank you, Ed.

 

If you read through my first post, you may find that before I created the topic I already knew the papers were fake. 

 

As you said, fortunately there are resources online today, so I did exactly as you said. I studied and figured out on my own that:

 

First,  the papers don't match the actual mei on nakago.

Second, the round stamped seal shouldn't be on green papers.

And third, papers were tampered locally in Ukraine. 

 

After this I disregarded papers, but I still was interested in this wakizashi, papers or no papers.I figured out that the mei is  Bitch no Kami Tachibana Yasuhiro and (thanks to this very Board) managed to find that there were four generation of swordsmiths that signed swords in this way. Yet, as the papers turned out to be a scam, I had to find out if the mei was genuine.

 

Exactly at this stage I asked for expertise on the sword. Thanks to Jacques, he confirmed my fears that this wakizashi is gimei. 

 

So I believe I did my homework before I bothered you. 

[Geraint]

Dear Both.

 

While we have no evidence about Yasuhiro's personality calling him Bitch Yasuhiro is a bit strong!

 

Bitchu Yasuhiro.

 

All the best.

[Nazar]

Thank you Geraint! Shame on me for ctrl+c ctrl+v 

[Ed]

8 hours ago, Nazar said:

 

Thank you, Ed.

 

If you read through my first post, you may find that before I created the topic I already knew the papers were fake. 

 

As you said, fortunately there are resources online today, so I did exactly as you said. I studied and figured out on my own that:

 

First,  the papers don't match the actual mei on nakago.

Second, the round stamped seal shouldn't be on green papers.

And third, papers were tampered locally in Ukraine. 

 

After this I disregarded papers, but I still was interested in this wakizashi, papers or no papers.I figured out that the mei is  Bitch no Kami Tachibana Yasuhiro and (thanks to this very Board) managed to find that there were four generation of swordsmiths that signed swords in this way. Yet, as the papers turned out to be a scam, I had to find out if the mei was genuine.

 

Exactly at this stage I asked for expertise on the sword. Thanks to Jacques, he confirmed my fears that this wakizashi is gimei. 

 

So I believe I did my homework before I bothered you. 

 

No bother to me at all. I am happy to help if I can.  Glad to see you did some research on your own.  Research is fulfilling on its own, especially if the item is yours. Great lesson for all newbies to do the research before purchasing, it pays off.  

[Tohagi]

Tachibana Yasuhiro (from kyoto yamashiro) is quite a big name.

Even without seeing the meï I really do not think this waki worth that money.

 

You've been smart to take an advice here !

Best,

Eric