Help Identifying Katana — Signature on Tang, Antique or Modern?

[Olga]

Hello everyone,

 

I recently acquired a Japanese-style katana and I’m hoping for some expert input. I’m trying to determine whether this is a modern reproduction or if it may have some antique value.

 

 

Details:

 

 

• Full tang construction
• Sharp, curved blade
• Traditional green tsuka-ito wrapping with floral menuki
• Brass tsuba with carved design
• Saya is black lacquered wood with green sageo
• Two kanji characters engraved on the tang: 南 守 (“Minami Mamoru” or “Protect from the South”?)

 

Questions:

 

 

1. Is this sword likely to be a modern battle-ready replica?
2. Does the mei (signature) on the tang match any known smith or workshop?
3. Any indication of age based on fittings, nakago, or blade shape?
4. Estimated value range?

 

 

Thank you so much for your time — any feedback is deeply appreciated!

 

Best regards,

Olga

[Joseph P.]

Hello Olga,

 

First off, welcome to the forum. This probably should have been posted in the "Nihonto" section, but the admins will move it when they get to it.

 

Having more pictures is necessary, but from the single photo provided it appears to be a genuine Japanese sword. It is reminiscent of a World War 2 era sword, these may be non-standard fittings (Gunzoku), as the menuki under the handle wrap appears to be from an army gunto. Though usually the saya will not have sageo for World war 2 era swords.

 

Please wait for the experts to chime in as they will be able to provide a translation and more information. Also please post a few more photos if possible, especially of the blade itself.

[SteveM]

Mei is 兼定　(Kanesada), not 南守. 

 

I don't have much confidence in the authenticity of the mei. 

[Rivkin]

Very poor pictures and problematic setup. Modern cast chinese tsuba. Tsuka looks somewhat better, but again pictures are bad.

Very poor yasurime on the sword. Sharp, intense contours of nakago.

Two options - circa 1945 production/possibly memento circa 1946, or entirely modern fake.

[reinhard]

The tsuka is wrapped the wrong way.

The crossings of the Ito must alternate right over left, left over right...and so on, which is not the case here.

The mei looks to me as if it had been scratched(?) over an artificially blackened tang.

Agree with cast tsuba of non-Japanese origin and very bad filemarks on nakago.

All in all a spurious assembly of parts.

Sorry Olga

 

reinhard

 

 

 

 

[ROKUJURO]

21 hours ago, Olga said:

         Traditional green tsuka-ito wrapping with floral menuki
       Brass tsuba with carved design

 

1. Is this sword likely to be a modern battle-ready replica?
2. Does the mei (signature) on the tang match any known smith or workshop?
3. Any indication of age based on fittings, nakago, or blade shape?
4. Estimated value range?

 

Hi Olga,

as others have written, the TSUKA-ITO is not traditionally wrapped.
The brass TSUBA is cast, not carved.

1) What battle are you especially thinking of? I'd like to suggest a bamboo forest, so hopefully no one gets hurt
2) Yes, there were many KANESADA sword-smiths in the past which is why they chose this MEI
3) Probably 1 to 3 years 
4) no collectors value, but market price may be around $ 50 - 100.--

I am sorry for you in case you bought this as a Japanese sword.