First Nihonto, all thoughts welcome

[Toki]

Hello everyone,
After being interested in Nihonto for a while now, mainly due to practicing katana related martial arts, I managed to acquire my first one during a recent trip to Japan. It arrived last week, and I finally got the chance to try and take some pictures on the weekend, I will attach them below since I don´t know how to post them into the text here.

While I am aware that this is by no means a top tier blade, the overall shape with the elongated Kissaki were quite attractive to me and it checked most of the boxes I wanted for my first blade. Furthermore it comes in full Koshirae, which at leas the Fuchi and Kashira are matching in a Takara-zukushi theme (not sure about the Tsuba honestly) and the Menuki seem resemble abalone shells. The main thing I was looking for was a blade at a reasonable price point where it doesn´t break the bank and that is pleasing to look at (for me). Also, I wanted to buy my first one in person, since it´s hard for me, as a beginner, to judge blades from pictures alone. The experience was well worth it, as I got introduced to proper maintenance as well as the basics for studying Japanese blades in person at the shop (for the record, I read a few books already but it´s always nice to learn in person). A visit at a nearby sword museum gave a nice closure to the day.

For the blade itself:
It is a shortened Wakizashi from around the Momoyama Period (Tensho). Due to it being a suriage blade, it is Mumei.
The Nagasa is 44.6cm.
Hamon seems to be Gunome mixed with Notare.
As mentioned it has Koshirae as well as a Shirasaya.

There are a few rust spots on the blade, but I was told those are inactive and not threatening to the blade.

Let me know what you think

Also, while writing this post I realized I forgot to take proper pictures of the overall suguta, so the phone pics will have to do for now.

[Toki]

Pictures of the overall blade: 

[Hoshi]

Hi Erik, 

 

Congratulations on your first purchase. 

 

It appears to be a nice, honest first sword. What I can say is that the shape appears sturdy, typical of the Momoyama period where the model that the smiths of the period aimed for were the (now) O-suriage Nambokucho pieces, by the likes of Kanemitsu, Chogi, Shizu, and others. Beyond that, we can't see any details on the blade itself to really comment.

 

The fittings are better than the usual cobbled up koshirae. It's a nice matching theme, executed in iron.  

 

I hope it will ignite the passion and serve as a portal into this mysterious world. 

 

I remember my first sword. Like yours, it was no masterwork, to say the least - but it made me deeply curious about the field, and it brought me a lot of joy at the time. 

 

I wish you much enjoyment, 

 

Hoshi 

[Toki]

Thank you a lot for your kind words @Hoshi

 

I tried capturing detail like hada etc, but with little success. It was visible on some, but I imagine its impossible to see, not that they are cropped like that.

 

I actually forgot to include it, but it has NTHK papers, which attribute it to Noshu Den Kanesaki, stating the estimate era as Tensho.

 

It sure does its job at bringing me joy and giving me things to dive into more

 

All the best 

Erik