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Please help/advise. What can you tell me about this sword?


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Posted

Hi,

 

I have an interesting sword IMO and some assumptions, but I would love to hear what forum members can tell me about it!

 

Nagasa 47cm, sori 1,9mm, motohaba 29mm

 

 

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Posted
12 hours ago, lonely panet said:

bizen crabclaw

That was my guess too. 

 

12 hours ago, lonely panet said:

that crabs still malting 

What do you mean by that?

 

11 hours ago, Rivkin said:

lots of acid

Can you elaborate on that? Are you referring to polish? 

Posted

That Hamon is the reason why this sword caught my eye. Not many smiths were doing Kani no Tsume, and as for Bizen there is a big name behind it. I think that Hadori is sloppy and this blade would look much better in Shashikomi. Hada is very nice and tight. 'Crab claws' are irregular and wild. Mumei makes it a mystery which I'm hoping to solve on this forum. 

 

Please let me know if any additional pictures (what exactly is needed) could help forum members to tell me more about this sword. 

Posted

I believe they're referring to an acid etch that's done on a sword to make certain elements of it stand out more (this can be hamon or jigane, depending on how the etch is applied). Needless to say that's heavily frowned upon by Nihonto connoisseurs.

Posted

It does look acid etched.

What's the best way to stabilise it and ensure no further damage?

 

Just the usual cleaning and oil routine, but more often? Leave it, or something else?

Posted
3 minutes ago, eternal_newbie said:

acid etch that's done on a sword

I see, but I don't understand why the assumption it was done like that. I have this sword at hand, comparing to other swords in my collection I can't tell it is different in a specific way. 

 

@Rivkin  @Mikaveli Can you please explain why do you think it was acid etch? I would like to learn the way to determine that. 

Posted
4 minutes ago, lonely panet said:

the nakago has also be aged to look  old or to cover  something. check for a removed mei

Again, looking at the sword at hand I don't have such a feeling. Maybe it is due to pictures quality. I will try to take more photos this night, with different light. 

Posted
4 minutes ago, 2devnul said:

 

 

@Rivkin  @Mikaveli Can you please explain why do you think it was acid etch? I would like to learn the way to determine that. 

 

Largely just the prominence / highlighting effect of the hada - to me, it looks artificially exaggerated.

 

But, I'm certainly no expert, so just take it as a thread of enquiry to rule out.

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Posted

My instinct leans toward Sue-Seki or Sue-Bizen. Both possibilities share characteristics with your blade, particularly the nakago and nakago-jiri (end of the nakago)

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Posted
7 hours ago, Mikaveli said:

It does look acid etched.

What's the best way to stabilise it and ensure no further damage?

It is stable in this condition. If you want it to look differently, it will have to be polished, but the HAMON is as it is; you cannot make the HATARAKI disappear completely.

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Posted
15 hours ago, charlesf said:

'nagashi' (polisher's marks) are questionable

 

Hadori on this one is sloppy in my opinion. I do not think a master Togishi was working on this sword. Some say it was acid etched. Polish is in good condition but I have a feeling it has few decades. 

 

What we have here is in my opinion late Muromachi (or very early Edo) Sue-Bizen with:

1. Very distinctive Nakago shape, especially ending of it. 

2. Tight Itame/Mokume Hada.

3. Wild/irregular Kani no Tsune Hamon. 

 

Based on the owner's story sword was purchased in Japan in an antique shop that don't specialize in swords (mostly ceramics and other Asian antiques). Shop owner has no knowledge about the swords and he was selling this on behalf of sword owner as per commission. Sword owner was looking for fast cash instead of having family heirloom. 

 

So, any educated guesses? Who might be the smith? 

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