Interesting sword, Very heavy

[Lareon]

at some point i'll have the sword again and i'll take better photos in the studio setup but until then I just have these rough shots.

[Ian B3HR2UH]

The mounts are exactly what you would expect from something made in the 1860s and not from something made in the 1940s. Let's not drift off into fantasy land though with talk about executioners swords

[ROKUJURO]

With a blade that seems to be off "normal" by so much, I can accept any speculation.

With a KASANE of 12,7 mm (really?) and a likely hand-painted HAMON, it can be anything.

[Toki]

Is there any symbolism to this type of Hamon? It seems pretty rhythmic, with a "point" between two "peaks" with a pretty similar looking distance between each of those spots

[Alex A]

Cant remember ever a situation here where im looking at a saya to verify the age of a sword

 

Thanks for adding the koshirae, must admit, the saya makes it more convincing but thats not enough. 

 

The tsuka has been rewrapped and the same is not original either, perhaps a later tsuka. The tsuba looks awkward on this koshirae. 

 

Anyways, its not easy judging swords from images, but do you ever get that feeling when you see a blade and something just feels off.

 

Mainly the nakago for me, dont like the kissaki and as Jean points out above. odd.

 

 

[Scogg]

My first impression, and current feeling, is a monster of a shinshinto sword.

I personally don't like speculating very hard on Nakago corrosion/condition when it's so dependent on storage and whether or not it's been unadulterated since original forging. Especially after koto.

I'm inclined to agree with Ian.
-Sam

[ROKUJURO]

We would like to help Tony with a convincing assessment, but in this case, I am reminded of Plato's Allegory of the Cave. With these images, we are just discussing shadows on the wall.

[Alex A]

Maybe in hand, the nakago will look better

 

Though what i see here in this image does not strike me as a typical 160 year old sword,

 

[Lareon]

no it's not easy to judge the sword by images but everything about this was odd. the weight was so heavy, the kasane was huge, half an inch or 1.27cm whichever system you want, the lack of sori. the whole thing was something I hadn't seen before. if i get more than a few minutes with it again I'll spend time documenting it more and taking better photos. 
almost 2kg felt like a pry bar in weight. 

[ROKUJURO]

Tony,

it's funny that you are saying that! In the knifemaker's language, an unusually thick knife (some customers seem to like that) is mockingly called a "sharp prybar"!

With that KASANE, I would have expected a MIHABA of 50 mm!

[Alex A]

Thanks Tony for the extra picture.

 

To me, the nakago looks odd. As in not too old, a lack of natural patina is the best way to describe it. 

 

Also, ive never heard of a sword so thick, which is also odd.

[Lareon]

"butchers blade" was the first thought i had when i picked up up, the weight of an odachi but not elegant.

[Alex A]

Its getting into Kubutowari type territory, really unusual.  

 

Interesting though, thanks

[Lareon]

i know i said it a couple of times but the habaki was extra heavy, i mean really heavy, i didn't weigh it but as with the sword itself it surprised me. I know that doesn't mean anything but it was clearly a choice to make it that heavy

[Shugyosha]

Perhaps to bring the balance point closer to the tsuka? I can remember one sword l that was quite long, that unfortunately I can’t reference, where there were metal strips in the grip presumably for that purpose. 
 

Or maybe because an outsize blade needs something to absorb the unusual shock of a strike? Just guessing. 

[PNSSHOGUN]

It appears the Tsuka and Tsuba are later additions, the proportions are all off compared to the Saya. 

[Alex A]

12 hours ago, Lareon said:

the weight was so heavy, the kasane was huge, half an inch or 1.27cm whichever system you want, the lack of sori.
almost 2kg felt like a pry bar in weight. 

 

 

Thinking about that, i cant imagine quenching an half inch thick blade and expecting much sori. It also makes me start to think about how the hamon is so defined. Its more defined than that of high quality smiths working on typical thickness blades. That would be one hell of a blade to create, you would think the smith would be proud enough to finish off with a neat yasurime and a mei.

 

Anyways, it is interesting and i will genuinely be glad for those that called it right, should it be right. To me its an oddball

 

Some of us always err on the side of caution and look at items with suspicion, that's a natural process with antiques, i find.