Question about my Katana

[Seminara]

Hello, I've had this Katana for many years but know nothing about it.  Could anyone offer some information please?

[Geraint]

Dear Anthony.

 

Please see the coments on the tsuba in the other thread but please heed the advice about not cleaning anything.  Stone is not your friend, please only rest on cloth or wood to avoid damage.  From what we can see so far your sword appears to have been shortened as the nakago/tang is not the original shape and has threee mekugi ana/holes in it.  To tell you more we could do with seeing overall photographs of the bare blade rather like the example here, https://www.aoijapan.com/katana：-mumei-unsigned-harima-daijo-shigetakanbthk-hozon-token/

 

The menuki/hilt ornaments are of bows and quivers, the fuchi kashira/hilt fittings seem to be of bats, are they iron?

 

To confirm that it is a katana measure from the kissaki/tip to the mune machi/ notch on the back of the blade.

 

Look ofrwaerd to seeing more photographs and for now just keep the blade, not the nakago/tang lightly oiled unti we can point you in the direction of more help.

 

All the best.

[Seminara]

20 hours ago, Geraint said:

Dear Anthony.

 

Please see the coments on the tsuba in the other thread but please heed the advice about not cleaning anything.  Stone is not your friend, please only rest on cloth or wood to avoid damage.  From what we can see so far your sword appears to have been shortened as the nakago/tang is not the original shape and has threee mekugi ana/holes in it.  To tell you more we could do with seeing overall photographs of the bare blade rather like the example here, https://www.aoijapan.com/katana：-mumei-unsigned-harima-daijo-shigetakanbthk-hozon-token/

 

The menuki/hilt ornaments are of bows and quivers, the fuchi kashira/hilt fittings seem to be of bats, are they iron?

 

To confirm that it is a katana measure from the kissaki/tip to the mune machi/ notch on the back of the blade.

 

Look ofrwaerd to seeing more photographs and for now just keep the blade, not the nakago/tang lightly oiled unti we can point you in the direction of more help.

 

All the best.

Hello again, and again thanks for your knowledgeable feedback - I'm loving this site!    I will follow up with some better quality images from here:

[Seminara]

[Seminara]

[Nihonto student]

Dear Antony,

 

based on the measurements, I confirm you that this is a katana. Given the condition of the blade, it is impossible to attribute it to a specific school or smith. Regarding the period, despite the worn yokote, the tip appears to me to be ō-kissaki (large point). Considering that is *ō-suriage* (significantly shortened), I would lean towards dating it to the late Muromachi era (1550–1600); however, this is merely an opinion based on limited information, and other users might offer further insights. In any case, I believe it is worth having it examined by an expert, there could be some potential.

 

All the best

 

Giordy

[Seminara]

On 7/3/2026 at 10:13 AM, Nihonto student said:

Dear Antony,

 

based on the measurements, I confirm you that this is a katana. Given the condition of the blade, it is impossible to attribute it to a specific school or smith. Regarding the period, despite the worn yokote, the tip appears to me to be ō-kissaki (large point). Considering that is *ō-suriage* (significantly shortened), I would lean towards dating it to the late Muromachi era (1550–1600); however, this is merely an opinion based on limited information, and other users might offer further insights. In any case, I believe it is worth having it examined by an expert, there could be some potential.

 

All the best

 

Giordy

Hello Giordy,

 

Many thanks for your informed input.  I never realised it could potentially be that old, as the blade doesn't seem to display a hamon.  

 

I live in Kent, UK.  Is there any sort of listing of Japanese sword experts in the UK?

 

Thanks again,

Anthony

 

[Geraint]

Dear Anthony.

 

Have a look here, doable from Kent as the majority of the meetings are London based.  Well worth joining up.

https://to-ken.uk/

 

All the best.

[Seminara]

Hello Geraint,

 

That is fantastic!  Thanks so much, this is such a FANTASTIC forum!  ❤️👍👍

[Nihonto student]

4 hours ago, Seminara said:

Hello Giordy,

 

Many thanks for your informed input.  I never realised it could potentially be that old, as the blade doesn't seem to display a hamon.  

 

I live in Kent, UK.  Is there any sort of listing of Japanese sword experts in the UK?

 

Thanks again,

Anthony

 

Hello Anthony,

 

always a pleasure to help, as I mentioned, mine is just an opinion based on a photo and a measurement, though I do think it’s a safe bet given the available information. I should clarify, however, that even if my intuition is correct, the fact that it is 400–500 years old doesn't make it rare or valuable in itself, that was the peak period of production in Japanese history, and the average quality of the work tends to be lower than in other eras but that doesn't mean great pieces can't be found.
Regarding your blade: first, I recommend checking the forum's FAQ, especially the sections on care and maintenance, if you can't see the hamon doesn't mean it isn't there, blades become dull over time, especially if not properly cared for. Yours would likely need polishing by a professional togishi (don't try to do anything yourself this isn't a job for sandpaper, and you risk permanently ruining the blade). However, polishing is expensive, and I’m not sure if there is a qualified, recognized togishi in the UK (Geraint might be able to advise you on that), so you might have to consider sending it abroad. That’s why I suggest having someone look at it in person to see if it’s worth it, I'm sure at Token Society of GB you will receive the best advices.

 

If you'd like, keep us informed of developments 

 

Kind Regards,

 

Giordy