Mei Help...:( I know very little

[max_levy]

hello everyone

I have a complete fascination with Japanese swords, armour and history, but my knowledge is yet to catch up with my enthusiasm,

Could anyone enlighten me on further information regarding this Katana, im afraid its the only shot I have and is a bit hard to read, any info would be great, sowrdsmith, era etc?

 

Thanks again

 

Max

[Stephen]

izumi no Kami Fujiwara Kunisada saku early to mid 1600s

[max_levy]

wow thats pretty much everything I could have asked for! thanks so much! does it look genuine?

Thanks again

[cabowen]

pictures of the blade would help. he is a famous smith with many fakes...

[max_levy]

 

Im afraid these are all the images I have, I know they're pretty poor too! comes in a worn black lacquer saya too....do you think its a Mei or Gimei?

 

Many thanks for your time! I really admire your knowledge!

 

Max

[max_levy]

Found one more of the blade edge although I'm not too sure it helps much

[W K Clifford]

don't buy it....gimei

[doug e lewis]

wild tsuba! got any pix of that?

[max_levy]

So is this a relatively modern sword and fittings? or an early fake? does it have any value?

[Stephen]

fitting are above avg. id say buy it dont worry about gimei....we have to many experts on the board to call a quick gimei when they dont have the right to make the call. if the price is right and its a sound sword, buy the blade not the mei.

[doug e lewis]

the old stephen is the man. still would like to see tsuba --- both sides. just looks wild. Love to see the comments from the tsuba guys. do the menuki and tsuba have same theme? amd redt of the fittings? Inquiring minds want to know.

[doug e lewis]

all swords have value... just how much is the ?????

[max_levy]

thanks a lot for all you input, sadly these photos are all i can get hold of. I'd like to buy it, so i think its going to be an uneducated risk, and I'll have a go!

If im successful (which i doubt) i'll put some pictures up for everyone to have a look!

Thanks for all your help!

[Stephen]

Doug

 

Tsuba is Soten one of the beter looking ones to my eye, tiger nuks look to have some quality also, bit blurry so hard to make hard call.

 

Max hope you win! and that page i sent you with Kunisada mei, compair each stroke close...I stand by the above statement buy it for the sword and fittings not the mei.

[doug e lewis]

Yeah, Good Ole Stephen, thought Soten. Hoping to see more. looked very elaborate. Old? Newish? Genroku Era? Signed? Gimei? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Brian]

don't buy it....gimei

Yimu,

I thought we had gotten past the issue of ppl making short and absolute comments without any explanation.

Are you guaranteeing gimei? What are you putting at stake?

Frankly, I would never be able to call shoshin or gimei for sure on the internet. I suggest calls of gimei be accompanied with a statement of opinion, and preferably with shoshin comparissons if possible. Just seems the right way to do things.

 

As mentioned, gimei is common and unless you are a serious collector or buying for investment...rather buy the blade and not the name.

We can't give you a value, but value it as though it was unsigned.

 

Brian

[jason_mazzy]

I don't think gimei means worthless or don't buy it at all. Perhaps it is originally mumei but very nice. judge the blade, then judge the koshirae. If you have a great tsuba, and fittings it could be more valuable than the asking price of a gimei blade. Gimei means the signature is a forgery and that is all it means.

[W K Clifford]

I thought we had gotten past the issue of ppl making short and absolute comments without any explanation.

 

sorry, my bad, got lazy. Eric posted a sample to compare with in the other (now locked) thread. I would add that the mei in question is obviously of inferior quality and obviously tries to imitate the authentic one.

 

I agree with all those who've pointed out that gimei does not mean bad blade. If you can tell how good the blade is with the nakago covered, then, you probably do not need help here That is why I said don't buy.

[max_levy]

I think its a high risk buy all round, apparently there's been ''a lot of interest'' they're all the pitures they would provide me with so little to now help. Ive got a phone bid so will try and read the room though the activity i can hear and hope maybe people who are bidding in the room and have seen it at hand bidding will give me a clue to its price! We shall find out tomorrow....If all fails, I'll be back on the for sale section on here :D

 

Thanks for all your input guys!

[max_levy]

I was majorly outbid,

condition report said the blade has some pitting and all the fittings were quite worn, it sold all in all with commission for the equivalent of $7,442 USD!

 

bit out of my budget!