Does anyone know what this is???

[Dakota]

Pardon my French. No disrespect intended. I'll just have to learn the hard way. Like maybe I'll get laughed out of a Dojo somewhere. Ever been in a situation where your totally freaking out about something else and something happens that requires more attention? Something like someone's pain happens to feel greater than yours no matter what your thinking. Hopefully this lesson won't be like that.

[Dakota]

Just to ease my mind stream here's a more correct representation of the tang. Hope ya'll don't mind.

[drdata]

That is an ugly nakago.

 

I think it time to take the red pill.

 

PS> In case the idiom does not make sense:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redpill

[cabowen]

here are what proper nakago looks like. Notice any differences?

[Jamie]

Luis, we've all had disappointments in this field. It just happens.

We learn and move forward.

Best of luck to you.

[Marius]

Hopefully this lesson won't be like that.

 

Luis,

 

people here are always prepared to share their knowledge, so the lesson should be smooth if you are prepared to listen :-)

 

I'll try to put together all fact that make it quite obvious that your blade and mounts are modern, low quality items:

 

1. Shape: very unusual for a tanto

2. No hamon (temperline) - your hamon is etched, it is not the result of tempering.

3. Habaki (metal collar which keeps blade in the sheath): no Japanese habaki has a ridge, except maybe for some habaki on ken

4. Nakago (tang) - unregular shape, fresh red artificially rust induced by the maker, signature sloppy, unusual and sloppy filemarks

5. Mountings (handle and sheath): strange, light alloy - this is not copper aor any of its alloys. Besides, this is a cast piece, no craftsmanship whatsoever here

 

The way for you to go:

 

1. visit a few websites with information about nihonto (start with http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/nihonto.htm , http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/information.html , http://www.nihontocraft.com/japanese_sword_terms.html , but there are many others) - you will find a wealth of links on the NMB welcome page: http://nihontomessageboard.com/

1 a. read whatever you find interesting among the threads of this forum

2. visit dealer websites: http://aoi-art.com/ and http://yakiba.com/nihonto.htm to start with

3. buy a few books, you might start with three, but you will need many, many more:

 

Samurai Sword a Handbook, J.M. Yumoto

The Craft of the Japanese Sword, Leon Kapp, et al

The Japanese Sword A Comprehensive Guide (Japanese Arts Library), Kanzan Sato, Joe Earle

 

4. Ask some benevolent collector to show you a real Japanese art sword or maybe go to a sword show (observe the strict etiquette)

5. Buy more books

6. Once you know sword periods and main schools and you take a liking in one of them, consider buying a sword (be patient, don't jump on any sword you see, come back here for advice when you think of buying).

 

 

I guess that is all. Everyone here has gone more or less the same way. Good luck to you. We would love to see you back here :-)

[Turbo storm]

Very well said Mariuszk.