Kunitsuna Wakizashi. Your Thoughts

[mike yeon]

Hello Everyone,

 

I'm most likely going to sell this wakizashi in the next few days. Going to stick it on eBay. I'm a little fuzzy on the the market value of the piece. I know there's the real value and then there's the value of what the current market will sustain. Thought I'd get some thoughts from members before I set a price.

 

Any comments would be appreciated.

 

Up for auction is a MASSIVE Osaka Shinto wakizashi from my collection that’s been one of my favorite pieces to own.

 

Total Length: 27.5†(69.8 CM)

Nagasa: 21†(53.3 CM)

Nakago: 6.5†(16.5 CM)

Width at Hamachi: 1.6†(4 CM)!!!!

With at Monouchi: 1.4†(3.6 CM)

Sori: 1.5 CM

 

Hada: Fine ko-itame

Hamon: Nioi-deki. Starts as notare-ba for 1/3 of the blade then goes

into a straight suguha

Kissaki: Chu-Kissaki

Boshi: o’maru with a ridiculous turn-back that goes into the mune

 

This blade is the work of Shimosaka school smith Kunitsuna and beautifully signed “Echizen Ju†on the ura and “Sagami (no) Kami Fujiwara Kunitsuna†on the reverse. One of the most nicely carved mei I’ve seen on any blade.

 

There were 2 Echizen Kunitsuna during the early Shinto periods, the shodai and nidai. I’m certain this blade is the work of the shodai (1st generation). Which would date it to around 1648. In any case both are rated “chu-jo-saku†(superior medium made/above average) by Fujishiro in his Nihon Token Jiten.

 

Kunitsuna is listed as “Wazamono†in the Kaihokenshaku as well. Which means he made blades of “superior sharpness.â€

 

He was part of the Shimosaka school of smiths that was founded by Tokugawa retained smith Yasutsugu. Kunitsuna worked in Echizen province and made blades in the Soshu tradition (the Soshu/Masamune tradition originated from Sagami province.)

 

This blade must have been a special order piece as it is unusually large and wide. I’ve named it “the butcher knife†for obvious reasons.

 

CONDITION

 

Near perfect. This blade is in older polish with some light scratching in 2 places where a qualified togishi used finger stones to remove active rust. It is amazingly thick and healthy for its age. The hamon turn back at the boshi runs into the mune. It is large and heavy with NO FATAL FLAWS, openings, ware, etc. I believe this blade has seen very few polishes in its lifetime. It’s a thick, healthy blade.

 

KOSHIRAE

 

The sword comes with a black textured saya and tsuka with black same (huge nodules). Unfortunately all the fittings had long been taken from the furniture. The tsuka can easily be rewrapped and fitted. The saya though has split at the mouth. This can be fixed as well but it’s not an easy or cheap repair. Personally I’d have a new saya made. Habaki is copper with a rain pattern.

 

The sword comes with a new shirasaya made by Moses Becerra last year. Those who know Big Mo and his work know his shirasaya are works of art in themselves.

 

Hate to name drop but Bob Benson mentioned he's seen only 4 blades in his career made by this smith. I know another forum member mentioned he owned 2 swords by this smith.

 

Any thoughts welcome. Sorry for the long post. Brian, if you think this should go in the auctions or sales area, please feel free to move it. I have not posted it for sale yet. Wanted to get some input from forum members first.

 

Thanks

 

mike

[mike yeon]

PS. I don't mean for this post to sound like a soft sell. If anyone here is interested, please PM me. Although eBay will give me a wider pool of buyers I certainly prefer to sell it to a fellow forum member.

 

Also, if this blade fails to paper, I'll issue a full refund.

 

Thanks.

 

mike

[Ludolf Richter]

Hi,there is a Katana by him for sale on a German site for Euro 8.800.I believe that very sword (but now with a different Tsuba) was for sale in 2003 (the site "www.deziland.de" does not longer exist) for $ 12.960 with a pic of the NBTHK Hozon paper.Ludolf

http://www.juwelier-strebel.de/Asien/Japan/Katana.htm

[Ludolf Richter]

Hi Mike,I just found a Kunitsuna Katana in the magazine REI No.41 (1995).Ludolf

[mike yeon]

Thank you Ludolf for hunting down those blades. Much appreciated sir.

 

Not sure how well priced those blades are but using the amount someone paid in 2003, a wakizashi by the same smith, papered and in good polish, would be anywhere from $6000-$7000 I'm guessing?

 

I think I'd be happy to get half that at this point. PM me if you're interested. I'll most likely post it on eBay this week. If you'd like more pictures, let me know and I'll take some tonight.

 

Thanks again.

 

mike

[mike yeon]

Sold to Big Mo. Thanks everyone for your thoughts/help.

 

mike