JegJegeren Posted February 17, 2012 Report Posted February 17, 2012 Hello, I recently aquired this katana through some trades i made and I need help figuring out what exactly it is. I was told that the blade was recommissioned for ww2 but haven't found proof of that yet. The grain seems real when I compare it to online pictures, and there is a signature on the tang that looks right and I have had it translated but the name stumps me because when I looked it up all I found was an article claiming "Katsuyoshi Toyoda" was one of the most highly revered shirogane-shi in Japan during the showa era. also Toyoda is the true family name of Toyota the car company founder. so first I would like to focus on just the blade then if needed i'll add the mounting pics. The tang translation is not from a trusted source so if you think it's wrong let me know. katsuyoshi toyoda 豊田勝義 is on tang. Thank you. Quote
cabowen Posted February 17, 2012 Report Posted February 17, 2012 The mei, Toyoda Katsuyoshi, is cut very nicely. It might be the name of the owner....The blade is too out of polish to tell you much about it from the photos....Might be traditional, then again, maybe not.....It looks to be WWII era. Quote
Nobody Posted February 18, 2012 Report Posted February 18, 2012 Frankly, the blade does not look genuine Nihonto to me. Quote
chrstphr Posted February 18, 2012 Report Posted February 18, 2012 in my uneducated opinion, it looks like a chinese fake to me. The blade has the look an acid etched or faked grain, the kissaki (tip) has the shape of the chinese fakes. And there appears to be vise marks on the nakago at the mei showing the steel under the rust patina. Chris Quote
sanjuro Posted February 18, 2012 Report Posted February 18, 2012 The mei, Toyoda Katsuyoshi, is cut very nicely. I'm sorry Chris you may be the expert but I beg to differ here. The mei looks as if it were cut with an electric engraver because there are no discernible chisel marks and the angles of the sides of the lines are not equal as they should be when made with a chisel. The rounded cuts are more angled like kebori. They also have a wavy appearance on the sides of the indentations that look characteristically like lines cut with a rotary tool rather than a static strike or drifted series of chisel strikes. The edges of the cuts are also raised such as you get with a burr and are too sharp to be even twenty years old much less as old as seventy, and the base of the cuts are rounded in some cases rather than v shaped as from a chisel. These observations are made as an ex jeweller who has seen a great deal of engraved work done by rotary burr. Did I mention that they are also too clean and bright to be the same age as the nakago? To me the blade appears to be a Chinese fake which has had a signature added somewhat later than its date of manufacture (like very recently) and has been partially mechanically sharpened at some stage. As to value.... equal to or less than equivalent weight in scrap iron. Just my humble opinion. Having said as much I stand to be corrected if I am in error. Quote
Eric H Posted February 18, 2012 Report Posted February 18, 2012 Having said as much I stand to be corrected if I am in error. Your findings do not require a correction, they are convincing. Nothing beats a lifetime of experience... Eric Quote
cabowen Posted February 18, 2012 Report Posted February 18, 2012 If I would have used the magnify option and put my new glasses on I would have said "nicely engraved",,,,,, Quote
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