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JapaneseSword.com

As Requested by many collectors, this is a selection of Sold Items for Reference and Study.

Please do not ask me if you could buy them...these are all sold.

Swords Fittings

Sold	NBTHK KichoPapered Gassan SadaKazu
Click to see Images	Signature: Teishitsu Gigeiin (Imperial Court Artisan) Gassan Sadakazu at the Age of 79 (Kao). Dated Taisho 3, 8th Moon. Forged for use by Kojima Hakutaro. Forging Pattern: Mokume Tempering Pattern: Choji Dimensions: Blade Length: 24.9 inches Nakago: 6.25 inches 6 mm thick 24 mm wide Mountings: Shirasaya and gold foiled habaki. Overall Condition: Excellent. In recent polish. An exceptional sword by the Living National Treasure Smith in Bizen Tradition. Sadakazu was born in 1836 in Omi province and was adopted when he was 7 by Gassan Sadayoshi after his father passed away. In 1906 he was appointed Imperial Court Artisan. He passed away in 1918 at the age of 84. This sword made in 1913 was perhaps one of the last of his work and the elegance and grace of this blade speaks to his illustrious career.
	Item: 806kat9

Sold JK	Nice Looking Shin-Gunto in Original Fittings
Click to see Images	Signature: Kin or Kane/ Michi or Nao (first character of name can be pronounced either way and second is difficut to decide what name was intended). Year Made: WW II era Forging Pattern: Muji hada Tempering Pattern: Midare with peaked gunome in nioi Dimensions: Blade Length: 24.687 inches Nakago: 8 inches 7 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: 1934 Pattern shin-gunto mounts of good quality in very good condition. Gold washed habaki and all matching numbers. Saya in excellent condition with no dents and almost no paint loss. Overall Condition: Very good, sword appears to be a Seki stamped, oil quenched katana in very good condition with the exception of scratches and scuffing. The perfect sword for someone looking for a nice Shin-gunto for display. They don't come much cleaner than this and clean, all original swords are becoming very difficult to find.
		1206gendai5

Sold CS	Long Koto Katana
Click to see Images	Signature: Mune Kuni. Year Made: 1500s Forging Pattern: Itame Tempering Pattern: Midare Dimensions: Blade Length: 31 inches Nakago: 8.8 inches 7 mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Edo Periond Mounts. Overall Condition: Fair. Nice long old blade that got a new horimono put on probably in the 1900s for the tourist trade. Some missing temper towards the tip. Priced apporiately.
		Item: 1206kat3

Sold RC	Early Shinto Wakizashi, Long with Hi
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei. Year Made: Early Shinto Forging Pattern: Mokume/itame. Tempering Pattern: Midare Dimensions: Blade Length: 19.75 inches Nakago: 4.5 inches 6 mm thick and 27 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Fairly new good quality shirasaya with nicely done silver foil "rain" pattern habaki. Overall Condition: Excellent, in fresh polish. A nice, longer wakizashi with bo-bi and a nice prominent hada. Hamon in nioi with nie and ji-nie in places. A "sleepy" hamon under a kesho polish is difficult to photograph but will provide many hours of enjoyment in person. All in all a very light and elegant, well forged wakizashi.
		1104wak2

Sold	ShinShinTo Gassan Katana
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei Year Made: 1800s Forging Pattern: Ayasugi/Itame Tempering Pattern: Midare Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.25 inches Nakago: 6.5 inches 6 mm thick and 28 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Shirasaya with integrated wood habaki Overall Condition: Very good, in recent polish. Nice example of a Shinshinto Gassan school sword with classic Ayasugi hamon.
		806kat1

Sold CG	Shin-Shinto Katana
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei Year Made: 1800s Forging Pattern: Masame with Itame Tempering Pattern: Midare Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.8 inches Nakago: 9.5 inches 6 mm thick and 27 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Shirasaya with Copper Habaki Overall Condition: Excellent. A very nice vibrant active sword made to look like a koto sword. In fresh polish. An exceptional value for a very nicely forged and restored sword.
		1006kat1

Sold JP	Long Yamato-den Koto Katana
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei Year Made: 1500/1600s Forging Pattern: Masame Tempering Pattern: Midare Dimensions: Blade Length: 29.2 inches Nakago: 8.8 inches 6.5 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Shirasaya with Copper Double Habaki which was gold foiled at one time. Overall Condition: Excellent. An elegant old sword with great character and a very graceful powerful curvature. This sword was shortened and was likely a very long tachi originally. But it still retains over 29 inches of cutting edge and is very well balanced. There is very deep activity in both the hamon and hada where you could see sunagashi, chikei and pools of nie.
		806kat6

Sold MT	NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Papered Shodai TadaKuni
Click to see Images	Signature: Shinano no Daijo Fujiwara Tadakuni Forging Pattern: Mokume/Itame Tempering Pattern: Suguha Dimensions: Blade Length: 21 inches Nakago: 6 inches 6.5 mm thick 29.5 mm wide Mountings: Shirasaya and solid silver habaki. Overall Condition: Excellent. In recent polish. An exceptional wakizashi, fully restored by a highly rated smith (80 points in Hawleys). Tadakuni swords are also rated Wazamono (Extremely Sharp). This rating was done in 1815 by Yamada Asaemon Yoshitishi (see Connoisseur's Guide Page 37). This smith is the Student of Dewa Daijo Kunimichi and his swords are rated as Jo-Saku by Fujishiro. The Second Generation has a lesser rating of Chu-Jo-Saku and is not rated Wazamono. An exceptional value for the serious collector.
	Item: 1004wak7

Sold DD	Long 27.6 Inch Gendaito by Nidai YoshiChika with Nakayama Hakudo Cutting Test
Click to see Images	Signature: Ni Dai Minamoto YoshiChika HakuDo Tameshi Mei Stamp Year Made: 1940s Forging Pattern: Tight Mokume Tempering Pattern: Gunome Choji Dimensions: Blade Length: 27.6 inches Nakago: 7.4 inches 7 mm thick and 29 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: 39 Pattern ShinGunto with Mon Kashira Overall Condition: Very Good. Original polish is hazed over. Some staining but no rust. YoshiChika was famous for making swords that cut extremely well. Many of the Imperial Guards used swords made by him. This is a very rare signature for the Nidai Smith. The test cut was performed by Nakayama Hakudo, a very prominent swordsman in the Showa era; a picture of him could be found in page 255 of Slough's book. These swords are quite hard to come by and in high demand, especially one that is this long. Read more about this smith.
		306kat15

Sold AG	Large Koto Naginata
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei Year Made: 1500s Forging Pattern: Mokume Tempering Pattern: Gunome Midare in Nie Dimensions: Blade Length: 17.9 inches Nakago: 19.25 inches 8 mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Original Saya and copper habaki Overall Condition: Good in old polish. Some surface scratches and rust. Nice heavy naginata with an uncut tang. Older naginatas tend to be heavier and more stout than those made in the Edo period for battlefield use. This is a nicely forged heavy naginata with a vibrant grain and hamon. No visible forging flaws.
		Item: 305nag2

Sold ME	Koto Katana with Horimono, Signed
Click to see Images	Signature: Badly rusted best guess is Noshu Junin Kanenari Forging Pattern: itame Tempering Pattern: mixed gunome and midare Dimensions: Blade Length: 27.125 inches Nakago: 7.75 inches 6 mm thick 30 mm wide Mountings: Shirasaya with horn fittings and plain copper habaki Overall Condition: Fair. Nice, well carved horimono of hata banner on one side and a bonji of Kojin, God of Calamities on the other. Sword is tired with a kakedashi but still would make an excellent display piece
	SALE 10% Off	Item: 1104kat4

Sold LO	27.5 inch Koto Katana in Fresh Polish
Click to see Images	Signature: Bizen Kuni (no) Ju Jin Nagamitsu. Year Made: Murmachi Koto Forging Pattern: Prominent mokume. Tempering Pattern: Toran based midare in nie. Dimensions: Blade Length: 27.5 inches Nakago: 7.5 inches 6 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Old shirasaya in excellent condition, silver foil habaki with interesting patterns in good condition. Overall Condition: Very good, Has a recent finish polish and has one light scratch (which is pictured but is much harder to see than in the photo. Nakago is ubu and signed Nagamitsu, we assume it is gimei but has never been to shinsa. Beautiful sword, graceful shape, weight and balance. Much activity in nie with a beautiful mokume hada that you don't see on newer swords. This sword requires nothing but time to admire and study it. Price is what the blade cost before the polish.
		Item: 1205katX

Sold	Star Stamped GendaiKatana by Semimaru Masahiro in New Polish with Perfect Mounts
Click to see Images	Signature: Sakai ju Semimaru Masahiro Saku. Year Made: Showa 19, 8th moon, a day (October, 1944) Forging Pattern: Masame. Tempering Pattern: Suguha/gunome mix in copius nie. Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.5 inches Nakago: 8.5 inches 7 mm thick and 35 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Excellent 1944 shin gunto mounts, These mouts look like they were never used there is tiny paint loss on the bottom of the saya but with the exception of that they are super clean. Silver washed habaki. Overall Condition: Excellent, this is a hefty sword in fresh American polish, the polish is well done the blade has no waves and the lines are crisp and correct, The blade has very tastefully done horimono of bonji and a wide motohave and extended chu-kissaki. The hamon is a mixture of suguha and gunome with much nie sprinkling out from the hamon into the ji. There are a few tint pits and tateware after the polish as the sword was very rusty but overall this is a beautiful package that needs nothing. Semimaru Masahiro was a Rikugun Jumei Tosho and the star stamp confirms that this is a gendaito (not that the nie would leave any doubt) The perfect example of 1944 mounts for the collector of miitaria and a nicely mounted gendaito in fresh polish for the collector of Gendaito.
		Item: 806katx1

SOLD MT	Unusual Sword Cane
Click to see Images	Signature: mumei. Year Made: Shinshinto/Meiji Forging Pattern: couldn't tell. Tempering Pattern: Gunome in nioi Dimensions: Blade Length: 16.812 inches Nakago: 3 inches 7 mm thick and 17 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Wooden inlay saya and tsuka with some cracks and missing wood in the saya, plain brass fittings with a horn or ivory kashira. Overall Condition: Good, old polish with some scratching and light stabilized rust, nice bright gunome hamon with a maru mitsu sugata and goma bashi engraved on one side and a koshi-bi on the other. There are also small kanji on both sides but could only make out "yama" on one side. An interesting example of this kind of sword that should clean up nicely with a finish polish.

Sold TR	Gendaito by Kanetoshi in '34 Pattern Shin-gunto Mounts
Click to see Images	Signature: Kanetoshi. Year Made: WW II era Forging Pattern: Hard to see, looks like itame. Tempering Pattern: Suguha with Hakikake boshi Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.75 inches Nakago: 8.25 inches 6 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Good quality '34 pattern shin-gunto mounts. very little pain loss on saya, small piece of samé missing but tsuka in good condition otherwise. All matching numbers on seppa and tsuba, al parts seem original to the sword. Overall Condition: Very good, nicely forged sword with suguha hamon in ko-nie, unusual hakikaki boshi. The hada is tight but visible through the old polish in places. A finish polish would bring out the hada and hamon. As the sword is nijimei it is difficult to say which Kanetoshi made this sword but it is well forged with a graceful shape and no forging flaws. Together with an original set of mounts this makes a nice package for collectors of gendaito, martial artists or a great first sword.
		Item: 1005gunto14

Sold PRU	Mantetsu-to
Click to see Images	Signature: Mantetsu Kitau Tsukuru Kore with a Ren stamp and 624 on the nakago mune. Year Made: Showa Mizunoto Hitsuji Shun (Spring of 1943) Forging Pattern: Mantetsu, Tempering Pattern: suguha. Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.25 inches Nakago: 8.25 inches 6 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: 1934 pattern shin-gunto with the tsuka and ishizuke (drag) missing as well as some of the seppa. It has a brass habaki in decent condition and a saya in good condition despite the missing drag. Has the normal bright plated, non sukashi tsuba made for the leather strap method of blade retention in good condition. Overall Condition: Fair, the blade is covered in heavy scratches with signs if attempts to sharpen it with a file or grinding wheel. It would make a good sword for practice polish or to have a tamisigiri level polish done as these swords are known to cut very well.
		Item: 805gunto4

Sold KJ	Gunto by Yoshiharu in '34 pattern Shin-gunto mounts
Click to see Images	Signature: Yoshiharu. Year Made: Showa Mizunoto Hitsuji Shu (Autumn 1943) Forging Pattern: none. Tempering Pattern: none, simulated hamon. Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.25 inches Nakago: 8.625 inches 8 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Fittings of medium quality in good shape. No dents in saya, wrap on tsuka intact as is the wooden core and samé, Some dirt and corrosion on the seppa and tsuba and everything shows its age and use. But is all solid and appears original to the sword. Overall Condition: Good, some scratches, very shallow pitting and some staining from what appears to be a chemical cleaner. The habaki is rusted to the sword but a soaking in WD-40 should free that. The second ji of the name was hard to decipher but we have included a picture of a mei the same as this one from Fuller and Gregory's Swordsmiths of Japan: 1026-1945, as well as the index description. All in all a WW II gunto in original mounts in good condition.
		306kat19

Sold BC	Oil Quenched Showa Katana in Good Polish with Odd Mounts
Click to see Images	Signature: Mei is not really readable, a possible guess is Fukushima Masahiro. Year Made: WW II era Forging Pattern: Muji hada Tempering Pattern: Midare in nioi Dimensions: Blade Length: 24.75 inches Nakago: 7.75 inches 8 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: 1934 pattern shin-gunto mounts. The mounts are odd in that they appear to be set up to be worn as a traditional katana (through the sash, cutting edge up) there is no suspension ashi on the saya and no sign of there ever having been one, no holes of any kind in the tsuba, a plain copper fuchi and a brass habaki. The koi guchi on the saya was set up for a latch. I have never seen this set up before. The mounts are of middle quality and in good condition. Some paint loss to the saya and corrosion to the menuki. The kabutogane is of odd design without the usual cherry blossoms and leaves but has a nice sarute. A cast brass habaki is also unusual. There is only one seppa. The mounts do not appear to be reproductions. Overall Condition: Good. The sword is in good polish and appears to be well made with a nice suguta and extended chu-kissaki. The bright nioi hamon stands out well and there are only a few scratches, shallow pits and tiny nicks to mar the surface. There are no arsenal stamps but the sword has every sign of being yakiabura (quenched in oil, not water). This is our opinion and it is always possible that it is a traditionally (or partially traditionally) made sword done in a plain nioi hamon, There were many tricks and secrets used by smiths back then, so we leave the final determination to the buyer. In any case, it is a graceful looking sword in good polish and even the yasurimei (file marks on the nakago) were carefully done. It would make a fine collectible for the unusual mounts or an excellent martial arts sword for someone small in stature. As far as the translation of the mei, we are fairly certain of the first and last ji, the middle two match nothing in any of our books of kanji but with a large leap of imagination one could possibly get the translation given. If someone has an alternative we would love to hear it.
		Item: 306kat20

Sold KS	Nicely Made Showa Sword by Kanemasa in Shin-Gunto Mounts
Click to see Images	Signature: Takauchi Kanemasa. Year Made: WW II era Forging Pattern: Very dense masame? Hard to tell but definitely has visible grain Tempering Pattern: A gunome midare resembling koshi no hirata midare in nioi. Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.19 inches Nakago: 8.375 inches 6 mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Partial '34 shin-gunto. Has quality fittings and well made leather combat cover on saya. Missing tsuba, seppa and sarute. Uses a leather strap and "snap" retention system, well made of leather collar for fuchi. Overall Condition: Very good, the sword has grain to it, so it has been folded of steel of some quality, the hamon has the bright nioi look associated with an oil quenched sword, which would make this a quality gunto. There are what seem to be small partial "Seki" stamps in two places and the file mark direction and coloration is different where a stamp would usually be found. There is some indication the the machi may have been moved forward a bit for some reason. The polish is in good condition with some scratching in two areas on the sword. There is scratching on the kissaki and a few small pits. The polish was done well and the sword is not very "wavy" if you sight down it. The smith took quite a bit of care in its manufacture and water quenching, while doubtful, cannot be ruled out. It is a nicely shaped beefy blade which would be excellent for use in certain martial arts or the missing pieces of the mounting could be replaced for a quality example of a WW II officer's sword.
		Item: 1005gunto5

Sold FL	Shinto Wakizashi in Kyu-Gunto mounts
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei, possibly O-suriage. Year Made: Shinto era Forging Pattern: Hard to tell due to polish, possible a tight itame Tempering Pattern: Suguha midare in nie. Dimensions: Blade Length: 22 inches Nakago: 5.5 inches 5 mm thick and 28 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: 1886 pattern Kyu-gunto company grade officer mounts with tassel in good shape, Chrome is rusted on saya, D-guard handle in good condition. Family mon in silver on backstrap. Wire and samé in good condition. Overall Condition: Fair, what appears to be an early Shinto katana cut down to wakizashi size for these mounts. Has a visible hada that is difficult to photograph due to very old polish. Some pitting quite deep on the kissaki on one side. Suguha/midare hamon in nie with strands of ji-nie visible here and there where the polish permits. Quite possibly this is a very active hamon under the pitting and old polish, at least it appears that way where visible. Unfortunately difficult to capture on film. Might be a real diamond under all that, would take a polish to find out.
		Item: 1005gunto15

Sold AW	Gendai sword mounted for Iaido
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei. Year Made: Showa Forging Pattern: Impossible to tell. Tempering Pattern: Toran Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.5 inches Nakago: 8 inches 8 mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Fairly recent, high quality, Fred Lohman Co., buke zukuri reproductions. With a new solid silver habaki. From our personal experience with Fred's parts; the seppa are blackened silver, the fuchi/kashira and tsuba are blackened steel copies cast from antiques. The samé is full wrap and real and the ito and sageo are silk. Overall Condition: Very good, Blade has been polished to a high gloss making almost any detail invisible. Looking very carefully at it one can see the hamon but it was near to impossible to photograph it. I have used some Photoshop techniques to bring it out in two photos and to outline it in two others. The kissaki is pure white, fine scratches and nothing is visible beneath but given the overall condition of the sword and the thickness of the hamon and shape of the kissaki, it does not look repaired and is probably intact underneath there. With the new and tight mounts it is an excellent sword for someone of smaller stature to use in iai or other sword related martial arts. Or if someone wants a real, antique Japanese sword in accurate looking mounts to display but can't afford a sword with antique fittings this would certainly fit the bill nicely. Folks, this sword is priced below the cost of restoration, so please do not ask for a discount :-)
		Item: 1005kat1

Sold MM	Clean Example of an Officer's 1934 Pattern Mounted Shin-Gunto
Click to see Images	Signature: Kanemune. Year Made: Showa 18 years, 10 moons (October, 1943) Forging Pattern: none. Tempering Pattern: none, hamon simulated with finger-stones Dimensions: Blade Length: 26 inches Nakago: 8 inches 8 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Well preserved 1934 pattern shin-gunto mounts, all intact, with matching production numbers on the seppa and tsuba. Ito and samé are in very good condition with normal accumulation of dirt and some corrosion to the brass plating on the menuki. Saya is in excellent shape with no dents and negligible paint loss. The fittings are of above average quality and condition. Habaki is what appears to be brass. Overall Condition: Good, the sword has some small nicks and small shallow pits and some staining. Most of the simulated hamon can no longer be seen. The very tip of the kissaki is bent over. All in all this is a fine example of a mass produced machine made and "smith" finished blade. The workmanship on the blade is reasonable with good yasurime and a carefully carved mei. Together with the fittings being in excellent shape as well this is a very good example of a real Japanese officer's sword for the collector of miltaria. (note, as it is unknown if such swords were tempered at all, they should never be used to cut anything with,)
		Item: 1005gunto17

Sold DC	Signed Gunto by Kinmichi in '34 Pattern Shin-gunto mounts
Click to see Images	Signature: Kinmichi. Year Made: A lucky day in Showa 18 (1943) Forging Pattern: none Tempering Pattern: Barely visible suguha hamon, probably etched Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.25 inches Nakago: 8.375 inches 7 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: 1934 shin-gunto mounts of average quality in good condition. Samé and ito are worn but intact. Silver washed copper habaki, matching assembly numbers on seppa and tsuba Saya is dented near the bottom, otherwise in good shape with little paint loss. Overall Condition: Good, sword appears to be a non-traditionally made gunto, the nakago bears a stamp resembling the stamp of the Nagoya arsenal. It appears to have been cleaned but is in good condition with no major rusting, pitting, nicks or bends. All parts appear to be original to the blade. A very collectible example of an early war gunto.
		1005gunto9

Sold BB	WW II Mantetsu-to
Click to see Images	Signature: Koaisshin Mantetsu Saku Kore. Year Made: Showa Kanoto Miharu (spring 1941) Forging Pattern: Muji. Tempering Pattern: Suguha. Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.18 inches Nakago: 8.5 inches 8 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: '34 pattern shin-gunto mounts with the push button release retention system. The mounts show the ware of heavy use. The saya is dented with missing paint, The samé seems intact but the ito is frayed. The metal fittings are of good quality and in decent condition. There is no sarute. They seem original to the sword Overall Condition: Fair, the sword mei indicates one of the better Mantetsu-to which were supposedly made in Japan as opposed to Manchuria. It appears to have been used for cutting and shows the nicks and scratches resulting from such use. There is a tiny piece missing from the tip of the kissaki (about 1 mm). There is some light stabilized rust and shallow pitting. These are known to be quality swords for the practice of martial cutting arts and this sword could be polished for that use or kept as is as an example of a Mantetsu-to.
		Item: 1005gunto6

Sold DH	27+ Inch Showa Katana
Click to see Images	Signature: Noshu Seki Ju KaneMune Kore Wo. Dated Kooki NiSen Roku Haku Nen (1940). With declaration of success for Japanese Army. Sho Stamp. Year Made: 1940 Forging Pattern: Tight Mokume Tempering Pattern: Midare/Sanbon Dimensions: Blade Length: 27.125 inches Nakago: 8.7 inches 7.5 mm thick and 29.5 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Matching 1937 pattern Shin Gunto. Overall Condition: Good, no rust, some surface scratches from use.
		805gendai2

Sold MRC	Gendaito by Kanetoshi
Click to see Images	Signature: Noshu ju Murayama Kanetoshi Saku Kore. Year Made: WW II era Forging Pattern: Difficult to see due to scratching, Tempering Pattern: Sanbonsugi. Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.125 inches Nakago: 8.875 inches 7 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Partial '34 pattern shin-gunto mounts. Wooden saya with leather combat cover in very good condition. Tsuka is in poor condition, wood is broken, same cracked and fittings have been painted at one point with gold leaf. Brass rain pattern habaki. Missing tsuba and seppa. Overall Condition: Fair, sword has been polished with stones or fine sandpaper, showing the hamon but leaving a fine scratch on the ji. Kissaki has been reshaped, it has good boshi but a polisher would have to decide if it could be reshaped to a more traditional shape, however it is not that unattractive as is. Kanetoshi was a Rikugun Jumei Tosho or registered army smith of note. He took 2nd seat in the 1941 sword competition and is known for making, medium to high-grade gendaito. The hamon is a traditional Mino hamon of Kanemoto, known as sanbonsugi or three cedars with the peaks in nioi and the troughs filled with nie. Would be a nice sword by a good smith with a professional polish and possibly a reshaping of the kissaki.
		Item: 1005gunto3

Sold LML	Hefty WW II Era Katana with High End Mounts
Click to see Images	Signature:There is no signature as such but an inscription something to the effect of "Edged Weapon Military Co." and on the reverse Shinbu-to or warrior or battle sword (once again our thanks to Harry Watson of afuresearch.com for the translation of difficult mei). Year Made: WW II era Forging Pattern: Unable to tell, most likely muji. Tempering Pattern: Midare. Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.75 inches Nakago: 8.5 inches 6 mm thick and 33 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: High quality '34 pattern army shin-gunto mounts in good condition. Numbers on tsuba and seppa match and appear to be original to the sword. The handle wrap is in good condition over high quality large nodule samé. The fittings and sarute are of higher than average quality and in good condition. The paint on the saya has cracked and is flaking in places. Overall Condition: Good, the sword appears to have been cleaned, leaving a bright chrome-like finish on one side with the hamon only visible for an inch or so near the yokote. The other side has had hazuya stones or very fine sand paper used on it to make the hamon visible, with the exception of the kissaki. It is covered with light scratches, some marks which appear to be from contact with another sword (not deep) and a few small nicks. It is difficult to tell if this is a traditionally made sword or not. It has no arsenal stamps of any kind but the number 122 is stamped on the nakago mune. Given the mei, I would suspect a non-traditionally made sword. It is however a very nice example of a WW II era army sword in quality mounts with a tempered edge and well done yasurimei and engraving. An excellent sword for the collector of militaria who is looking for a Japanese military sword.
		905kat4

Sold LML	Stainless Steel Toyokawa Arsenal Kai-Gunto with Samé Saya
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei. Year Made: During the second world war. Forging Pattern: None, machine made stainless steel. Tempering Pattern: Stones used to create the appearance of a hamon. Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.125 inches Nakago: 8.75 inches 8 mm thick and 33 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: complete and original 1937 pattern naval kai-gunto mounts with matching numbers on all parts. More expensive mounts with samé (rayskin) covered saya which is in good shape with normal wear and tear for its age. Tsuka is in very good condition. Gold washed copper habaki. Number on sword match numbers on mounts. Overall Condition: Very good. A beefy and heavy katana. A nice example of a stainless naval katana, as most ended up on the bottom of the ocean. Sword has some scratches as if from cutting brush, several small nicks on the blade and one on the fukura. A tiny chip has been lost from the point of the kissaki. It has a Toyokawa anchor arsenal stamp on nakago and is unsigned as most were. All in all a good and unmolested example of a kai gunto, as it was assembled when made. A good find, when so many of these are put together from different parts of many swords these days.
		Item: 305gunto2

Sold LS	Long Wakizashi in Recent Polish
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei. Year Made: Shinto Forging Pattern: Mokume. Tempering Pattern: Suguha in Ko-nie. Dimensions: Blade Length: 23.125 inches Nakago: 5.5 inches 5 mm thick and 27 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Nice newer looking Japanese made shirasaya with a few dings, gold foil copper habaki. Overall Condition: Excellent, fresh polish and nice prominent hada make this very long wak a nice addition for your collection. There are a few minor ware in the ji and shinogi-ji but they do not detract from the overall appearance of the sword. Boshi did not show up well in photos but is a healthy ko-maru. Also includes a copy of the sword license necessary to own a sword in Japan and a silk shirasaya bag. All-in-all a nice sword that needs nothing more than someone to enjoy it.
		Item: 305wak2

Sold AD	Shinto Wakizashi, suriage possibly Kuninobu
Click to see Images	Signature: Suriage, possibly Kuninobu. Year Made: Shinto Forging Pattern: Mokume/itame, Tempering Pattern: Active midare. Dimensions: Blade Length: 19 inches Nakago: 5 inches 6 mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: None. Overall Condition: Poor, Beautiful workmanship on one side in recent polish with much activity in the hamon and a prominent hada with only a small ware to mar it. The other side has three fukure and one jiare rendering that side unable to be polished. Would be a stunning sword to hard wax and permanently mount, good side out.
		Item: 905wak2

Sold JR	Long Wakizashi with Hi in Shin-Gunto Mounts
Click to see Images	Signature: Too worn to read, first Ji is San or Yama, the rest is indistinct, side which should have nengo has numbers five, ten and six, which could be read as 56 but with part missing it is hard to guess the meaning of that number. The parts of the nengo and mei were most likely lost when the machi were moved upward. Year Made: Most likely Shinto or Shin-shinto Forging Pattern: Very difficult to tell do to a covering of fine scratches, appears to be a very tight hada of some kind. Tempering Pattern: Very hard to see, looks to be midare in ko-nie. Dimensions: Blade Length: 22 inches Nakago: 5.75 inches 6 mm thick and 28 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Plain wood saya in leather combat cover '34 pattern Shin-gunto tsuka with plain brass fuchi covered by retaining strap, wrap in good condition, kabutogane with much wear and no sakura (cherry blossoms) cast on the surface, plain wire saruto, nice "rain" pattern copper habaki. Civilian tsuba with floral decorations, difficult to tell age but appears cast. Copper seppa. Overall Condition: Good. While, as the photos will show, it is almost impossible to make out any details of workmanship on the blade. With careful examination a full hamon and boshi can be detected. The hi is well carved, the forging seems well done and the sword has a graceful shape to it. There is a nick in the ha and some pitting, probably the scratches were a result of a cleaning attempt. Should polish with no problem. And the mei would be an interesting research project for someone.
		Item: 305gunto7

Sold JAB	Signed Katana in Shin-Gunto Mounts
Click to see Images	Signature: Seki Fujiwara (no) Yoshinao Saku. Year Made: WW II Forging Pattern: Hard to tell. Tempering Pattern: Midare and togari-ba mix possibly in ko-nie, very hard to tell do to polish. Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.25 inches Nakago: 7.75 inches 7 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: '34 Pattern Shin-Gunto mounts that have been restored by an amateur, copper habaki, latch is broken. Overall appearance is good. Overall Condition: Fair, sword has been cleaned with a buffer, lines are rounded off, very difficult to see any detail in hamon, especially at the boshi, a few pits but nothing major. Nakago also appears to have been cleaned and area where an arsenal stamp would have gone has no visible yasuri mei. Blade is not sharp. To sum up, it is a katana made by a listed Seki smith which is probably hand made (would need a window polished to tell for sure). The restoration, while not professionally done leaves an attractive sword and mounts for exhibit and would be fine "as is" for a collector of military items. Would take a polish if it were determined that it is traditionally made and warrants one.
		Item: 305gunto4

Sold RJ	Papered Shinshinto Copy of Kinju Nagamaki Naoshi Katana by Suketoshi
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei. Year Made: Shin-Shinto era Forging Pattern: itame/mokume Tempering Pattern: Suguha midare in nie. Dimensions: Blade Length: 28 inches Nakago: 7.75 inches 3 mm thick and 35 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Japanese made shirasaya and a beautiful solid silver "moss" pattern habaki. Overall Condition: Excellent, newer polish by a Japanese polisher. The nakago is so rusted for a Shin-Shinto sword because it was found by an American dealer in a pile of Japanese swords owned by the shop keeper of a Chinese sword dealer in Thailand. The Japanese swords had been left outside since the war. The sword is a magnificent copy of a nagamaki naoshi Juyo Token katana by the famous Mino smith Kinju. Even the length is almost identical. I Have seen the Kinju sword and it was something to have seen them both. This sword only carries Hozon papers from the NBTHK but is a beautiful piece with a lovely hada and streaks of ji-nie up and down the hamon and in the 4.75 inch long kissaki, which in itself is something to behold. Suketoshi is from the Naoe school and is said to have studied under the famous smith Naotane. He once made a tanto for Princess Banrikoji, that had "your life" inscribed on it that she treasured so much she had it mounted in gold and silver lacquer mountings. This is a beautiful and impressive katana that will turn some heads and would be an excellent addition to any collection.
		Item: 306katx1

Sold TS	Long Mounted Katana with Horimono, Papered by the NBTHK to Den Ganmaku
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei. Year Made: Late Koto, early Shinto Forging Pattern: Nicely done small mokume/itame mix. Tempering Pattern: A mixture of midare and groups of chogi in nie. Dimensions: Blade Length: 28.625 inches Nakago: 8 inches 7 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: This sword had been remounted for use in the 2nd world war but the ashi has been removed and the lacquer redone on the saya, the tsuka was probably made for that purpose as well as it is wrapped in military brown ito. The menuki are probably also of that era. The fuchi and kashira were likely made prior to the Shinto era and may be original to the blade. They are iron and show great age. The tsuba is a simple armorer's tsuba with a family mon in sukashi, of iron and quite old looking. The habaki is solid silver and was made when the sword was polished. The Japanese polisher needed to repair the machi (see photo) and that required a new habaki, unfortunately he didn't have the shirasaya and so that now needs to be adjusted to fit the sword. We felt it best to leave that up to the owner, it is a fairly new high quality piece. There is wear on the same and ito, having been through a war, but they are sound. Overall Condition: Excellent, the sword is in fairly new polish, there are a few small scratches on the tip of the kissaki and a very small and barely visible unopened fukure on one side. The workmanship is excellent with much activity from the boshi back to the machi and the photos don't do it justice. There is horimono of suken and gomabashi as well as bonji on both sides and they are well carved. The sword is long and feels very graceful in the hand. The NBTHK has papered it to den Ganmaku but we have been told by a well respected appraiser that it was more likely made by Kaga Kiyomitsu in the 1680s. The sword had not yet been polished when it was papered. All and all a beautiful sword that is ready to display with your collection. The shirasaya would require very little to fit but this is best left to the appropriate craftsman. The owner needs to sell off some swords to pay for a recent addition so this is being sold at a very reasonable price.
		Item: 406katx1

Sold PN	Long Koto Sword in Handachi Mounts
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei. Year Made: Koto Forging Pattern: Mokume. Tempering Pattern: Midare in nie. Dimensions: Blade Length: 27.3 inches Nakago: 7.5 inches 6 mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Handachi mounts in shakudo, black lacquered saya with missing ishizuke in decent shape. Ito on tsuka has been untied and re-tied possibly to remove the menuki which are missing, High quality samé which had been pieced together at some point. Silver foil covered habaki in decent shape. Fuchi seems to be missing it's bottom plate. Overall Condition: Fair, Sword, including nakago has been cleaned at some point, has nicks and ware in the kissaki. Sword in hand, there appears to be a full boshi but difficult to photograph. A small window was lightly polished, showing a very nice and prominent mokume hada and activity in the hamon. It is a very well forged sword with nothing to speak of in the way of ware or flaws of any size for a sword of its age. It is graceful and light and an ubu sword. Would make a great restoration project or an absolutely wonderful sword for use in iai. The hamon comes close to the ha in places but looks to us as if it would take a polish.
		805kat2

Sold SP	Extremely Rare Wakizashi Kai-Gunto Signed Moritaro
Click to see Images	Signature: Edo ju Moritaro (Moritaro of Tokyo). Year Made: WW II era Forging Pattern: none Tempering Pattern: none Dimensions: Blade Length: 23.375 inches Nakago: 7.875 inches 6 mm thick and 28 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Later '37 Kai-Gunto mounts with simulated samé on tsuka and saya. Medium quality fittings with some loss of bright plating. Saya in good condition with no problems, all matching numbers on tsuba, seppa-dai and seppa with a silver washed copper habaki. Overall Condition: Good, Sword is covered with scratches from cleaning but a faint probably simulated hamon can be seen in places and a boshi is faint on the kissaki. Sword has no rust, nicks or pits and the signature is more likely that of a factory worker than a sword smith. A very clean example of a naval gunto of this era. And it is unusual to see a gunto of less than katana length. This is one of less than 5 Wakizashi Guntos that i have seen and the first one that is a Naval Sword.
		1005gunto2

Sold KS	Nice 1934 Pattern Shin-Gunto Mounts with Hefty Shinto Wakizashi
Click to see Images	Signature:Shinano (no) Kami Nobuyoshi. Year Made: Shinto (1620s-early 1700s) Forging Pattern: Mokume/Itame mix. Tempering Pattern: Gnome midare. Dimensions: Blade Length: 21.875 inches Nakago: 5.25 inches 7 mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: '34 pattern army shin-gunto mounts in very good condition. Nice gold washed copper habaki, matching numbers on seppa and tsuba. Very thick and heavy seppa, high quality mounts. Retainer is broken on tsuka otherwise tsuka is is very good shape, tight and complete wrap, large nodule samé and braided sarute. Saya is black aluminum with a couple of scratches, otherwise in good shape. Mounts overall appear to be matching and original to the sword. Overall Condition: Fair, A beefy Shinto Wakizashi that is well forged. Many scratches, some deep but we polished the hada some on one side and the boshi on one side and there is a nice prominent hada under the scratch and plenty of boshi for a polish. There were two generations of Shinto smiths that signed this way. They are both ranked fairly highly so research and a shinsa would be necessary to show wether the mei is genuine. All in all an ancestral sword that would polish very nicely in a very high quality set of shin-gunto mounts, a nice addition for your collection
		905gunto2

Sold	Nicely Mounted Unusual Katakiriha Zukuri Wakizashi
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei. Year Made: Shin-shinto/Meiji Forging Pattern: Mokume/itame. Tempering Pattern: Suguha midare. Dimensions: Blade Length: 14.125 inches Nakago: 4.375 inches 6 mm thick and 25 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Unusual buke zukuri mounts in very good condition. Good quality shakudo nanako fittings with the theme of water fowl on the tsuka. Wrap is tight and in good condition, large nodule samé done in full wrap style, menuki in gold plate, possibly turtles. Very unusual inlaid wood saya with, what I've been told, is the symbol of a village or small mountain clan inlaid in the wood. Very well done and not often come across. The habaki is very well made of deeply engraved copper and is in very good condition. The tsuba is in wheel motif and appears to be very old. It was perhaps inlaid with gold in the carvings around the edge but is hard to tell. It has old rust which has deteriorated it in several places but it is still sound. It must have been of value to the owner, to have included it when he put together all the newly made (at the time) pieces of the mounting. Overall Condition: Very good, A very unusual sugata for a blade, the shape was more common in Koto times and this is most likely a Shin-shinto copy of one of those early blades. The blade has small ware, the one which is very conspicuous in the photos is much less so when looking at the sword in hand. The hada is very active and the hamon terminates in an interesting boshi that has a spot of softer steel in it. All in all a unique find and something worth owning for it's uniqueness alone but it is a well crafted blade with nice workmanship housed in a very nice set of mounts. You won't be disappointed with this blade.
		Item: 1205wakX

Sold PD	Naganata in Shirasaya signed Ishido MasaToshi
Click to see Images	Signature: Heianjo Ishido Ukon Masatoshi Year Made: Shinto, approx 1660 Forging Pattern: Itame Tempering Pattern: Midare In Nie and Nioi Dimensions: Blade Length: 15.8 inches Nakago: 7.25 inches 7 mm thick and 34 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Shirasaya and solid silver habaki. The blade appears to be in its original pre-war polish and is slightly hazed over. Details in the Ji and Hamon are somewhat difficult to see under normal light. Nice healthy naginata that has no visible flaws.
	SALE $2500	305nag1

Sold BB	Gendaito by Emura
Click to see Images	Signature: Emura saku. Year Made: WW II era Forging Pattern: Unable to determine due to scratching. Tempering Pattern: Suguha with gunome in places. Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.25 inches Nakago: 7.75 inches 7 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: '34 pattern shin-gunto mounts with the push button release retention system. The mounts are of good quality with very little wear to the samé or fittings or paint loss to the saya. The ito appears to have been replaced at some point but it was done by a professional It also has a silver washed copper habaki from which most of the silver has been worn off and a very nice sarute. There are all matching numbers on the seppa, which, along with the proper tight fit of all the parts and smooth operation of the latch, would lead us to believe that the mounts are original to the sword. Overall Condition: Good. Emura was the warden of Okayama prison during the war and made swords there as a hobby. He and a polisher trained prisoners to polish some of the swords produced there. This is a nice sturdy example of his work, it bears no arsenal stamps and the nakago is nicely finished. The sword has been cleaned with a fine steel wool or sandpaper, making it impossible to determine the kind of hada although one appears to exist if the light catches it just right. The shape is graceful and it feels light in the hand. The sharpness of the lines has not been rounded by the cleaning, however the person did sharpen the edge with a knife sharpener of some kind. There are no nicks and any pitting is extremely tiny. A finish polish by a professional polisher would probably be all that was needed to bring out the workmanship of this blade. It is easy to see that it has a complete hamon which appears to be in nioi. Good gendaito made by a well known smith in complete and original mounts are becoming more and more rare. This is a fine example of one for the collector of gendaito or Japanese Militaria or those who collect the works of this famous smith.
		306kat17

Sold DK	ShinShinto Katana
Click to see Images	Signature: Chikushu Ju Sa Yuki Hide (Gimei), dated Kaei 4, Feb (1852) Year Made: 1800s Forging Pattern: Tight mokume Tempering Pattern: Midare in ko nie Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.25 inches Nakago: 7.4 inches 7 mm thick 31 mm wide Mountings: Blade is in shirasaya with solid silver habaki. Overall Condition: Excellent. Recent polish and shirasaya.
		1104kat5

Sold AO	Morinobu Katana—Oshigata used in Slough's Book of Showa Smiths
Click to see Images	Signature: Minamoto Morinobu Saku Kore with Kao. Year Made: Showa 17th year, tenth moon, lucky day (October, 1942) Forging Pattern: Tight itame. Tempering Pattern: Katochi gunome. Dimensions: Blade Length: 25 inches Nakago: 8 inches 8 mm thick and 33.3 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Newer looking shirasaya with horn fittings at the openings, and a "rain" pattern habaki, . Overall Condition: Very good. Well preserved polish with only a few scratches and minor pitting. This same sword was used for an oshigata on page 116 in Slough's An Oshigata Book of Modern Japanese Swordsmiths 1868-1945. The smith is rated at 1 million yen and is listed as making medium to high grade gendaito. It has a star stamp on the nakago. A very graceful gendaito made by a well respected and well published (he is listed in the Toko Taikan and Nihonto Meikan as well as Slough) Showa era smith. A great collectors item and a very nice sword.
		805kat4

Sold RB	Kanenobu Gendai-to Katana with Owner's Name Inscribed
Click to see Images	Signature: No Shu Ju Kanenobu Saku Kore. Year Made: WW II era Forging Pattern: Hard to make out, very tight grain. Tempering Pattern: Very active midare in nie-deki. Dimensions: Blade Length: Just under 27 inches Nakago: 8 inches 7 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: '34 pattern Shin-gunto mounts with tsuba missing. Some dents in saya. Unusual menuki, brass habaki and 4 unnumbered seppa. Mounts in decent shape but show wear. Overall Condition: Very good, some light scratching and tiny chips and pitting but overall very good condition for WW II polish and the very active hamon can be enjoyed as is. A polish would really make this sword stand out. The inscription on the omote of the nakago reads "property of artillery 2nd Lieutenant Takai Haru (Translation courtesy of Harry Watson of afuresearch.com).
		805gunto8

Sold FN	Published Kanetoshi Katana
Click to see Images	Signature: Noshu Ju Kanetoshi saku with Showa stamp Year Made: WW II era Forging Pattern: tight itame hada Tempering Pattern: Toran Midare Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.25 inches Nakago: 7.5 inches 8 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: '34 Pattern Shin-gunto mounts in good shape. Latch is missing. Handle appears to have be rewrapped with large nodule of samé put at wrong end. Silver washed copper habaki. Saya in leather combat cover in good condition Overall Condition: Very good. Graceful katana with distinctive hamon in ko-nie, published in Fuller & Gregory's Oshigata book (pg. 647 oshigata 279). Nicely carved bo-hi ending maru-dome style. Good polish with light scratches, mostly in kissaki area and a small nick in the edge. Overall a chance to own a published sword and an attractive one at that.
		1005gunto4

Sold GB	Gendaito By Emura, The Prison Warden Swordsmith
Click to see Images	Signature: Emura saku Year Made: WW II era Forging Pattern: Tight mu-ji . Tempering Pattern: pointed gunome. Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.125 inches Nakago:7.75 inches 8 mm thick and 33 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Good quality '34 pattern shin-gunto mounts with company grade tassel an excellent condition. Quality fittings including sarute and gold washed copper habaki. Green painted saya in excellent shape, no dents or paint loss. Tsuka wrapped in heavy canvas of rough cotton material. Everything fits together well and is an attractive package. Overall Condition: Very Good, a hand made gendaito with a nioi hamon and spots of ji-nie here and there. It is hard to tell about the hada due to fine scratches which would make it appear mu-ji but there may be a tight hada if polished. There are a few spots of nioi kuzure and also some places of nioi giri where the hamon is gone but the temper below is visible. It is in good polish except for some scratching and some tiny nicks. All in all a nice example of the work of a well known Showa era smith.
		1005gunto12

Sold MT	27+ Inch Shinto Katana in Shirasaya
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei. Year Made: 1600s Forging Pattern: Masame/itame mix, Tempering Pattern: Active Suguha. Dimensions: Blade Length: 27.125 inches Nakago: 7.25 inches 6 mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Thin shiraasya of a wood other than the traditional honoki. Silver foil habaki with "rain" design and some damage Overall Condition: Good, some ware and "loose" hada and some minor pitting near and in the kissaki area and shiogi-ji, also a few small nicks. Very prominent and active hada. Hamon appears very active as well but it is difficult to see small details in this state of polish. Overall the polish is fair with small scratches only obscuring the smallest of detail. The nakago has been altered from its original shape at some point, likely by someone who was not a swordsmith. This would probably be an alteration made to fit gunto mounts of some kind, kyu-gunto perhaps. Would polish nicely and make an interesting piece.
	SALE $1995	105kat2

Sold WM	Gendaito by Shodai YoshiChika with Nakayama Hakudo Cutting Test
Click to see Images	Signature: Minamoto YoshiChika HakuDo Tameshi Mei Stamp, Dated Feb, Showa 10 (1936) Year Made: 1936 Forging Pattern: Tight Mokume Tempering Pattern: Gunome Choji Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.3 inches Nakago: 7.9 inches 7 mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: ShinGunto Overall Condition: Good. Original polish is haze over with some minor staining and nicks. YoshiChika was famous for making swords that cut extremely well. Many of the Imperial Guards used swords made by him. The test cut was performed by Nakayama Hakudo, a very prominent swordsman in the Showa era; a picture of him could be found in page 255 of Slough's book. These swords are quite hard to come by and in high demand. Read more about this smith.
		306kat2

Sold BD	YasuKuni YasuOki in Rare Mounts
Click to see Images	Signature: Yasu Oki, Dated Showa 15 10th month Lucky Day. Year Made: 1938 Forging Pattern: Dense Mokume Tempering Pattern: Choji. Extraordinary choji hamon, the pics do not capture the details of this hamon which must be seen in person to appreciate. Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.7 inches Nakago: 7 inches 7 mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Unusual mix of Naval and Army mounts that are original to the blade with matching assembly stampings. Most likely a custom ordered sword from an Officer of the Naval Landing Forces. Overall Condition: Excellent, in good old polish with no visible flaws. Very nice YasuKuni sword with the more desireable Choji Hamon and rare mounts.
		Item: 805gendai1

Sold FL	Gassan SadaKatsu Tanto
Click to see Images	Signature: Gassan SadaKatsu, Dated Showa 7. Special order by Kurukawa. Year Made: 1932 Forging Pattern: Dense Mokume Tempering Pattern: Midare ko nie on a bright band of nioi Dimensions: Blade Length: 7.1 inches Nakago: 3.25 inches 6 mm thick and 22 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Shirasaya with silver habaki in a presentation box. Overall Condition: Excellent, in good old polish with no visible flaws. SadaKatsu is the father of the Living National Treasure Gassan SadaKazu. Tantos by this smith are extremely rare and the work in this one is exquisite.
		Item: 805gendai4

Sold	Gendaito by KuniMitsu
Click to see Images	Signature: FujiWara KuniMitsu Forging Pattern: Itame Tempering Pattern: Flamboyant Midare Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.4 inches Nakago: 8.4 inches 8 mm thick 31 mm wide Mountings: Shirasaya. Overall Condition: Excellent. Recent polish and shirasaya. Nice active hamon..
		Item: 104kat10

Sold RB	28.6 Inch Custom Katana by Rick Barrett
Click to see Images	Signature: Rick Barrett. Year Made: 2005 Forging Pattern: Monosteel Tempering Pattern: Choji Midare with hints of Utsuri Dimensions: Blade Length: 28.6 inches Nakago: 9.8 inches 7 mm thick and 33 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Not Mounted Overall Condition: An exceptionally well forged sword by one of the top US smiths working in the Japanese tradition. This is an extremely healthy sword with great balance and very elegant shape. Rick's has very keen attention to detail and is shown in the excellent finish on the nakago and the vibrant hamon. This sword is in a 'martial arts' grade polish and is ready for mounting. To learn more about Rick Barrett click on his site.
		Barrett Katana1

Sold PO	27+ inch Shinto Katana with Fresh Polish and Extremely Active Workmanship
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei. Year Made: Shinto 1700s Forging Pattern: O-Mokume/itame mix, very active. Tempering Pattern: Wild midare in nioi with tobiyaki, much more exuberant on one side than the other. Dimensions: Blade Length: 27.375 inches Nakago: 8.25 inches 6 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Recent Shirasaya, does not appear to be of Japanese manufacture, some dings in the wood. Beautiful, "rain pattern," solid silver habaki. Overall Condition: Excellent, fresh polish with very prominent hada and hamon. Has some ware in the shinogi-ji, ji and boshi and some minor pits but they do not detract from the beauty of the sword. Unusual polisher's signature. A beautiful blade with a graceful shape and good balance.
	SALE 10% Off	Item: 305gendai2

Sold	ShinShinto Katana in Nice Higo Koshirae
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei O-Suriage. Year Made: 1800s Forging Pattern: Mokume/Itame Tempering Pattern: Gunome in Nie with Ashi Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.25 inches Nakago: 8.15 inches 6.5 mm thick and 28 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Very Nice Period Higo Mounts. Leather bound tsuka with soft metal fittings. Ribbed saya with a stylized arrow Kojiri. Overall Condition: Very Good. Nicely mounted in Higo Koshirae from the Edo period. Very nice soft metal Fuchi, Kashira and Menukis. The saya is in exceptional condition with few chips and nicks and a nice large silver arrowhead kojiri. Overall a very nice package that is difficult to replicate at this price.
		306kat9

Sold	Papered Koto Yamato Den Katana 28.25 inches
Click to see Images	Signature: Mumei O-Suriage. Attributed to Sue Nio School. Year Made: Muromachi Period Forging Pattern: Mokume mixed with Masame Tempering Pattern: Chu Suguha midare Dimensions: Blade Length: 28.25 inches Nakago: 8.25 inches 7.5 mm thick and 30.5 mm wide at Hamachi Mountings: Shirasaya with Habaki. Overall Condition: Excellent, in recent polish and shirasaya. A very healthy and well forged koto katana with abundant activity in the hada. Some loose grain showing in areas. Very well balanced and active in the hand and pleasantly healthy for a Muromachi katana with a very graceful shape. The Nio school, part of the Yamato Tradition, was founded by KiyoZane in the Kamakura Period. This school was active till the end of the Edo period. This sword is a classic example of a Sue Nio School, which also resembles that of Sue-Mihara and Sue-Tegai blades.
		306kat14

Sold	Gendaito by Takahashi Yoshimune