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Antique Swords Under $1,500
Available |
Sword by Isido Teruhide in '34 pattern Shin-gunto Mounts |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Teruhide.
Year Made: WW II era
Forging Pattern: Impossible to see through buffing marks
Tempering Pattern: Midare, hard to make out any detail.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.125 inches
Nakago: 8.25 inches 7 mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Good quality fittings with matching numbers that the plating has been polished off, leaving them a shiny silver color. There are polishing marks and traces of original coloration. Saya appears to be made of wood and is in good condition.
Overall Condition: Fair. This smith made gendaito but due to the buffing of this sword it is impossible to tell if it is traditionally made. It has no arsenal stamps. The kissaki has been reformed and the original yokote is gone and there are many grinding marks. Cannot tell if there is still temper in the point. |
| $1250 |
Item: 1106gunto5 |
|
Available |
1937 Pattern Kai-Gunto with Stainless Blade |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mumei.
Year Made: WW II era
Forging Pattern: None, stainless steel
Tempering Pattern: Suguha, etched.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.625 inches
Nakago: 9.25 inches 7 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Standard quality Kai-gunto mounts, wood saya with black paint, some paint loss and cracking. Ito has some damage, artificial samé. All matching numbers on tsuba and seppa.
Overall Condition: Good. A stainless steel kai-gunto in original mounts. A light stamp, probably from the Toyokawa Naval Arsenal. Sword has some staining and scratching, some deep scratches near the kissaki. A few tiny chips in the blade. All in all an original kai-gunto in good condition for its age. These are becoming difficult to find intact. |
| $750 |
Item: 1106gunto3 |
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Available |
Shinto Wakizashi |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Hankei
Year Made: Early Shinto
Forging Pattern:
Masame?
Tempering Pattern: Suguha
with Sunagashi
Dimensions: Blade Length:
20.5 ", Nakago: 6", Mihaba: 1
1/8", Sakihaba: 7/8",
Kasane: 5/16", Sori: 7/16"
Mountings: Shirasaya with one
piece copper
Condition: This blade is in rough condition but
with a good polish will improve dramatically. There is one small kizu
near the hamon but no other significant flaws. |
| $1500 |
SALE $1250 |
Item: 807wak1 |
Available |
Gendaito by Kaneshige |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Motte Tamahagane Kaneshige Kitau Kore Wo.
Year Made: 2601 years after the founding of the empire (1941)
Forging Pattern: Difficult
to make out in current condition, most likely a tight mokume.
Tempering Pattern: Midare
Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.25 inches
Nakago: 8.75 inches 6 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Saya only, 1944 shin-gunto version. Some paint loss, no dents. No habaki or other parts.
Overall Condition: Good, sword has been buffed almost to a chrome like shine making the hamon, boshi and any details almost impossible to see and impossible to photograph. There is activity visible in the hamon and the smith's statement (motte tamahagane) made with tamahagane or specially smelted sword steel would indicate that this blade is a traditionally made gendaito. It would need to be properly polished to see the workmanship of this sword. It is a nicely proportioned albeit hefty blade as was customary at the time. There is minor pitting that would easily be removed by a polish. |
| $1490 |
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Item: 1006kat3 |
Available |
Small Yari |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: None.
Year Made: Unknown
Forging Pattern: masame
Tempering Pattern: None visible
Dimensions: Blade Length: 8.375 inches
Nakago: 11.5 inches 20.75 inches overall.
Mountings: None.
Overall Condition: Small yari covered with groups of small scratches, almost like those left by a milling machine. No temper visible. The nakago shows some rust but not the patina of very old rust. The pictures tell the rest. |
| $550 |
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Item:
1006Yari2 |
Available |
Shinogi Zikuri Tanto in Shirasaya |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mumei.
Year Made: unknown
Forging Pattern: masame
Tempering Pattern: Suguha, appears to be etched
Dimensions: Blade Length: 9.625 inches
Nakago: 4.875 inches 4 mm thick and 22 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Shirasaya, judging from the wood, I would place it at late 19th century through mid 20th. Copper habaki with wear
Overall Condition: Very good, this is an odd piece, as far as we know, no one made tanto in this configuration and with the hamon put on most likely with the polish it could be a boy's day piece or a tourist piece from the per-war period, in any case a rare an interesting sword with a fairly fresh polish and no damage. |
| $850 |
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Item: 1206tanto5 |
Available |
Ancestral Katana with Bo-hi in Civilian mounts adapted for Military Use |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mumei, O-Suriage.
Year Made: Possibly Koto, difficult to tell due to alteration of nakago
Forging Pattern: Impossible to tell.
Tempering Pattern: Difficult to tell, possibly midare/suguha.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 24.5 inches
Nakago: 6.25 inches 6 mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Saya is plain wood with leather combat cover, war era. Tsuba is nice old iron piece, pierced with a wavy fan design with fans carved in as well. Had much brass inlay at one point, most of which is now missing. Quite old and nicely made. Tsuka is war era with brass fittings that appear to be the same age. Fuchi with design of pine boughs and sailboats in the distance, kashira design is pine boughs with moon. Menuki in brass of merchant or possibly fisherman. Wrap is in good condition samé is cracked in places. Two copper seppa and a silver washed copper habaki complete the mounting.
Overall Condition: Of mounts: good, of blade: Poor, Blade is covered with scratches, rust and pits that pretty well obscure all workmanship. The nakago appears to have been shortened by someone other than a polisher or swordsmith. The kissaki is long and thin and it is difficult to tell if the shape is original or is due to a repair. The kissaki also has a crack on each side in the same place. The cracks don't appear to extend to the ha so technically can't be called hagiri (a fatal flaw). A polisher would have to be consulted about any repair. It is not possible to see any boshi in the kissaki. The hi are well carved, kata-chiri, end maru-dome and were probably original to the sword. It appears the sword has enough temper to take a polish if the problems in the kissaki could be resolved but that is something we are not qualified to judge. |
| $1350 |
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Item: 305gunto8 |
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Available |
Gunto with Bo-hi in Shin-Gunto Mounts |
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Click to see
Images |
Signature: Mumei.
Year Made: WW II era
Forging Pattern: none
Tempering Pattern: none
Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.75 inches
Nakago: 7.5 inches 7 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Wooden saya covered with a torn leather combat cover with an ashi and bras reinforcing ring at the koi-guichi. No tsuba, seppa or fuchi and the tsuka core is in poor condition. It does have a kabutogane and menuki. Samé is complete and ito has been torn and tied.
Overall Condition: Sword appears to have been pitted at one time and looks like it was sand blasted and buffed to remove it. There is a faintly visible hamon but in the condition the sword is in it is impossible to say what the nature of the hamon is, although if it survived a sandblasting and buffing it may be an actual hardened hamon. The nakago was crudely finished. The blade might make a starting place for an iaito for someone of small stature. The bare blade weighs 1 pound six ounces and has Hi which might make it useful for an iai-to. |
| $850 |
|
Item: 1005gunto8 |
Available |
Extremely Rare 1899 Pattern Junior Official's Sword of the Government General of Formosa |
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Click to see
Images |
Signature: None, factory made blade.
Year Made: 1899 or later
Forging Pattern: none.
Tempering Pattern: none
Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.5 inches
Nakago: unknown 4 mm thick and 18 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Mounting as explained in listing title, An identical sword is pictured in Fuller and Gregory's Japanese Military and Civil Swords and Dirks, page 166.
Overall Condition: Good, the mountings are in very good condition with only slight chipping of the lacquer covered samé saya. The samé and wire grip is intact and the backstrap and "d" guard show little wear. Someone sharpened the blade with a grinder, other than that the sword as a whole is in very collectible condition. We did not try to disassemble the sword as the ferrule nut that holds it together has not been moved in at least 60 years and we did not wish to break it.
This is a very rare variation, the last one I had with a blade in better
condition sold for $1250. |
| $885 |
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Item: 306kat23 |
Available |
Company Officer's 1886 Pattern Kyu Gunto Mounts with Ancestral Blade |
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Click to see
Images |
Signature: Mumei, O-suriage
Year Made: Shinto
Forging Pattern: Hard to tell, possibly a tight itame
Tempering Pattern: Midare in nioi with nie
Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.375 inches
Nakago: 6.75 inches 6 mm thick and 29 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Company officer's 1886 pattern Kyu gunto mounts in fair condition, missing some seppa but samé and wire straps are in good condition. "Rain" style habaki in gold washed copper, chrome plated saya with leather combat cover that has deteriorated and left corrosion on the saya. While all parts seem original to the sword the fit, when assembled, is not tight possibly due to missing seppa/spacers.
Overall Condition: Fair, Blade appears to be earlier shinto and has be cut down. Has a poorly carved or polished koshi -bi carved into the blade. The blade at the machi end is corroded with deep pits and rust. The sword has ware, scratches, pits, rust and nicks. There appears, however, to be enough temper left to take another polish and it's hard to tell sometimes if there is a jewel hidden beneath all the rust . |
| $1475 |
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905kat5 |
Available |
Army Cavalry Saber |
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Click to
see Images |
Signature:
Mumei
Year Made: Early 1900s
Forging Pattern: None
Tempering Pattern: None
Dimensions: Blade
Length: 31 inches
Overall Length: 35.5 inches
Mountings: Standard WW2 Army Parade
Saber. Matching serial #s. Damage to scabbard and rust on tip of
blade. Some debri in scabbard that needs to be removed for the sword
to sheath all the way. |
| $375 |
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Cav Saber |
Available |
Signed Shin-Gunto with No Arsenal Stamps |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Fujiwara Yasutsugu Kin Kitau.
Year Made: Showa era
Forging Pattern: Impossible to determine due to grinding marks,
Tempering Pattern: Difficult to determine due to grinding, possibly suguha midare.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.75 inches
Nakago: 8.5 inches 8 mm thick and 33 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Steel, '34 pattern Shin-gunto saya with some dents. Tsuka with very worn but intact wrap, some missing samé and some corrosion to menuki. Were good quality mounts when new. No tsuba or seppa. Sliver washed copper habaki with almost all the silver worn off.
Overall Condition: Poor, someone has used a grinder to clean the blade, there are nicks in the blade and in the kissaki. The good news is that on very close inspection with a magnifier it appears that this is a hand made blade and the "cleaner" was careful to avoid ruining the geometry of the sword. The nicks are also relatively minor so it should polish up nicely. We could find no information about this smith or the quality of his works, perhaps you will have better luck. It has a nice shape to it and the nakago is finished carefully and the mei well cut, so it may well be a sword worth the polish and shirasaya. |
| $1250 |
|
305Gunto6 |
Available |
Katana by Kanetada dated 1939 |
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Click to see Images |
Signature:
Kanetada
Year Made: 1939
Forging Pattern: muji
Tempering Pattern: Suguha
Dimensions: Blade
Length: 26.18 inches Nakago: 6.875
inches 5 mm thick and 27
mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Converted civilian saya with
kurikata removed and two brass reinforcing rings added, one with an ashi.
Much lacquer missing and split in places
Overall Condition:
Poor, The edge has been "sharpened" with a file, there are four fukure, one
quite large (two are circled in the photos). It is a slender sword with bo-hi
and two mekugi ana (a third was partially drilled) It has a "Showa" arsenal
stamp. There is a Kanetada listed as working in Seki at that time. |
| $1095 |
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Item:
105kat4 |
Available |
Shinto
Wakizashi
with BoHi and SameZaya |
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Click to see Images |
Signature:
Mumei
Year Made: 1700s
Forging Pattern: Mokume Itame
Tempering Pattern: Suguha Midare in Nie deki
Dimensions: Length: 18.4 inches
Nakago: 4.7 inches
Mountings: Old same zaya.
Overall Condition: Good.
Very nicely forged blade with nice active itame hada, a nice Bohi and an
exceptional nakago. It does have a small dent about .25 inch wide.
The sword has its original polish but was shined up with polishing compound
which makes it very difficult to photograph its details. Hamon is all
present and the boshi is healthy. Some rust spots, a great candidate
for minor restoration. |
| $1250 |
|
Item: 704wak2 |
Sold JG |
Tanto by Kanemoto |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Kanemoto
Year Made: Late Koto (1500s)
Forging Pattern:
Mokume
Tempering Pattern: Notare
Dimensions: Blade Length:
7 ", Nakago: 3", Mihaba: 13/16",
Kasane: 1/4", Sori: Uchi-zori"
Mountings: Koshirae with one
piece gold Habaki from the Edo period (1800s)
Condition:
Koshirae and blade are in excellent
condition. The mekugi is a male/female friction fit. This is a
nice classic example of a woman's tanto in high quality understated mounts. |
| $1500 |
|
Item: 807tanto2 |
Sold CS |
Gunto Katana by
Kanehiro |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Seki
Ju Nin Kanehiro
Year Made: February 1943
Forging Pattern: Ko-Itame
Tempering Pattern: Sanbonsugi
Dimensions: Blade Length:
25.5", Nakago: 8.5", Nakago: Mihaba: 1
7/32", Sakihaba: 27/32",
Kasane: ", Sori: 3/4"
Mountings: World War II gunto
koshirae with leather covered. The saya looks like a bullet past
through it and possibly been struck by another bullet (see pictures).
Overall Condition: There are
no defects or damage to the blade from any bullets or otherwise. There
are areas of minor rust pitting that have been cleaned out and would
disappear with a good polish. |
| $750 |
402GUNTO1 |
|
Sold |
Stainless Toyokawa Arsenal Kai-gunto by Kiyomichi |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Kiyomichi saku.
Year Made: WW II era
Forging Pattern: None, Stainless steel
Tempering Pattern: Suguha, etched
Dimensions: Blade Length: 24.875 inches
Nakago: 8.5 inches 7 mm thick and 33 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: '37 pattern Kai-gunto mounts in good condition with company officer rank tassel Matching numbers.
Overall Condition: Good, the sword appears to have been cleaned but is in good condition covered with a fine scratch. The simulated hamon is visible throughout most of the sword except the kissaki. A nice example of a signed stainless sword with original mounts. Getting more and more rare to find. |
| $1150 |
|
Item: 1106gunto4 |
SOLD GC |
Shin-gunto by Kanetaka |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: No Shu Seki No Ju Matsu Da Kanetaka Saku.
Year Made: WW II era
Forging Pattern: Muji
Tempering Pattern: Midare, oil quenched
Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.375 inches
Nakago: 5.625 inches 7 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: High quality '24 pattern shin-gunto mounts. The Fuchi and Kabuto-gane appear to have been cleaned down to their copper base, ito is worn but intact. The saya has had the paint removed by what appears to be a high speed buffer. High quality sukashi style tsuba and seppa with all matching numbers.
Overall Condition: Good, hefty oil quenched sword with some shallow pitting, a few small chips and some scuffing. Blade appears to have been cleaned at some point. Showa stamp on nakago. |
| $950 |
|
Item: 1006Gunto1 |
Sold |
Kyu-gunto blade in Civilian WW II Era Mounts |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mumei
Year Made: Taisho to early Showa
Forging Pattern: None, machine made blade
Tempering Pattern: Suguha, etched on.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 26 inches
Nakago: 5.125 inches 6 mm thick and 26 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Kyu-gunto chrome saya in leather combat cover, copper rain pattern habaki. Buke-zukuri tsuka with fittings common to the era. Snap leather retainer. All in good condition for the age. The fuchi and kabuto-gane show signs of being cleaned. Ito is discolored near kabutogane, it may have been dipped in cleaning solution
Overall Condition: Good, blade in good condition, some light staining and very minor pitting, none detract from the appearance of the sword. It was most likely a machine made parade saber that was remounted as a civilian sword during WW II. The chrome saya was made more subtle with the addition of a leather combat cover. All in all an interesting piece for collectors of militaria of that era. |
| $500 |
|
Item: 1006kat5 |
Sold |
Koto Mihara
Katana |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Bushu Mihara
Masazane
Year Made: Koto/1500
Forging Pattern: Mokume-Itame
Tempering Pattern: Suguha with
Ko-Midare
Dimensions: Blade Length:
26.5 ", Nakago: 7.8", Mihaba: 1
1/8", Sakihaba: 7/8",
Kasane: 1/4", Sori: 7/16"
Mountings: The
habaki is one piece copper, it is solid but not very well proportioned.
Rest of the fittings are junk.
Overall Condition: The blade
is O-Suriogi but solid with no significant problems below the shinogi that a
good polish won't remove. There are some forging openings in the
shinogiji that will be minimized in a polish if not removed. There is plenty of hamon that
this can be corrected when polished. |
| $1500 |
807KAT18 |
|
Sold |
Gunto with
Bo-Hi in Military
Mounts |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: BuShu
YoshiNobu
Year Made: 1940s
Forging Pattern: Ko-Itame
Tempering Pattern: Sanbonsugi
Dimensions: Blade Length:
26 3/16" 34 7/16", Nakago: 8 4/16", Mihaba: 1
3/16", Sakihaba: 13/16",
Kasane: 1/4", Sori: 11/16"
Mountings: Black lacquer military
tsuka, tsuba and saya. The seems on the lower part of the saya have
cracked open and some of the lacquer has chipped off or is blistered over
most of the saya. The parts of the original leather saya cover have
been cut away and the piece at the kogiri is holding that end of the saya
together. The habaki is one piece brass.
Overall Condition: Except
for rust spots that are mostly in the bo-hi and on the mune, the blade is in
good condition. The rust spots will come out when the blade is
polished depending how much metal is removed. |
| $950 |
807KAT17 |
|
Sold |
Tired Koto
Katana |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mumei.
Year Made: Unknown, Looks Koto
Forging Pattern: Itame
Tempering Pattern: Suguha, weak or
missing in areas.
Dimensions: Blade Length:
26.75", Nakago: 7.5", Mihaba: 1
1/16", Sakihaba: 3/4",
Kasane: 1/4", Sori: 7/8"
Mountings: Black lacquer saya with
a leather wrapped tsuka and an iron tsuba which I believe is cast. The
habaki is two piece copper with gold wash on one part.
Overall Condition: The
blade has a number of forging cracks or openings and one very small blister
that I found. See the pictures for the larger openings. The
smaller openings will most likely disappear when the blade is polished.
The larger openings could disappear also with a polish but that can not be
guaranteed.
The saya is in poor condition with cracked seems and
a large piece at the coiguchi missing (see picture). The tsuka is
solid with leather ito in good condition and copper fan menuki but the
kashira is missing. The fuchi is in worn but solid condition and
appears to be shakudo with gold highlights.
|
| $750 |
807kat15 |
|
Sold SCND |
Koto Tanto in Very Nicely Done Koshirae |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mumei.
Year Made: Koto?
Forging Pattern: very scratched and tired, hard to tell.
Tempering Pattern: midare in ko-nie.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 12.5 inches
Nakago: 5 inches 6 mm thick and 27 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Very nice mounting done in brass and silver trimmed fittings with a kogatana (with visible hamon) and kogai, nice menuki of birds perching done in shakudo and gold plate, large nodule samé and possibly recent ito. All fittings done ensuite with a mottled design. Saya in red and black speckled lacquer in excellent shape with a fern in dark gold leaf on the omote. Some dents in the lacquer and some lacquer missing from kurikata but generally excellent. Habaki was once shakudo but now worn to copper.
Overall Condition: This is a tired and polished down probably koto era hira zukuri tanto done in the Soshu style. The sword has been cleaned and is slightly rounded at the cutting edge. The nakago appears to be ubu though machi okuri. The sword is tired in places with ware but detail of the hada is hard to make out due to scratching. The hamon shows much activity although it is very close to the edge and appears to run off in one place (see pics) but we'll let you be the judge. There are many activities still visible in the hamon including kinsugi, nijuba and ji-nie, the tip of the boshi on the ura is quite something, a whirlpool of activity. This was once a fine blade and the care in remounting shows that someone cared quite a bit for this blade. It would make a very attractive display piece with an interesting old blade to study. |
| $1495 |
|
Item: 1206tanto1 |
Sold |
ShinShinto
Wakizashi |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mumei
Year Made: ShinShinto 1800s
Forging Pattern:
Itame
Tempering Pattern: Suguha
with Nie
Dimensions: Blade Length:
29 3/8", Negasa: 22 1/4", Mihaba: 1
1/8", Sakihaba: 13/16",
Kasane: 1/4", Sori: 7/16"
Mountings: Koshirae with two piece
copper Habaki with silver wash (most of the silver is worn away)
Condition: Very Good. This sword was recently restored
although it has some mismatched parts, it is rather good quality work.
The handle appears to be an old Higo handle with some very interesting
fittings, perhaps from the Muromachi period. The blade has a nice
elegant feel to it and a worthy study piece. |
| $1250 |
|
Item: 807wak2 |
|
Sold |
Ancestral Koto Tachi in Shin-gunto Mounts |
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Click to see
Images |
Signature: Mumei (O-suriage).
Year Made: Unknown, probably Koto (Nambokuchu sugata)
Forging Pattern: Running masame and mokume and O-mokume
Tempering Pattern: Very active midare in nie
Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.5 inches
Nakago: 9 inches 7 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: 1934 shin-gunto mounts of average quality in fair condition. Samé is cracked and missing in places. Saya is in very good condition. Seppa and tsuba appear to have been cleaned. There is a silver washed copper habaki that does not fit the mune machi well. It is unclear as to whether the mounts are original to the blade. Most likely the majority are.
Overall Condition: Fair, sword appears to be older Koto with a very thin kasane O-kissaki and has been cut down probably 10 inches since before the war, making it originally of tachi length, the O-kissaki and thin kasane together with a shallow sori would point to a Nambokuchu style tachi. Sword has some tired spots and exposed core steel, has been sharpened with a grinder as well. Has many tate ware, likely from many years of polishes. Hamon appears to be intact although the boshi is too badly scratched and faded to see any detail there at all. There is a very visible hada in places that varies from a running masame to O-mokume. The hamon has ashi and yo and much activity in nie as well as ji nie. Much of it is obscured by scratching, grinder marks and age but there is a wealth of activity under there. I'm not sure this sword would take a full polish and the nakago would need to be reshaped and repatinated But it would certainly make for an interesting study sword, especially if one could have some of the more gross damage removed and the activities in the hada and hamon brought to light. Many amateur polishers would enjoy this sword, if it were determined that it did not warrant an attempt to restore it. |
| $950 |
|
Item:
306kat7 |
|
