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Antique Swords $1,500 to $3,000
Available |
Star Stamped Gendaito by Baba Tsugukiyo |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Baba Tsugukiyo Saku Kore.
Year Made: Showa 18, 2nd moon, lucky day (February, 1943)
Forging Pattern: Hard to say but looks like a tight masame
Tempering Pattern: Gunome midare
Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.875 inches
Nakago: 7 inches 7 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: High quality1944 pattern, shin gunto mounts in poor condition but complete, Has the hard to find mekugi screws, not shown in photos. Tsuka is intact, shows wear and there is some samé missing around mekugi ana (that the tsuka used expensive and difficut to get samé instead of the more common canvas is an indication of the quaity of the mounts), saya is in poor condition with much paint loss. Has silver washed habaki.
Overall Condition: Good. The sword needs to be polished and a shirasaya made but it is well worth the expense. It was very difficult to photograph the hamon but the sword was polished by a professional polisher before the war, who did an excellent job. There are no ripples in this polish and the geometry is crisp and well done. It is a hefty sword coming in just under 2 pounds for the bare blade. The sword is covered with light scratches, some a little heavier where it looks like some cutting was done with it. There are large stains on each side some shallow pitting and tiny nicks. A finish polish would take care of most of this swords problems and bring out the activities that are hidden by the scratches and stains. The hamon is nicely done in nioi with nie in the valleys and there appears to be signs of ji-nie here and there but very hard to see through the scratches. This smith is known for medium to high grade gendaito and from what can be seen this is a high grade gendaito waiting for some TLC to stand out in someone's gendaito collection. |
| $2950 |
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306kat16 |
Available |
Unused Gendaito, Custom Made
with Owner's Name Inscribed |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mino Kuni Makita Kaneyoshi Saku and on the other side Oyu Nakai Shigeru Shi Tukuru Kore, meaning Kaneyoshi of Mino province made this for Mr. Shigeru Nakai (once again thanks to Afu of afuresearch.com for help with translation).
Year Made: 1930s/40s
Forging Pattern: Very tight hada almost muji.
Tempering Pattern: Different on both sides, one side subdued low suguha midare in nie with nijuba, temper near the shinoji-ji and much bright chikei and the other side a wilder midare with tobiyaki in nie.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 25 inches
Nakago: 7.375 inches 6 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Shirasaya with habaki being part of the tsuka in good condition.
Overall Condition: Very good, it is covered with a haze of fine scratches, there are a few very small nicks and a tiny piece is broken from the tip of the kissaki. The sword should should have at least a finish polish to get rid of the haze that obscures much of the activities, and there is plenty to see; much bright chikei, nijuba and sanjuba, inazuma and tobiyaki. It's rare to find a sword custom made for someone and signed as such and this sword looks like it was never mounted. The nicks and scratches were probably the product of post war abuse by the souvenir collector. |
| $2495 |
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905gendai1 |
Available |
Stout Mumei Katana with much Activity |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mumei, .
Year Made: Shin-shinto-Showa
Forging Pattern: Itame with much activity in the ji.
Tempering Pattern: Suguha based midare
Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.75 inches
Nakago: 6.5 inches 6 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Sirasaya in very good condition except ivory insert for mekugi missing on one side. Nice "rain" pattern silver washed copper habaki with some of the silver worn off.
Overall Condition: Good, some spider rust, minor pitting and ware. A very hefty sword. ko-suguha midare hamon with much activity in nie. Has sunagashi, ji nie, inazuma and much chikei in the ji. Hada is very prominent and sword can be enjoyed as is but a polish would really bring out the activities in this sword. There is evidence of a stamp possibly being removed from the nakago. I have provided an arrow indicating the spot and a close up photo so that you can make up your own mind. The sword is obviously hand made and it would be difficult in the extreme to get such activities without the use of traditional materials. It is possible it had an arsenal stamp (many gendaito do) and was being sent to Japan for shinsa where sometimes genuine swords are refused access into the country do to the presence of a stamp. In any case there is much to enjoy in this blade and the small active hamon reminds one of the early Koto swords. |
| $1795 |
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805kat1 |
Available |
Koto Shobu Zukuri Wakizashi |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mumei,
Year Made: Koto, Pre 1600s
Forging Pattern: Mixed itame and mokume, slightly tired
Tempering Pattern: Small suguha midare in nie with sunagashi, nie saki, inazuma and what appears to be utsuri but hard to see well due to old polish and scratching. Boshi
difficult to see through scratches.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 22.5 inches
Nakago: 5.5 inches 4.7 mm thick and 27 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Shirasaya, tsuka newly made, saya is old with sayagaki attribution to Bizen Unji. Silver foil and shakudo, two piece habaki with silver foil missing from one side.
Overall Condition: Fair, I would call it good for it's age except for the scratching that obscures the boshi. Interesting sword that has seen many polishes with a very active hamon. Research would have to be done about the sayagaki being original to the sword. |
| $1250 |
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Item: Item: 305Wak5 |
Available |
1934 Pattern Shin-Gunto Mounts with Ancestral Wakizashi |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mumei, ubu.
Year Made: Shinto
Forging Pattern: Hard to say, possibly a very tight itame.
Tempering Pattern: Mostly suguha based midare.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 20.75 inches
Nakago: 6.25 inches 7 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: '34 pattern army shin-gunto mounts in fair condition. Very nice silver foil habaki with interesting pattern. Imitation samé on tuska which is otherwise in good condition. Normal tsuba for leather strap style retainer, in good condition. Saya is plain wood under a leather combat cover which has deteriorated and torn.
Overall Condition: Fair, A very hefty Shinto wakizashi with some ware, many chips, the deepest is 2 mm and the tip of the kissaki broken off. There is enough temper remaining to have these all repaired by a polisher. Would polish up to be a nice solid and attractive example of a Shinto Wakizashi. A nice ancestral blade carried off to war and deserving of preservation. |
| $1795 |
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805gunto2 |
Available |
Gendai Katana with Bo-Hi |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Noshu
Ju Minamoto Kanehisa saku with hot stamp.
Year Made: Showa 17 (1943)
Forging Pattern:
Ko-Itame
Tempering Pattern: Suguha
-
Dimensions: Blade Length:
26.3 ", Nakago: 8.7", Mihaba: 1
5/16", Sakihaba: 7/8",
Kasane: 1/4", Sori: 9/16"
Mountings: WW II koshirae and Shirasaya
with one piece brass Habaki
Condition: This sword has been buffed so there is no detail to
photograph; however, under good light the hamon can be seen through the
length of the blade. The hamon is clearly visible forward of the
hamachi for about eight inches. The blade is in good condition
otherwise with no problems, mostly light pitting that a good polish will
remove. The shirasaya is nicely made of maple. The gunto
koshirae is solid, no notable damage, but much of the paint has flaked off.
The ito is coming apart and the tassel is losing some of its threads but the
band is in good condition. |
| $2300 |
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Item: 807kat8 |
Available |
Gendaito by Miyaguchi Kunimori |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Miyaguchi Kunimori Saku Kore Wo (Also known as Toshihiro and Yasuhiro).
Year Made: WW II era
Forging Pattern: Impossible to tell
Tempering Pattern: Very hard to see, possibly gunome midare
Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.625 inches
Nakago: 8.375 inches 7 mm thick and 33 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Mixed un-matched shin-gunto saya in good condition. Kai-gunto tsuka with no ito or menuki. Artificial samé and missing one seppa.
Overall Condition: Good, The sword has been buffed to a mirror-like shine, impossible to photograph any detail. This sword was made by a highly ranked smith who studied under his father Masatoshi and also under Kasama Ikkansai Shigetsugu. He was appointed master smith at the Nihonto Tanren Kai and later became head instructor at the Okura Tanrenjo (under the name Yasuhiro). He is rated in Slough's as making High to superior grade gendaito and was awarded a Special Honor Noted Seat at the 1941 sword exhibition. This sword probably should be professionally polished and put in a shirasaya. Too bad it doesn't have a window polished in it so one could go on more than the man's reputation. The sword is quite thick and hefty for it's length. |
| $3000 |
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Item: 1106gunto8 |
Available |
Lovely Little Tanto in Fresh Polish and Mounts with NBTHK Papers |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: (Kato) Yoshikuni Saku.
Year Made: Shinshinto
Forging Pattern: itame.
Tempering Pattern: midare.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 7 inches
Nakago: 3.125 inches 5 mm thick and 16 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Newly made aikuchi mounts with horn fittings and shi-dog menuki with a string wrap. Very nice mottled lacquer on the saya. All very well done.
Overall Condition: Excellent, the tanto is in fresh polish and only has one or two pinholes that didn't polish out and there is a slight scuff on one side neat the tip. A very nice, polished, signed and papered piece.
Kato Yoshikuni was trained under
the famous Kato Tsunatoshi school which also included both Koyama Munetsugu
and Ishido Karekazu. Tantos from this famous school are rarely offerred
for sale. |
| $2,950 |
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1206Tanto3 |
Available |
Emura
Gendaito |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Emura
Year Made: Showa
Forging Pattern:
Itame
Tempering Pattern: Ko-Gunome
with nie and nioi
Dimensions: Blade Length:
26 ", Nakago: 7 5/8", Mihaba: 1
5/16", Sakihaba: 7/8",
Kasane: 9/32", Sori: 5/8"
Mountings: WW II Koshirae with one
piece gold washed Habaki
Condition: Good. Fittings are in good condition and blade has
not been restored since the war and shows some honest wear from use.
This is one of the nicer Emura blades that I have seen, the hanmon is
vibrant and the hada active. Emura was the warden of the Okayama
prison and used prison labor to work on his swords for the war effort.
His swords are very sought after and have seen dramatic appreciation over
the years. |
| $2,800 |
SALE $2500 |
807kat13 |
Available |
Gendai Tanto Made from the Steel of Battleship Mikasa |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mikasa
HoKo Hide Aki, Showa Roku nen Hitsuji Haru. Made from Mikasa Canon
Steel by HideAki, lucky day in 1931.
Year Made: 1931
Forging Pattern: Dense
Hada, almost Nashiji.
Tempering Pattern: Suguha
Dimensions: Blade Length: 8.9 inches
Nakago: 3.6 inches 5
mm thick and
21 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings:
Shirasaya with copper habaki.
Overall Condition: Excellent.
A very interesting tanto made from the recovered steel from the
Battleship
Mikasa which was decommissioned in 1921. The steel is surprisingly
nice and is very koto looking. |
| $2,450 |
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1206tanto2 |
Available |
Rare Murata-to, Kogarasumaru-to Dress Saber in Shin-Gunto Mounts |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Murata-to, Kanemasa.
Year Made: Meiji Niju Rokunen Nigatsu Hihatchi (1893)
Forging Pattern: Tight masame
Tempering Pattern: Polished on, suguha
Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.75 inches
Nakago: 5.875 inches 6 mm thick and 24 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Very good quality '34 Pattern Shin-gunto mounts in good condition, matching numbers, no dents and little paint loss on the saya. Handle wrap is dirty but all there and tight. Plating on fittings is very good and has large nodule samé. There is also a fine silver foil covered copper habaki with a "rain" pattern. Very well done and probably part of the original mounts.
Overall Condition: Excellent, Murata-to were swords made by General Murata Tsuneyoshi to supply the military with needed swords for their colonial expansion and growing modern army during the reign of Emperor Meiji. It was basically the first attempt to mass-produce swords for military use where they were now mostly symbolic. This sword was made to go into a form of kyu-gunto or western style saber mountings. The odd shape of the blade is a copy of a famous sword, the Kogarasu-Maru, traditionally the precursor to the Tachi and katana we are familiar with. This sword is very well made but the edge has not been hardened, as it was probably used as part of an officer's or diplomat's dress or parade uniform. It would have been one of Murata's more refined efforts, most likely made by the general himself. There is a similar sword in Fuller and Gregory's Japanese Military and Civil Swords and Dirks, which is shown in mounts used by a senior member of the Imperial Household. It appears to have been artificially tempered as well. The sword is very well made and in excellent condition for a 100+ year old sword. There are some scratches and small (very) dings to the cutting edge but other than that it is new looking (the camera tends to exaggerate the appearance of the scratch due to reflection, in the hand it does not appear scratched at all). The WW II era mounts show signs of use but no major flaw of any kind and the conversion to the then "modern" mounts was done very professionally (surprisingly unusual to have the nakago preserved with intact threads). All in all a great piece of history for both the collector of Japanese swords and the collector of militaria. |
| $1850 |
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Item: 1106gunto7 |
Available |
Mantetsu-to in "34 Pattern Shin-gunto Mounts hit in the Fuchi by Bullet |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Koa Issin Mantetsu Saku.
Year Made: Showa Mizanoto Hitsuji Haru (Spring 1943)
Forging Pattern: Hard to see through scratching, most likely muji hada
Tempering Pattern: Suguha in nioi.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 26.25 inches
Nakago: 8.375 inches 7 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Good quality mounts typical of the Japanese made Mantetsu-to. Much wear , paint loss and denting to saya, Wrap on tsuka is intact and tight, fuchi destroyed by bullet strike, other fittings intact. Nice fluted copper habaki typical of these swords. No numbers on seppa but some kanji on one (see photo). Company grade tassel in cord sarute. Some fraying but excellent condition for the age. No signs of blood on the ito, must have been his lucky day.
Overall Condition: Fair. Aside from the damage by the bullet to the koshirae, it is in good condition except for the saya wear. The blade has much scratching and light pitting, along most of its length. Impossible to see any detail in the hamon but swords signed this way typically had a functional hamon and this one will shave brass easily. The bullet left a dent in the nakago mune but that is all. This would make n excellent example of a mantetsu blade and the war damage adds an extra bit of history to the blade. These blades are also known among martial artists as superior cutting blades although we do not recommend cutting with any blade unless it has been inspected by a knowledgeable person and properly mounted in new mounts made to take the strain of cutting. In our opinion, with the bullet damage and tassel, it is better used as an interesting display piece. |
| $1850 |
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Item: 1106gunto6 |
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. |
| $1500 |
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Item: 1206tanto1 |
Sold WQ |
Arikoto signed Wakizashi with Mei and Poetry on Blade, Rare WW II Combat Covered Saya |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Shosanmi Arikoto tsukuru Narabini Yomu.
Year Made: Shinto (latter)
Forging Pattern: Hard to tell do to light scratching, a very tight almost muji hada
Tempering Pattern: Uma no ha midare, widely spaced.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 15.125 inches
Nakago: 4.75 inches 5 mm thick and 29 mm wide at Hamachi.
Mountings: In Buke zukuri mounts with a leather combat cover and ashi for carrying in WW II (very rare for an ancestral wakizashi to be carried that way). Kashira of plain shakudo with wear on the edges, Fuchi of shakudo and gold mountain range, or hills with a faint covering of sakura or cherry blossoms. Full wrap large nodule samé, a very pricey proposition in Shinto times. Well worn but intact silk ito of navy blue with shi-shi dog menuki of copper and gold plating. Nice old iron tsuba with a floral design. Saya is covered in a high quality leather combat cover in very good condition with a single suspension ashi. The habaki has a boar's eye design cut out in silhouette and a "v" shaped edge. All, high quality fittings and workmanship would seem to indicate that someone thought quite a bit of this sword.
Overall Condition: Very good. Slight scratch over ji, hard to notice. prominent hamon in nioi. Blade and mounts in very good condition for the age. This smith was said to be a Court Noble who engaged in swordsmithing as a hobby under the tutelage of Nankai Taro. He is known for signing the blade and inscribing poetry and according to Fujishiro there are many gimei, so it is best to get papers or a qualified opinion before investing in a polish but that is true of all blades. This is a very well preserved and attractive package dating probably from the 19th century and may be original to the blade. The blade has much sori an extended chu kissaki and is very graceful in appearance. The rarities on many fronts make this a nice sword for collectors of many interests. |
| $1850 |
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Item: 1106wak3 |
Sold KH |
MichiNaga
ShinShinTo Katana |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: MichiNaga
Year Made: Shinshinto 1800s
Forging Pattern:
Extremely tight Ko-Itame
Tempering Pattern: Midare
Suguha
Dimensions: Blade Length:
27", Nakago: 7", Mihaba: 1
1/4", Sakihaba: 7/8",
Kasane: 5/16", Sori: 5/8"
Mountings: In a well worn saya
with a one piece brass Habaki
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| $1,800 |
|
507kat6 |
Sold GMC |
Gendaito by Masayasu |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Bishu ju Masayasu Kitau Kore.
Year Made: WW II era
Forging Pattern: mokume/masame mix
Tempering Pattern: Suguha in ko nie with sunagashi
Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.625 inches
Nakago: 8.625 inches 6 mm thick and 31 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: 1934 Pattern shin-gunto mounts of good quality in very good condition with what appears to be fresh ito and repaired same. Leather combat cover in good condition, all numbers on fittings match, nice gold washed habaki and sarute
Overall Condition: Very good, A nice gendaito with a hada and some activity in the hamon although a cleaning attempt left most of the blade covered in a fine scratch making photography difficult. It has no nicks or other flaws. Masayasu is featured in Slough's book of WW II smiths as making medium grade gendaito and having won 4th seat in a forging competition. A nice well balanced blade that could be left as is or a reasonably priced polisher could remove the scratch and expose all of the workmanship of this sword. |
| $2000 |
|
1206gendai6 |
Sold MS |
Nice Shin-shinto Tanto in Aikuchi Mounts |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mori (?) Kuni.
Year Made: Shin-shinto
Forging Pattern: masame.
Tempering Pattern: Suguha/midare in nie-decki.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 9.125 inches
Nakago: 4 inches 7 mm thick and 25 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Aikuchi mounts done in lacquer and horn, menuki missing and some damage to saya. Kogatana with nice iron kozuka of man fishing and shoreline in gold, copper and shakudo inlay. Kogatanta unsigned. Has a nice silver foil habaki>
Overall Condition: Excellent, could use a finish polish to show the details of hada and hamon more, has naginata hi and is u-no-kubi zukuri. Very active hamon with ji-nie possibly chikei, hard to tell in this state of polish. As most of the damage is on the ura side it would make an excellent display piece as is or the mounts could be restored. Or one could concentrate on the sword, have it polished and a shirasaya made. |
| $1650 |
|
1005Tanto2 |
Sold XF |
Very Active Bizen Gendaito by Toshimune |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Bizen Kuni Ju Toshimune Kin Tsukuru Kore.
Year Made: Showa 20th year,
eighth moon, lucky day (October 1945)
Forging Pattern: Tight mokume/itame.
Tempering Pattern: Koshi-no-hira ita midare.
Dimensions: Blade Length: 25.56 inches
Nakago: 8.375 inches 6 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Newer looking shirasaya, copper habaki.
Overall Condition: Very good, some scratching and very minor pitting but overall polish in very good condition. Extremely active hamon and ji for a Showa era sword. There are many activities to enjoy in this well forged sword and it would be stunning in full polish. It was difficult to photograph the fine ji-nie that covers much of the ji through the fine scratching but some of the photos at the bottom will give you the idea. Overall a graceful and well forged sword by a Bizen Showa smith. |
| $2395 |
|
805kat5 |
Sold FT |
High Grade Gendaito by Tofuji |
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Click to see Images |
Signature:
Mino Kuni Ju TofuJi Saku
Forging Pattern: Tight Mokume, almost
nashiji
Tempering Pattern: Suguha with abundant
ashi in ko nie and nioi
Dimensions: Blade Length:
25.1 inches Nakago: 7.7 inches
7
mm thick and 30 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Blade and shirasaya
Overall Condition: Very Good.
An exceptionally well made sword with a very elegant shape. Excellent
hamon with lots of ashi and nice tight consistent hada. There is some
rust and a nick that should polish out, please see pics. This sword
was most likely made for an officer during the war but did not get mounted
for use.
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| $1795 |
|
704kat3 |
Sold HF |
Nicely Mounted Shin-shinto Tanto |
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Click to see Images |
Signature: Mumei.
Year Made: Shin-Shinto/Meiji
Forging Pattern: Hard to tell due to scratches and burnishing.
Tempering Pattern: Gunome
Dimensions: Blade Length: 8.625 inches
Nakago: 3.25 inches 2 mm thick and 26 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: Aikuchi mounts in very good condition with many circular crests of varying size with dragons and a hollyhock family crest. Lacquer on saya in excellent condition as is lacquered tape binding the tsuka. Also has kozuka of mon in gold plate on silver ground with scrolling vines. Kogatana very worn buy unsigned. Silver washed copper habaki.
Overall Condition: Excellent, could use a polish as the hamon and hada cannot be seen clearly through the scratching and burnishing. Some tiny nicks on edge. Would also make an excellent display piece as is. |
| $2250 |
|
1106wak5 |
|
