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Does this blade suggest Seppuku-specific intended use?
- Thread starter wlwhittier
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NihontoEd
Gold Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2011
- Messages
- 691
I hate to sound negative, but this thing isn't worth the time and effort it takes to write a reply.
As there are so many questions and s much misinformation within this thread I will try to answer/correct some of them.
The condition of the blade as well as the photos are poor, making it nearly impossible to determine much about the blade. There is no evidence which I can see of any hada or hamon or yokote. This would leave me to believe that it that it was possibly a late war piece which was broke or damaged severely or perhaps even more likely a surimono piece made for the tourist trade post war. The latter would be much more in line with the lack of hada, hamon and yokote. In regards to the yokote, it could be worn down to where I can't see it in the photos or it could possibly, though unlikely, have been shobu-zukuri. The overall poor feel of the entire thing leads me to think surimono.
Someone performed a rather botched job at turning it into a tanto. Why a notch instead of a hole ? Who knows, perhaps they had a saw but not a drill, maybe the notch is actually a large chip (????). I bring up the chip speculation due to the poorly done shirasaya. The shirasaya was made and the mekugi ana punched so off center that obviously the notch/chip was already there, so it was used. Another indication of surimono.
What I do know is that is non traditional and would not have been made this way by any Japanese swordsmith.
My opinion only, but that is about all of the information I can determine from the photos.
In regards to some of the more specific questions/information:
Does this blade suggest Seppuku-specific intended use? No
Therefore the shirasaya has nothing to do with seppuku.
In fact I do not believe there is a "seppuku specific" tanto.
Wrong. All Japanese rituals were highly stylized and every component was subject to strict protocol.
The notch may mean that it was cut down? Its my understanding that when a sword was cut down they had to mark it so in some way.It was a law pushable by death. Wrong.
I also have handled, sold etc a few real japanese blades and the middle size one was used for ritual Seppuku. Wrong
Is anyone aware of a cut-down example where the hole for the mekugi is a "notch"? Not in 25+ years of collecting have I seen one. That is non traditional and would not have been made this way by any Japanese swordsmith. Again, everything they did was regulated and subject to exacting protocols.
Again, I do not mean to to be the bearer of bad news, and this is only my opinion, but the nicest thing I can say is what you have is pretty much worthless.
However, if you like it, that is all that really matters and I am happy for you..
As there are so many questions and s much misinformation within this thread I will try to answer/correct some of them.
The condition of the blade as well as the photos are poor, making it nearly impossible to determine much about the blade. There is no evidence which I can see of any hada or hamon or yokote. This would leave me to believe that it that it was possibly a late war piece which was broke or damaged severely or perhaps even more likely a surimono piece made for the tourist trade post war. The latter would be much more in line with the lack of hada, hamon and yokote. In regards to the yokote, it could be worn down to where I can't see it in the photos or it could possibly, though unlikely, have been shobu-zukuri. The overall poor feel of the entire thing leads me to think surimono.
Someone performed a rather botched job at turning it into a tanto. Why a notch instead of a hole ? Who knows, perhaps they had a saw but not a drill, maybe the notch is actually a large chip (????). I bring up the chip speculation due to the poorly done shirasaya. The shirasaya was made and the mekugi ana punched so off center that obviously the notch/chip was already there, so it was used. Another indication of surimono.
What I do know is that is non traditional and would not have been made this way by any Japanese swordsmith.
My opinion only, but that is about all of the information I can determine from the photos.
In regards to some of the more specific questions/information:
Does this blade suggest Seppuku-specific intended use? No
Therefore the shirasaya has nothing to do with seppuku.
In fact I do not believe there is a "seppuku specific" tanto.
Wrong. All Japanese rituals were highly stylized and every component was subject to strict protocol.
The notch may mean that it was cut down? Its my understanding that when a sword was cut down they had to mark it so in some way.It was a law pushable by death. Wrong.
I also have handled, sold etc a few real japanese blades and the middle size one was used for ritual Seppuku. Wrong
Is anyone aware of a cut-down example where the hole for the mekugi is a "notch"? Not in 25+ years of collecting have I seen one. That is non traditional and would not have been made this way by any Japanese swordsmith. Again, everything they did was regulated and subject to exacting protocols.
Again, I do not mean to to be the bearer of bad news, and this is only my opinion, but the nicest thing I can say is what you have is pretty much worthless.
However, if you like it, that is all that really matters and I am happy for you..
wlwhittier
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2013
- Messages
- 186
All of that is, in fact, good news. The blade was a $10 purchase, and even the great extent of my ignorance allowed that to be a bargain, given the work and material involved. As it has no real value I'll undertake to improve the visible blade, re-solder the habaki, craft a simple mekugi, restore an edge to it and call it good. Thank you, SouthernComfort, for you generous counsel and candor. wlw
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