Japanese small sword

One of the Forumites that read Japanese will be able to tell you when it was made from the kanji on the nakago. The fitting material is lacquer, and this is a pretty decent piece.....very nice habaki and fittings.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
I wonder if it is one of the ones that where being made in china that where suppose to be old?? I looked at buying a bunch of them but then I notice they had a bunch of them per style of swords. you can not have old swords in that many of them at once.
 
richard thurman said:
I wonder if it is one of the ones that where being made in china that where suppose to be old?? I looked at buying a bunch of them but then I notice they had a bunch of them per style of swords. you can not have old swords in that many of them at once.
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Everything about this blade screams authentic antique.....the habaki and the aging around the mountings would be very, very difficult to fake.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Definitely genuine but I can't read the kanji because not enough detail in the picture.
If you could provide a better pic of the signature, I'll translate.
 
Does anyone else wonder about the multiple mekugi holes in the tang (nakago?)? Was this re-mounted to a new handle and fittings?
 
Yes, the multiple mekugi-ana says the blade has been remounted. Not at all unusual for an older blade. Looks like a nice old blade to me. Good find.

Rich
 
Thanks for the help everyone, I will take better pictures of the kanji tomorrow when I am off from work. I am assuming that the kanji is the part of the blade with the rust and markings correct. As far as it being a China made new piece, I doubt that because the lady I got it from told me her husband brought it back from WWII and had it in his sock drawer all these years till she decided to sell some of his stuff. He had pasted away last year. She is 82.
 
galvanic1882 said:
I am assuming that the kanji is the part of the blade with the rust and markings correct.
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Correct.
Can't make out much yet: X Yama Ju X X Dai Jo X X X
Which isn't much help...
Yama is 2nd half of province - Ju means 'of' - Daijo is an honourary title - last three or four kanji will be smith's name with maybe more title or a first name.
 
This definitely looks to be an authentic Japanese blade. Since no one else has chimed in, I'll give you the standard issue advice:
1. Don't clean the tang. EVER!! A japanese sword , or tanto is judged in part on the patina/condition of the tang.
2. Be very conservative with any cleaning of the blade. Really best just to wipe it down lightly with mineral oil.
3. The best thing you can do for your investment is to read...alot. There are numerous sites out there but one of the best is by Dr. Richard Stein, The Japanese Sword Index.
Start there, grab a good beverage and enjoy.
The next best site if you would like a quality review of the blade and fittings would be to post it to The Nihonto Message Board. Really amazing amount of knowledge over there.
Also a fair dose of reality check attitude for anyone that swaggers in full of their own opinions, but definitley a source of knowledge.

Enjoy, looks like you've picked up a really nice piece.
K/P
 
PKDA said:
3. The best thing you can do for your investment is to read...alot. There are numerous sites out there but one of the best is by Dr. Richard Stein, The Japanese Sword Index.
K/P
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That would be Forumite "Rich S." who posted already.

You know, Leon "Lonnie" Kapp was compelled to write the book "The Craft of the Japanese Sword" with Yoshindo Yoshihara because he had been given so much willful misinformation by the Nihonto Club of "fill in the blank" that he got pissed off and went to the source. Many of those involved in nihonto are so pleased with themselves they completely forget what it is like to know nothing of them.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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With some work, I believe it reads Yokoyama Kozuke Daijo something something Sukesada. Yokoyama being a school of smiths in Bizen province, Kozuke (no) Daijo is a title and Sukesada is the smith's name.
The missing kanji could be a first name or Fujiwara, which is a popular clan of the time.
There are several generations of Yokoyama Sukesada so without nailing the signature entirely, dating is still rather broad but it's probably 1600's to mid 1800's, more likely in the mid 1600's to mid 1700's.

There is a fair bit of info on the net on this group of smiths so hopefully this info will help with your research.
 
liamstrain said:
Does anyone else wonder about the multiple mekugi holes in the tang (nakago?)? Was this re-mounted to a new handle and fittings?
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Yep, simply done to remount to other tsuka/fittings. Its real. Nice piece! Damn nice fittings/kodogu. That kozuka is noice!
 
Thanks all for the info. I am not familiar with most of the terms you are using and am trying to read more about this to understand. I will go to the sites recommended also. I have been away and work has been crazy for me but I will try today to take a better picture of the tang. Thanks for the advise on what to do and not to do. I collect older folding knives and usually don't clean anything on them either. I did wipe the blade down with mineral oil but that is it.
 
galvanic1882 said:
Thanks all for the info. I am not familiar with most of the terms you are using and am trying to read more about this to understand. I will go to the sites recommended also. I have been away and work has been crazy for me but I will try today to take a better picture of the tang. Thanks for the advise on what to do and not to do. I collect older folding knives and usually don't clean anything on them either. I did wipe the blade down with mineral oil but that is it.
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IMO, it would really benefit from a proper polish from a trained polisher.

There are scant few Americans qualified, but there are a few, if you decide to invest the time and substantial money(I would think around $1,500.00 to start).

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
IMO, it would really benefit from a proper polish from a trained polisher.

There are scant few Americans qualified, but there are a few, if you decide to invest the time and substantial money(I would think around $1,500.00 to start).

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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Scant few is an overstatement. If you want to have the blade go through kantei and papered properly you should send it to Japan to a real Togi. Aoi-Art online provides polishing services. Ive seen their work on a Tokubetsu Hozon rated Masahiro Uno-kubi katana with tameshi-mei and it was first rate! It was owned by Robert Robertshaw at the time and he knows his stuff!
 
akadave2 said:
Scant few is an overstatement. If you want to have the blade go through kantei and papered properly you should send it to Japan to a real Togi. Aoi-Art online provides polishing services. Ive seen their work on a Tokubetsu Hozon rated Masahiro Uno-kubi katana with tameshi-mei and it was first rate! It was owned by Robert Robertshaw at the time and he knows his stuff!
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I was thinking Bob Benson-
http://www.bushidojapaneseswords.com/antique-japanese-swords.html
And that Ted Tenold could provide a reference, if not feeling like he was up to the job himself-
http://www.legacyswords.com/newindex.htm

You know as well as I do that once the pieces are in Japan, they don't like letting go of them.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
I was thinking Bob Benson-
http://www.bushidojapaneseswords.com/antique-japanese-swords.html
And that Ted Tenold could provide a reference, if not feeling like he was up to the job himself-
http://www.legacyswords.com/newindex.htm

You know as well as I do that once the pieces are in Japan, they don't like letting go of them.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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Thats a myth really. I have had two blades polished and have been in the JSS/US for years. I have yet to hear an issue with getting a blade back. Now it can take time to be sure but its not because they want to "take" your sword.
 
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