Japanese Sword ID/Translation please

jmpainter · Sep 15, 2008

This sword was from a friend of a friend whose father brought it home from WWII. The blade is about 27". I've had it for a long time but know next to nothing about Japanese Swords...feels GREAT in the hand though.

I'm either going to sell it (the Tsuba seems like someone would want it) or put a new Mekugi in it.

Any help would be MUCH appreciated!

Thanks,
John

Watchful · Sep 15, 2008

Well, I *can* tell you that the writing is upside-down.

Rich S · Sep 15, 2008

Can't tell you a lot about it other than the smith is Hiromitsu, NOT a WW II sword,
considerably earlier. Missing the fuchi (collar that goes where the bare wood is
on the handle). If you need a new mekugi, just use a bamboo chopstick and cut
it off to size. This blade should be examined by someone VERY knowledgeable in
Japanese swords. Don't sell it until you find out much more about it.

Rich

just10minreader · Sep 16, 2008

whoa, is that a little dude stabbing a giant squid on the guard?

jmpainter · Sep 16, 2008

It is something like that....also something that looks like a dragon at the top.
On the other side, it looks like Volcanoes maybe.

Thanks for the info so far.

john

jmpainter · Sep 17, 2008

From digging around...the Tip is a Chu-Kissaki.
In the photos you can't see the temper line that separates the Tip from the rest of the blade. Holding it at the proper angle under light you can.

The Hamon is still THERE but not in great shape.
It appears to be fairly straight.

petah · Sep 17, 2008

what a nice sword! would love to have that!

Lycosa · Sep 17, 2008

The point is o-kissaki. Long point.
Nice sword.

jmpainter · Sep 18, 2008

Ah...some of the long point example photos I saw looked more dramatically long than mine. Of course, I have no idea either way

jmp

Lycosa · Sep 18, 2008

jmp---You will have a lot of fun with Japanese blades. Get John Yumoto's book; The Samurai Sword, A Hand Book!

jmpainter · Sep 20, 2008

I've been given a translation to the Mei
FUKUOKA JÛ ROKURÔZAEMON no JÔ HIROMITSU

One side of the Tsuba looked to me like a reference to Fishing which would go along with Fukuoka. I wonder also though if it is a Rokurozaemon reference

The other side of the Tsuba looks like Four Volcanoes. A reference to the Mount Aso Range? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Aso

I would like to learn more about the age of this sword.
Any ideas?

THANKS!!!

Fudoshin · Oct 15, 2008

If the hamon seems straight, it's probably what is called a Suguha (straight) Hamon; unfortnuatly this don't really give any info on the sword; I read it was used since the begining of the forging of Katana to present days and used by the 5 schools of smiths :/

Just my 2¢, cant really help you unfortunately

How much you want to sell it?

By the way, do NOT use a bamboo stick as a Mekugi if you don't know what the buyer is going to do with that, it would definitely break kind of easily if the Katana is used for cutting and that can result in some bad injury; there's a "lot" of sites that sell Katana and parts such as mekugi, same and itto, just google around

My 2¢