2nd Opinion on Sword

[james127]

I've been wanting to add a Japanese sword to my collection for awhile now but will admit that it's not my area of expertise. I was hoping that someone with more of an eye for it than me could take a look at one that I'm considering and give me an opinion.

Thanks!

Link here (edit: link removed. Information and pics in comments)

[GHP]

I've been wanting to add a Japanese sword to my collection for awhile now but will admit that it's not my area of expertise. I was hoping that someone with more of an eye for it than me could take a look at one that I'm considering and give me an opinion.

Thanks!

Link here.

No photos, no comment

[james127]

No photos, no comment

Here you go. The seller estimates the blade to be 80 or 90 years old and said "Blade has a nice grainy wavy pattern in the steel called 'hada' as well as a nice 'hamon' aka temper line, blade is smooth and well shaped, rather than a late war machine pressed or stamped blade."

[zook]

Really need to have a full photo of tang in order to see full signature, shape of tang (area under handle) and look for any feint arsenal stamps (common for war period manufactured swords)… first impression (based on handle) is that you are being offered an army sword with a Navy scabbard, so …. just for starters, I have pause.

I full length picture of the blade is also appropriate (and necessary) to properly judge the sword.

Cheers - Dan

[james127]

Really need to have a full photo of tang in order to see full signature, shape of tang (area under handle) and look for any feint arsenal stamps (common for war period manufactured swords)… first impression (based on handle) is that you are being offered an army sword with a Navy scabbard, so …. just for starters, I have pause.

I full length picture of the blade is also appropriate (and necessary) to properly judge the sword.

Cheers - Dan

Here's one posted of the full sword. I'll request a picture of the tang. Thanks!

[GHP]

Smith's name is Magoroku. Here is the info from Markus Sesko's book:


KANEMOTO (兼元), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Nijūnana-dai Kanemoto” (二十七代兼元), “Kanemoto” (兼元), real name Kaneko Tatsuichirō (金子達一郎), he called himself Magoroku (孫六), born in January 1924, he studied at the training center Watanabe Kanenaga Nihontō Tanren Juku (渡辺兼永日本刀鍛錬塾), in 1944 he succeeded as 27th gen. Kanemoto, he was the legitimate heir of the Kaneko Magoroku lineage (金子孫六) of the Toku´in school (得印) and worked as a kaigun-jumei-tōshō (see picture)

[GHP]

Note: from the photos it looks like the blade has been highly buffed/polished. The one photo near the habaki looks like the ridge line is sharp, as it should be; I can't tell if any of the ridge has been rounded over (bad). This condition would affect the value of the blade; additional costs to properly touch up or fully polish the blade should be taken into consideration.



-- Guy

[BruceP]

James,

It just depends upon how much he's asking. I agree someone has done an amateur buff job on the blade. I almost thought it had been chromed. The handle wrap is frayed. Full picture of the scabbard (saya) is needed. It COULD be a wooden saya designed to be covered by a leather cover. Or it could be a navy saya grabbed by a returning G.I., but need better pics to say.

If he's asking $500 or less, I'd say Ok. But higher than that would require more pictures. As it is now, I wouldn't pay more than that.

[james127]

Thanks for the info. This confirms some of the concerns that I had. I'll keep looking

[Death-Ace]

This looks familiar...there was one that looked just like this floating around for a while with a freshly placed mei...