Japanese Samurai Short Sword

[TORCH03]

Hope this post finds everyone doing well! This sword is from my collection. Any information on the name of the Smith and period of the sword would be greatly appreciated. It has a very nice tempered line that may not show up well in the photos.

Thanks!

Matt

[TORCH03]

[GHP]

肥前国忠吉
Hizen Kuni Tadayoshi

Dunno what generation it would be ... that's Bob's and other experts' baliwick.

--Guy

[TORCH03]

Thanks Guy!

Matt

[Luis22]

Nice looking sword lots of character!!

[Bob Coleman]

The Tadayoshi group consisted of eight generations who worked in Hizen Province on the island of Kyushu from the early 17th century thru the 19th century. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation were very well respected followed by the 4th and 8th. 5th, 6th and 7th were medium quality smiths at the best. The signature is widely faked and this blade would need an in hand examination to determine authenticity. It is not the signature of the first three generations. It may be of the 5th thru 7th generations or it may be an outright gimei or fake. Sorry to not be clearer but few Japanese swords can be judged from pictures alone.

[juoneen]

Appears someone drilled one hole, and one was punched....or it had two punched holes , and one was then drilled .....why? who knows most smith'd examples wouldn't need a second hole as it was never shortened, but may have been rehandled ...but still doesn't seem to be any reason to have needed an extra .
Red rust (within one hundred years or so) and likely could be the actual signature although doesn't matter all that much.... I think the sword even though smith'd...is still in about the same price range .
24" -26" is the normal range of length for ww2 swords...we always used to laugh about these smith'd short versions ..that they were kamikazi swords ...and made short to fit into the planes for its last ride...(hahhah).I have heard it reported that no kamikazis flew to their deaths with their swords, and also heard some did....it is an honest, and decent example regardless...but you do see kamakazi photos where they actually carried the shorter examples around this length .

You seldom find an honest sword first hand any longer....but when you do...you must pounce like the cat....and give your pint of blood to get it whenever possible.

There was a good history channel program the other night about the missing massamune sword they are still trying to find that was surrendered from a large private japanese collection to the occupation forces . Japan never thought they would have to turn over every sword even in civilian homes to the US army....so basicly they lost their sword legacy for making the biggest mistake in their long history by starting war with the usa. (many of which were dumped into the ocean, run over by bulldozers, and/or... melted down for scrap metal)

[TORCH03]

Thanks the great information and for the comments. I personally love the sword and happy to have it in my collection!

Matt