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Help Identifying unsigned Katana - Period Unknown

Submitted by Daso on Tue, 2016-04-19 16:33

Hello all,

Picked this up and wanted to see if anyone could help me with their thoughts on this Katana. Some of my (newbie) observances which could absolutely be wrong, but I'm trying.

Blade tip - O-Kissaki
Temper line - Notare
Curve - Shallow
Tang - Square tip - Kiri - Kaku-ichi-monji
Grain - Hard to see any grain - plain ( I hope it isn't a cheap new steel sword)
Shape - Shinogi - Zukuri
Blade length is 26 1/2 to the beginning of the Habaki, 1" habaki and 6" tang with two holes. There also appear to be three dings in the blade which look like a sword strike but not deep. No hagire that I can see with 400x scope.

Please let me know if I should delete any of the photos and add others, I seem to have lost some images due to size limit.

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#1Submitted by saipan59 on Tue, 2016-04-19 20:22.

good

Looks good (not fake, I think).
It is "SURIAGE", meaning shortened. The square end on the nakago (tang) is where they cut it off, and the second mekugi-ana (hole) was added afterwards, so that the tsuka (handle) could be re-mounted. Also note how the yasuri (file marks) stop part way up the tang.

The tsuka-maki (handle wrapping) looks "new" (not ancient, 20th or 21st century). Do you know who did it?

I like the tsuba (handguard). Don't know if it's particularly nice or not, I just like the design.

Pete
#2Submitted by Daso on Tue, 2016-04-19 21:46.

Pete

saipan59 wrote:

Looks good (not fake, I think).
It is "SURIAGE", meaning shortened. The square end on the nakago (tang) is where they cut it off, and the second mekugi-ana (hole) was added afterwards, so that the tsuka (handle) could be re-mounted. Also note how the yasuri (file marks) stop part way up the tang.

The tsuka-maki (handle wrapping) looks "new" (not ancient, 20th or 21st century). Do you know who did it?

I like the tsuba (handguard). Don't know if it's particularly nice or not, I just like the design.

Pete

Hi Pete,

Thanks, I bought it from a Pawn shop on a whim. Not what I was expecting to do. Any thoughts on what period it might be? I don't know who did the Tsuka-maki, but it definitely looks like it was done recently as the wrapping is new. The Saya is lousy and cheap. The Kashira looks old. The Tsuba is a really simple and pleasant looking design although I wasn't sure if it was new or old. The price was very fair and I know I took a chance here. It seems to have characteristics from a few different periods. My biggest concern was that I didn't really see any grain in the side. I didn't even think it was shortened, Thanks.
#3Submitted by Looper on Fri, 2016-04-22 22:03.

Era

Just based on the very shallow sori my best guess would be somewhere between Kanei and Kanbun.
#4Submitted by Daso on Sat, 2016-04-23 20:53.

Kanbun

Looper wrote:

Just based on the very shallow sori my best guess would be somewhere between Kanei and Kanbun.

Yes, you are on the mark. Common reaction has been Kanbun Shinto Suriage