japanese sword for id. translation of the name of the blacksmith please
 

I think this blade is édo
.the handle is probably more récente.
could you translate the name of the blacksmith please!!!
I THINK ( okutaro kunihara???)

could give me tips to restaure this blade.I not know if there posibility to alleviate this rust
.must polish the blade with stones!!
any advice would be welcome
thank

Hi,

I also think Edo period. Someone cleaned up the Nakago (tang), that is absolutely forbidden and reduces the value of the blade significantly! The rust patina is very important for validating the age of the blade for example.

It is also a huge sin, to polish a japanese sword by yourself! A japanese Togishi (polishing master) needs up to twelve years of learning before he can say that he is a real Togishi.

A japanese polishing starts up with ~50$ per inch and easily reaches 2000$ for the whole blade. But I afraid your blade is too deeply corroded for the costs of a full polish.

Again, don't try to bring out the Hada and Hamon by yourself, you will probably ruin the blade! If you show a "self made polishing" to a japanese sword collector, you will hear some brutal comments.

I will try to translate the Mei when I am back at home.


Regards,
Roland

I am sorry to say but IMHO it is a ruined blade. There are many deep caverns on the blade and no polishing will get rid of them without irreparably changing the geometry of the blade and without getting rid of its tempered "shell".

Nihonto is beautiful but intolerant: the blade is either perfect or worthless. Standards of polishing are incredibly high and the cost of professional polishing is mind boggling. The " do it yourself" approach is likely to remove any residual value of the blade. Professional Japanese polishers have waiting lists measured in years and I have heard of some charging hundreds of dollars for each linear inch.

This is why I stay away from Nihonto. Patina on an Indian or Arabic sword can be described as "beautiful" and advised not to be touched; nicks on the edge are " kisses of time". But the same features on a Koto or Shinto blade will make Japanese connoisseurs run for the hills.

Not my cup of ( green) tea:-)

P.S. I am an incredibly slow typist, and by the time I pushed the "post" button Roland had already beat me to it:-) We are in complete agreement, unfortunately.....

ok roland
thank you

I have a good idea for you!

If you have a japanese sword exhibition in your near, there are always Togishi present. They offer to polish a small window in the blade. This window costs between 50 an 100$ and you be sure, whether it is worth a full polishing or not.

If not it is still a very good blade for Iaido or Tameshigiri.

ok roland
if you have the ability to translate thank you

What you have there is a sword often referred to as a "Satsuma Rebellion" sword, the hilt style is distinctive of these.
The curator emeritus of the Japanese collection at the Royal Armouries Leeds believes these to be "Okashi To", loaned swords given out to Samurai and Ashigura in time of war. For the most part they are old blades at the end of their useful life, simply, cheaply and sometimes crudely refurbished to make them usable again. More on the type here.... http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic...ellion-swords/

Unfortunately, I have to agree with Roland and Ariel. It is a ruined blade with cleaned nakago and deeply corroded blade that is beyond repair.

Basically no collecting value.

Japanese blades require almost regular maintenance as they are very prone to corrosion.

Unfortunately again, too many (the vast majority) of Japanese blades coming from US or Europe are in poor to very poor (beyond repair) condition as they were kept for extended periods of time in the Koshirae and without proper care... if any.

I know a Japanese sword dealer who travelled to the US with the hope he can find some good Nihonto to bring back to Japan and came back only with a Wakizashi for which the cost of polishing was about the same as the value of the polished/restored blade itself.

That's why I buy Nihonto ONLY from Japan.

Just a quick translation, the sword smith name is KUNIHIRA, a resident of Satsuma province, made this at age 69. He was active in 1711.
regards,
Maskell

hello Maskell
thank you very much for the translation