Thanks a lot Rich
Your website was already in my "favorites" ... it was the first one i entered, to get acquainted to the Japanese swords area. I am much obliged for the style classification and maker's signature.
I will get back to your site, to learn some more.
Thank you so much t c, for your precious remarks and hints.
This sword was bought in a close to junk condition. All parts must have been separated and exposed for whatever time, then wrongly reassembled, with the tsuba next to the blade, with the tang and habaki stuck deep into the tsuka(?), to a craking point. The blade must have being subject to infant swords play, with its various dents. It was once striken with hard sandpaper, certainly for unrusting, not for polishment. It also served as a hammer, as the tang end was smashed in such manner.
It is therefore dificult for me to judge on its age, even after learning from you the various sympthoms to find so.
Let me see:
The habaky was in the first picture; it shows signs of age. I don't find the use for that orifice in both center sides, as i haven't yet seen more of this style in the web. Do you know what this represents ?
You are right, the signature is well preserved; also because it was strongly punched, even with a scale efect. It was easy for the present rust cleaning brush process, to brighten the texture scales. Before the cleaning, the tang had such slag in the greater area ... the rest was irregular rust, with some portions of neither.
As for the thinning of the blade in the muni-machi area, due to frequent polishings , i don't find it so visible. Instead i notice a clear reduction of the blade width, maybe due to sharpening, not from polishing, i would think.
The tsuba has indeed a few punches, but apparently only on the other side, as shown in present pictures. However its center hole seems to be too large to adjust to the section of this blade. Possibly this tsuba belonged to a larger sword, as i don't see how the ( missing ) seppas woud eliminate this problem.
Obviously and apart from any judgement misguidings due to this piece mistreatments, i don't expect it to be 17th or 18th century, but i also guess it wasn't produced "just the other day".
Rich also noted there were various Hisamichi, in different periods.
Would you say this is a 19th century blade ? a later scabbard ? an earlier tsuba ?
Thank you so much for your involvement.
fernando
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