p3skyking- Some additional photos.

Doc

February 17, 2007 13:04

Here are some additional photos.

Here is the guard (tsuba?) on the long sword. Didn't really show this in first pics. I may have swapped this with the one on the short sword many years ago (I vaguely recall doing this) so it may actually belong with that one.




Here's the back of the guard that's on the short sword (and may have originally been on the long one). The pic is a little blurry but it has some characters on it. I tried to copy them on the paper.




Here is a detail of the tang on the fancy short sword. I don't see any markings on it.




The next two are attempts at showing the corrosion on the blade. Hard to photograph. It almost looks like the temper line seen on some blades. Maybe the corrosion followed this line?






Lastly, here's the handle on the smallest and simplest blade. The wrap is leather and unfortunately it's starting to split in some places. This sword has been much abused.



Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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  p3skyking

  February 17, 2007 16:07

  I'll go down the line of photos and tell you what each one says to me.
  
  #1 Very nice expensive iron tsuba. Tsuba iron is incredibly tough. It had to be to resist blows from another sword. The blade looks to be in good polish next to the collar (fuchi) and the brass spacer is serrated. All indicative of an owner of means.
  
  #2 Any time you find a signed tsuba, you got yourself a prize. I would value it at least $200.
  
  #3 I knew it had at least two holes!!!!!! That is an old blade and the smaller looks punched when the steel was hot for sure!! Bad news is that it appears at some point, some misguided individual has removed the rust from the tang. I see red/brown rust which is new rust and not old. However, the metal is in an advanced state of age by the looks of the surface. It should be a uniform black color if it had been left intact. NEVER CLEAN A JAPANESE SWORD, THE RUST IS NORMAL ALONG WITH TARNISH ON ALL METAL. IT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE. It will probably take another hundred years to go back to black[:(] The blade collar is OUTSTANDING!
  
  #4 & #5
  The corrosion line follows the hamon (temper line) which just means that it was uncared for a long time. The cutting edge is a harder metal than the body of the blade and as such, is a slightly dissimilar metal. It would be removed with a good PROFESSIONAL polish by someone knowledgeable as to proper methods. For the time being, until you get it done or sell the sword, use clove oil (oil of clove, available at drugstores) to halt any further damage. A light coating is good for about six months if you are not lopping off heads.
  
  #5 I can't tell too much from this photo. The large nodules are old rayskin (same, pronounced saaa' me). I cannot determine the composition of the wrap but it doesn't appear to be silk, but rather some other textile. The metal fittings appear to be ferrous metal while the hilt decoration looks brass. While it appears maybe a couple of hundred years old, it does not look like an expensive hilt. The wrap may not be original to the hilt.
  
  Nice swords.

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  p3skyking

  February 17, 2007 16:09

  Duh, I just went back and read your narrative. LEATHER WRAP! I doubt if it was original to the hilt.

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  stevenrayspeck

  February 17, 2007 16:29

  Thats one nice tomatoe slicer you got there.[:D][:D][:D]

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