Edged Item - Japanese Sword

seb1999

I'm not sure if this the right venue but here goes-

We have a sword that was a "bring back" by my wife's uncle from Japan after WWll.

It is in excellemt condition but it is absolutely devoid of any markings. The people that have looked at it say it is of excellent quality and in remarkable condition but the handle/grip must be removed in order to see if this is an authentic "Samauri" sword.

Does this sound right and how much should I expect to pay for this service? Is it a difficult task and would I expect to have this done in a a major metropolitan market place and should I be present for the whole process?

I guess my faith in human nature is showing but I thought I should ask the experts.

Thanks for any help/advice that is given.

ayud

On the handle, look for a wood peg. It should drive easily one way as it is tapered. The handle will then slide off the blade. It is easy and you can do it. Just keep track of the sequence of spacers and guard.Do not force anything. The blade should be stamped with the makers name and possibly the year it was forged. I am assuming this saber has a pearl like covering with cord braided in a diamond shape. This is typical.
If this does not do the job, tell me what is not right. I am a WWII vet of the 7th Div. ARMY Attu, Kwajalein, Leyte, Okinawa and occupation of Korea. Of course, you will need a Jap interpreter.

captkirk3@dslextreme.com

O.K., Devoid of Visual Markings makes it an almost absolute Pre WW11, Blade....If it was an Arsenal made blade it would be marked, and visabley so... An Old Blade Most Likely will be ENGRAVED on the TANG of the Blade and only visible when the Handle is Removed..! I'd suggest that you take the Blade to an Expert in the field...!!!! Some Handles are Extremely difficult to remove as the Tang was never polished and tend to Rust and adher to the Handle....If you slip off the Bamboo Pin while trying to remove the Handle to the Tang and Gall the Ray Skin Covering of the Handle you can cost yourself a lot of Value...Also...Do not finger the Blade or Breath upon the Blade..and there's absolutly No Reason to want to test the sharpness...Body Oils and Breath will cost rust and blemishes...The Blade must be always honored and treated with respect..! Thats the code of the Bushido!
Also...Not all BLades are Engraved with the Makers name! Some are Identified by the File Marks and the slope and Angle of the File Strokes....The List goes on....My Daughter collect Samari Swords and has an extensive collection...and has some very High Doller Books on Makers and Marks....If and when you remove the Handle on this blade, besure to make Pencil Rubbings on the Whole Tang...I look forward to hearing what you find....Best...

Captain Kirk, Tech Staff

ericthered

Sounds like you have a nice find there.

These guys are telling you exactly what I have found in my
studies and reading.

Do not sell without thorough research. It is probably worth some
money.

Don't be in a hurry to deal with it. The world abounds with
people who will rip you off in a hurry. "I have been ripped off by some".

Especially don't take it to a shop to get info. They may try a tell you its' not worth anything just to get it away from you.

Digital photos sent to lots of people in the internet could do much to get you accurate information. That is much, much safer than
personal conversations with dealers in your area.

Please post back and let us know what you find out. Sounds like
a neat deal.


Always glad to hear of a lucky break. Enjoy it.

Eric

thats'me

PotatoBob

Keep in mind that during ww2 some respected makers used their name on blades that were mass produced for the military.By mass produced i mean made by smiths other than the famous named one-apprentices and so forth.
I would definitely not attempt to remove the blade myself,let the pros deal with it,they're insured.

seb1999

Thanks to all for your good advice the knowledge available from this forum is just fantastic.

I live in SC and I guess I will have to go to Atlanta or Charlotte to find a knowledgeable ethical dealer.

I will keep you guys informeed and share what i find out.

Thanks again!

ayud

Apparently, you are listening to the fuddy duddys and hesitating to push the little wood peg out of it's hole and see what is under the handle. Use common sense and do it carefully. You may be surprised what is under there. Sure, you may have a gold mine, but how will you know if you dont peek? I,ve had a few of these apart and never damaged the value. If you are mersenary and seeking great fortune, it is very unlikely that you will get it from a WWII bring back. Most items of value were secreted by the owners or gobbled up by the brass. I was brass,too. Or you can spend some bucks on a smithy and wonder what would have happened to the money that you could have saved. Send me the saber. I will tell you what is under the handle, have it translated and bill you. OK?

allen griggs

I'm in Atlanta. A few years ago a Japanese guy was holding a session at one of the big hotels for the weekend and he was buying swords. I took one up there that my dad had bought at a pawn shop about 30 yrs ago for $15. The dealer took the handle off and he told me that the sword had been made in about 1590. That was pretty cool because it meant that the sword could have been used in the wars illustrated in the book "Shogun". He said it was worth about $400 but he didn't want to buy it because it had been sharpened a lot and this diminished the value. The guy had about 20 swords there that he had bought. I asked to look at one, it was really beautiful, he said he had paid $10,000 for it. I'm sure there are dealers living in the big city who would help you out. They take that handle off in about 1 minute.

"Not as deep as a well, or as wide as a church door, but it is enough."