Japanese Wakizashi

**John Brandon** · 05-09-2016, 09:04 AM

We all have our expert fields. This is certainly not one of mine, but I bet there's someone out there that can tell me ......................is it a "pup" or not?

I took it in trade for a couple of items, I'm not sure why I did it, I suppose it was a spur of the moment thing.

Plain Tsuba..................... blade is a little "tired" and I can't see any fold marks along the blade, so does that make it a commercial blade? and it is not signed.

I hope the pictures are good enough to form a reasonable opinion........... The scabbard is wood, with a few bits missing, and the finish is like a skin type but not

Thanks in advance

**BOB COLEMAN** · 05-09-2016, 04:51 PM

Hi John-
You have a civilian mounted traditional wakizashi. Being unsigned, it was likely a mass produced blade. A picture of the tang and an overall shot of the blade might yield further information. The tsukaito or handle wrap is certainly older and Edo Period.

**John Brandon** · 05-09-2016, 05:02 PM

Hi Bob. I was hoping you'd chip in thanks..... I will try and take some pictures of it shortly. 😅

**SteveR** · 05-09-2016, 06:53 PM

Bob
Do you think the handle has been rewrapped ? I don't see any ray skin under the wrap and the wrapping seems to be irregular.

**DaveR** · 05-09-2016, 11:05 PM

Try looking up "Satsuma Rebellion" aka "Okashi-to" swords, I think this might be one of them.... Okashi-to "Rebellion" swords. - Tosogu - Nihonto Message Board

**BOB COLEMAN** · 05-10-2016, 12:25 AM

by SteveR

Bob
Do you think the handle has been rewrapped ? I don't see any ray skin under the wrap and the wrapping seems to be irregular.

It is an old wrap and may have black lacquered same or no same at all. The piece is a little upgraded from the typical Satsuma Rebellion sword.

**SteveR** · 05-10-2016, 03:55 AM

by BOB COLEMAN

It is an old wrap and may have black lacquered same or no same at all. The piece is a little upgraded from the typical Satsuma Rebellion sword.

Thank you friend.

**AZPhil** · 05-10-2016, 05:42 AM

by DaveR

Try looking up "Satsuma Rebellion" aka "Okashi-to" swords, I think this might be one of them.... Okashi-to "Rebellion" swords. - Tosogu - Nihonto Message Board

Trying to tie it to that specific time would be left to the experts and times of the last Samurai would be a bonus. There were hundreds of years of civil war in Japan. One known as the Sengoku," or "Country at War" (1467-1573) I have a Katana from this time frame from Bungo Nagamori. But these are swords that were "MASS" produced for the Waring parties and not considered to be art swords. But I leave this up to the experts as I'm just a student in learning . I only see some slight traces of same showing in the very upper edges of the tsukaito.So I wait to see how this comes out.

Semper Fi
Phil

**John Brandon** · 05-10-2016, 09:57 AM

Really not easy to take pictures of the blade, but I've tried my best, and the pictures are pretty large so the will enlarge easy. I'm not sure if they will shed light on anything, but thanks so far, for all of your comments thus far, fingers crossed......

As you can see the blade is not signed.............. which is a shame, as a commercial blade is never as good or desirable, as a hand forged one,

**DaveR** · 05-10-2016, 10:20 AM

Okeydokey, just to clear up a couple of points. It is probably an old blade, not all were signed and there are a lot of threads on various sites as to why some were not signed. In nihonto collecting circles, old is pre 17th century, new is 17th century till 1877 when wearing of swords was banned. If it is "mass produced" it is pre 1580... Sengoku Jidia age of war era. The grip (tsuka) is probably a piece of reused scabbard (saya) as is often the case with satsuma. The ornaments (menuki) are a bit high class for this type and so probably added when the re-wrap was done. Follow the link I posted for more information.
Dave