home made grip.
You will receive a lot more feedback on this wakizashi if you can take off the homemade handle and expose the tang with some quality close up photos !
REGARDS AL
We are the Pilgrims , master, we shall go
Always a little further : it may be
Beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow
Across that angry or that glimmering sea...
Appox. Overall length is 23". Blade is just under 18"
The signature is cut off (bottom portion of kanji #2) .... but it looks like
忠光
Tadamitsu
Don't know if it's the same smith as below, but he also signs only "Tadamitsu" .... the others I googled all had more kanji preceding "Tadamitsu". The "Tada" part looks similar (flat bottom of the "kokoro" part)... but I'm no expert by any means!
source
Okay, .... no, the signatures exhibit different engraving techniques, strokes.
--Guy
Welcome to the Forum. As guy wrote, the signature is Tadamitsu. Which Tadamitsu can not be determined due to the wretched condition of this blade. It certainly has seen very poor care over the years. I can understand why you could not find anything that looked like this. You appear to have a descent iron tsuba. The blade has seen much polishing over the years and has lost a lot of it's original shape. The scabbard, if original to the blade, was likely covered with leather for military useage. The fuchi or original handle ornament, is of poor quality and has little merit. This has all the signs of a sword that had it's handle broken by some GI searching for the non existant jewels in the handle-a commonly heard false runmor among the troops. A lot of mountings were broken up in such a manner.
BOB
LIFE'S LOSERS NEVER LEARN FROM THE ERROR OF THEIR WAYS.
It looks like some GI made a Machete out of it...
William
"Much that once was, is lost. For none now live who remember it."
Thanks for all of the replies! So, guessing of off what Im told its 16th century? Does it hurt the value to repolish the blade? What is an appox value? Thanks
Without an in hand study, definite age and identification of the smith who made this blade is impossible from just pictures. Anyone telling you different is just guessing. As to investing in polish, the cost of polish would far exceed the value of the blade. Value on Japanese swords can not be determined from photographs. Condition and quality of construction all factor in to a proper evaluation. Photos can not show folding flaws, tempering problems or cracks.
BOB
LIFE'S LOSERS NEVER LEARN FROM THE ERROR OF THEIR WAYS.
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