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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;jamesicus, post: 3738129, member: 14873&quot;]Tantô (short sword or dagger) blade in wooden storage scabbard (shira-saya)</p><p><br /></p><p>Produced during the early Edo period.</p><p>(Mino Tradition Sue-Seki School)</p><p><br /></p><p>References:</p><ul> <li>The Connoisseur&#039;s Book of Japanese Swords, Kokan Nagayama, Kodansha International, Tokyo, 1995.</li> <li>Facts and Fundamentals of Japanese Swords, Nobuo Nakahara, Kodansha International, Tokyo, 2010.</li> <li>Mino Tô - Swords and Swordsmiths of Mino Province, Malcom E. Cox, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, 1993 (plus 1994 Supplement).</li> </ul><p><img src="https://jp29.org/0tanto01.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://jp29.org/0tanto12z.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Blade made by Kanekado of Seki, Mino (Noshu) Province.</p><p><br /></p><p>This is a short sword blade (tantô) housed in a wooden storage scabbard (shira-saya) and inscribed with a kanji attribution (sayagaki). I bought this sword from Fred Weissberg, renowned Nihontô dealer, researcher and author, several years ago. He noted: &quot;.......... It is in an old but good polish with no rust or problems of any kind ..........&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>sugata:</p><p>Overall shape</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://jp29.org/0tanto02xx.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>The blade shape (sugata) and length is typical for tantô of this school. The length (nagasa) is 28.5 cm (11.25&quot;). The width of the blade (mihaba) is 2.2 cm (.87&quot;) and the blade is thin in cross-section (kô-kasane).</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://jp29.org/0tanto19xx.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />It is a straight blade with slight inward curvature (uchizori) toward the point (kissaki).</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://jp29.org/0tanto03xx.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>It is flat (hira-zukuri) without a ridge line (shinogi) or point dividing line (yokote). The back ridge (mune) is peaked (iori). The blade retaining collar (habaki) is overlaid with silver foil.</p><p><br /></p><p>jihada:</p><p>Blade surface grain and pattern</p><p>Activity (hataraki)</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://jp29.org/0tanto04.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>The surface grain (jihada) is tight wood burl (kô-mokume).</p><p>Magnified photograph of section.</p><p><br /></p><p>hamon:</p><p>Blade edge temper pattern</p><p>Activity (hataraki)</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://jp29.org/0tanto02.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>The temper line pattern (hamon) is narrow straight (hoso-suguha) with a soft nioi (very fine martensite) edge. The point (kissaki) temper line (boshi) terminates in a small circle (komaru). The point shape is medium (chû-kissaki). Photo by Fred Weissberg - used by permission.</p><p><br /></p><p>nakago:</p><p>Tang</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://jp29.org/0tanto15b.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>The tang (nakago) is unaltered (ubu) with one mounting hole (mekugi-ana). The shape is standard (futsu) and the butt shape (nakagojiri) is like a chestnut (kurijiri). The smith&#039;s signature (mei) is on the omote. The file marks on the tang (yasuri-me) are plane-drawing (sen-suki).</p><p><br /></p><p>The Kanekado who made this tantô was one of a long line of sword smiths (kaji) by that name from Mino Province.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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