I have taken many detailed pics to serve as the actual physical condition of this sword.
Please note that the information I received from the two sources listed below was based entirely on email correspondence and photos. The sword has not been physically inspected by either source.
The story:
I recently purchased this vintage Japanese Katana at an estate sale in Thousand Oaks, CA. The estate consisted primarily of antiques, furniture and art work, many of which were of Asian origin. The seller told me that the sword was original and dated back to WW-II. I asked if it was signed and he assured me that it was, but that the signature would be on the tang which would require the sword to be taken apart to get to the tang. He hadn’t seen the signature but looking at this Katana, I did get the sense that it was authentic and the real deal. Seller pointed out that it also had the second outer leather sleeve, which are hard to find. Most of these swords only have the rigid sheath/scabbard. I decided to buy it.
My next step was to take some photos and figure out how to remove the hardware so that I could see if the tang was signed. An hour on YouTube helped me with this task. I took as many photos of both sides and of each fitting as I could, before re-assembling it. The tang revealed a signature on the aged and patinated steel. After re-assembly, I noticed that the fittings on each side of the blade were a little loose and I left it at that, since I had cut myself a couple of times during the disassembly, and I didnt‘ want to take any more chances hurting myself or the sword!
Now that I had the signature in Japanese, I went back online to try to find some experts who specialize in dealing with antique Japanse weapons and who might also be able to translate the signature.
I found Dr. Les Dorfman of Stanford University to whom I reached out first;
His initial response was that it looks to be a genuine Japanese sword, signed BUNGO (no) JU FUJIWARA YUKIMITSU meaning made by swordsmith Yukimitsu affiliated with the Fujiwara clan and living in Bungo province. The mounts are WWII but the blade could be older, possibly a family sword that was taken to war. I\'ll try to look him up when I get home tonite.“
He added that:
- It\'s a good looking sword, nice shape, length. Almost surely pre-WWII, possibly by centuries. The broken tip is a minor matter, easily fixed by a trained Japanese polisher. Do not attempt anything on your own, and beware of untrained westerners who pose as polishers. Apply a thin coat of mineral oil or gun oil to the blade (not the tang) to protect from rust.
- The mounts a quite nice, good condition, including the leather combat cover. The pierced tsuba (handguard) is a high-end extra on these wartime mountings.
- The second hole in the tang means the sword has been re-mounted at least once in its lifetime, perhaps for WWII. Another indication of age.
- Regrettably, it looks as though someone has taken steel wool or a grinder to the blade, obscuring the foldings of the steel and the pattern of the hamon (hardened cutting edge). This means that at some point the blade may need to be polished, an expensive proposition.
There were 2 smiths using the artname Yukimitsu in Bungo province. The 1st generation worked around 1680, the second around 1710. Both were affiliated with the Bungo Takada swordmaking group.
So what I understood was that this Katana was made by YUKIMITSU of BUNGO (province) for the FUJIWARA clan around 1700 and was likely passed on generations, until it was remounted possibly for WWII. It appeared now that the sword is over 300 years old!
But I wanted to find another source for a second opinion, and came across Nihonto whichspecializes and deals with fine Japanse swords. I reached out to Mr Weissberg of Nihonto and received confirmation that the blade is in fact signed Bungo Ju Fujiwara Yukimitsu.
Mr Weissberg added that it was made by Yukimitsu of Bungo Province but that „Fujiwara“ is not a clan name, but rather an honorific title given to some smiths.
He compared the signature of my Katana with and example of the signature of that smith and said the signatures were so close that is likely a match. But in order to get absolute verification, I would need to send the sword to Japan.
Like Dr Dorfman, he said that the sword would need to be fullyrestoredwhich would be very expensive.
When it comes to restorations, I found that the sky is the limit, and for some dedicated collectors of fine vintage weapons the cost of restoration is part of the experience and process...and to be expected.
For me, it‘s out of the question as I randomly came across this Katana and simply bought based on the overall presence and condition, which I would regard as good. For the discerning collector, the condition might be just fair.
The overall length including the handle is 36 inches, the blade itself is 26 inches. The blade is very sharp and has some slight nicks on the edge, and part of the tip is broken. Personally, the blade does not look as bad as described by the two sources, blade overall seems relatively smooth and not rough, the little nicks are visible and there is a trace of the Hamon that can be observed, even though it is not clearly defined and obvious, but it is there. I am not an expert of vintage swords, please take my personal observation and description with that in mind. The wrapping is intact, and the fittings are in rather well preserved condition. Again, the fittings seem a little loose, likely from inproper re-assembly on my end. The outer leather sleeve is in good condition with no tears, but the stitching has come apart at the top section.
After my correspondence with the beforementioned sources, I feel that it this 330 year-old Katana by YUKIMITSU is an important artifact from Japan. But I will leave it up to the next owner to decide whether he prefers to keep this sword in its present condition (which I personally think is very appealing and attractive), or send it out out for a full restoration.
Please note that the sale of this Katana is final, there are no returns or refunds. I will not ship internationally and only within the continental US. Please refer to the images as part of the description of condition.
Good luck!
