Wakizashi

[Subdeacon Joe]

To avoid high jacking the "You don't have a gun" thread, in which Utah Bob wrote:

 

Quote

If it’s a genuine war trophy it could be very very valuable. Did you know that the handle comes off? It’s held in place by a bamboo pin. On the tang the maker, his school, and date are usually engraved. The blade is the big thing. The handle not so much. That one looks pretty boogered up.

It appears to be a Wakazashi blade type rather than the longer classics Katana. I have some doubts about this one. They have been making knock offs for many years. 
You might want to research it a bit. They can be worth a lot, if genuine.

It is genuine.  Not sure how it got to the US - my friend had bought it in Chico, CA.  He wanted the menuke, fuchi, kashira, and seppa from the sword, and the metal furniture from the scabbard. 

The scabbard was split open, held together with the furniture and rubber bands.   Had been lacquered a dark jade green with copper filings in it. Tang, as I had said in that other thread, had been cut off just behind the mekugi-ana and someone had drilled a new one through some of the signature.

The blade itself was bent and had a kink in it, as if someone had bent it and then tried to unbend it. Lots of rust - more on one side than the other, maybe it had been left in a damp area and the side that was down got more water on it.  

Here are a few closer shots of the blade, and some of the tsuba:

 

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

Still a neat old artifact, Joe...  

 

Hank had one that his uncle brought back from the Pacific.  It was downright gorgeous!  Beautifully polished san-mai blade; the handle was sharkskin wrapped, then covered with braided silk holding gold Chrysanthemums and what appeared to be a carefully folded paper scroll.  Looked like a museum piece.

 

Alas... it was stolen, along with several guns, including a custom Model 12 that he'd spent several years finishing.