K17. Katana signed Bizen no Kuni no Ju Osafune Sukesada.

Nagasa: 27 15/16″ 71 cm.

Sori: 2.6 cm.

Moto haba: 3 cm.

Moto kasane: .75 cm.

Saki haba: 1.9 cm.

Saki kasane: .5 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 7 3/8″ 18.5 cm.

Overall in saya: 39″ 102 cm.

This sword has a paper from the NTHK-NPO (with Mr. Miyano’s seal) dated 2013, attesting to the signature and suggesting Tensho (late 16th century) for time of manufacture. The former owner has had the paper translated (there is a copy of the paper with translation that will be included with the paper); I am taking much of my description from the paper. There is a well forged itame hada with only a couple spots where you could say the grain is the tiniest bit coarse (these are very insignificant, really) and there are no other problems to warn you of. The nioi guchi is bright and covered in ko-nie. The hamon is notare gumome worked in leggy ko-choji (long ashi) with lots of sunagashi. The boshi is suguba with a shallow kaeri. The nakago is about 3 cm suriage. Bo hi on both sides end in maru dome above the original mekugi-ana.

My pictures don’t do this blade justice; it is much better than what is shown. Mounted in well made shira-saya in excellent condition with a nice gold foil habaki. There are a few scratches on the polish (which was done in Japan in 2011) but otherwise the polish is great. Long, signed, papered, healthy, great activity, and in polish: this shouldn’t last here long. 2 pounds, 6 ounces. $2,500.