N106. Katana signed Nagamori Saku.

Nagasa: 28 1/4″ 71.8 cm.

Sori: 7/8″ 2.2 cm.

Moto haba: 3 cm.

Moto Kasane: .7 cm.

Saki haba: 2.1 cm.

Saki kasane: .5 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 7 7/8″ 20 cm.

Nakago sori: slight.

The hamon is nioi deki unevenly sprinkled with ko-nie in gunome choji with choji variations (kawazu, gyaku, & others and with ashi snd yo. There is a whitish reflection (utsuri like) up next to the shinogi. The boshi is a continuation of the hamon with smaller undulations ending in ko-maru and a short kaeri. The current state of polish doesn’t let me see much of the hada; forced to guess I’d say itame.

I believe this to be the work of Taira Takeda Nagamori, who worked in the 15th century. I’ve included oshigata from 2 references for you to compare the signatures. The polish is stained and scuffed, there are a few very shallow nicks in the edge, and I spot just 2 places where the grain is just the slightest bit open (too tight to photograph). There are no other defects, the blade isn’t tired, and I see no reason why this wouldn’t polish fine.

The saya has lost some lacquer and it is split a bit near the koi guchi. The fuchi kashira are mismatched, I don’t know what the menuki represent but they are of copper, and the tsuba is large (8.5 x 8.9 cm) iron with silver inlay clouds and dragon on the plate and gold on the rim Some of the rim’s gold is lost; the silver is pretty much intact).

Nice sword, great length and heft: this would be very good in a new polish. 3 pounds, 7 ounces. $3,650.