Q487. I bellieve this to be an older 4 sided yari that has been repurposed as a tanto.

Nagasa: 9 9/16″ 24.2 cm.

Moto haba: 2.7 cm.

Moto kasane: 1 cm.

Overall length in koshirae: 16 7/8″ 43 cm

The hada is masame, as would be expected for a yari, with some mokume tossed in. The hamon is a mix of notare, gunome, choji, suguba, and others worked in a bright nie guchi with plentiful sunagashi, kinsuji, and different varieties of hataraki. All quite impressive (my pictures don’t do it justice). There is a tiny fingernail-catcher nick in the edge a few inches above the machi and an area of coarse grain on one side, also just above the machi. The blade is in polish and mounted with a well made silver foil habaki.

The koshirae is pretty impressive. The fuchi, kashira, and kojiri are ensuite: silver of birds above waves. The tsuba, signed Ishiguro Koreyoshi Saku, in deep black shakudo, is unusual in that it is small and all the design is on the raised rim. The menuki are gold of flowers, the tsuka-ito is fancy and well done, and the same’ shows desireable large nodules. There is a silver kotsuka of waves, mounted to a signed kogatana. Take another look at my pictures; I bet you find many fine details you hadn’t noticed the 1st time through. There is a bit of loss to the saya’s lacquer at the kotsuka pocket and a few cracks in the lacquer there and at the koi guchi: nothing very serious. Otherwise, condition of the koshirae is excellent.

This one is special. 1 pound, 9 ounces. $3,695.