Q565.  Mumei tanto.

Nagasa:  10 1/4″  26 cm.

Sori:  .1 cm.

Moto haba:  2.7 cm.

Moth kasane:  .8 cm.

Nakago nagasa:  4 1/8″  10.4 cm.

Overall in koshirae:  19″  48.5 cm.

Hira zukuri, iore mune. The hada is itame with mokume. The hamon is gumome variations in a bright and consistent nioi guchi covered in ko-nie and with sunagashi and ashi. The boshi is a continuation of the hamon ending in a nicely swept o-maru and a medium long kaeri. With the exception of a few pin pricks the blade is flawless and excepting a few faint scratches it is in polish. It is mounted with a copper habaki.

The saya is textured black lacquer with a bit of distress (nothing serious); it has a sleeve for kotsuka and kogatana but they are missing. Kojiri, kurikata, fuchi and kashira are horn. The menuki are gilt copper of coiled dragons. The mounts are aikuchi (without tsuba) and the tsuka is meant to be unwrapped. Everything fits well.

No signature and no paper so just a guess: I think this dates to Shinshinto. The blade is thick and could be classed as yoroi-doshi (armor piercing); it also is healthy. Nice for the price.

This tanto was purchased in March of 2022 by a soldier in the US Army, stationed overseas; he asked me to set it aside for him until he returned home. He has just written to tell me he is coming home but could he trade it for a different sword on my site. The trade has been made. He never saw this tanto in hand so please don’t think it has been rejected and relisted; just relisted.

14 ounces.  $1,150.