S111. A ko-wakizashi in aikuchi koshirae.

Nagasa: 12 5/8″ 32.2 cm

Sori: < 1/8″ .25 cm

Moto haba: 2.8 cm

Moto kasane: .45 cm

Hira zukuri with iore mune.

The saya is lacquered and the lacquer is chipped at the ko jiri. Ko jiri, Koi guchi, fuchi, & kashirae are all horn. At some point the fuchi broke free and someone has carved the same’ and tsuka to accept a metal fuchi that is mounted behind the original horn fuchi (wish he hadn’t done that). There is no evidence that there ever were menuki. The kotsuka is iron with silver inlay. The ko gatana is signed but too faint to be read. Tha habaki is double copper and has been badly dinged.

The nakago is unsigned. The blade has been polished down but no shin tetsu is showing through; maybe this was one piece construction. The hamon is a mix of shallow notare and small choji, with some pointed elements, becoming more suguba in the mono-uchi, worked in very fine ko-nie with sunagashi and kinsuji becoming nijuba and possibly san juba in the monouchi. The boshi is difficult to see due to scuffing but best guess is o-maru or possibly jizo with a longer kaeri. The hada is masame/itame with coarse elements, possibly due to repeated polishing. Other than the surface scuffing there are no defects to tell you about: no ware’, nioi guchi, fukure, ha-giri, or anything else. This should polish. The sword is accompianed by a silk brocade bag which is fraying in spots.

I am certain that this dates to Nanbokucho; the sugata is classic for the period. If you buy this and have it polished and papered, please let me know what you get. 1 pound, 2 ounces. $1,600.