Tanto question

[Numbers]

HI, Have a Tanto. Blade is about 10 inches long, no markings on tang, most Tanto no Hamidashi, when was this type used?

 

[Majestic]

Hard to say anything about it from these pictures alone. It would be better to show the whole blade, and then maybe some close-ups of the tang and the tip. In its current state it looks very, very distressed, and could well be an old sword that was repurposed as a kind of tantō. It doesn't look like it was forged as a typical tantō; meaning, its shape is pretty different from existing tantō.

 

[Numbers]

 

[Numbers]

 

[Numbers]

 

[Majestic]

OK - I'd say it's an Edo era artifact that has been badly abused. Maybe a small boy's day sword, maybe a part of a sword that was repurposed as a tantō...hard to say. But its lost its shape due to wear and maybe due to an amateur polishing. Someone has aggressively polished the tang, which has removed all patina from it, so its a big negative factor in evaluating the blade.
The name on the tsuba looks like 忠重 (Tadashige). I don't have any info on him off the top of my head. But the koshirae fittings (including the tsuba) were most likely assembled well after the sword was made.
Sorry I can't be of much more help, but any identifying features have been lost due to some rough treatment.

 

[Ukigumo]

It's very odd, dare I say ugly, looking object! It looks like a tantō that's been dipped, blade-first, in an acid and dissolved away to leave…that!

 

[Numbers]

OK - I'd say it's an Edo era artifact that has been badly abused. Maybe a small boy's day sword, maybe a part of a sword that was repurposed as a tantō...hard to say. But its lost its shape due to wear and maybe due to an amateur polishing. Someone has aggressively polished the tang, which has removed all patina from it, so its a big negative factor in evaluating the blade.
The name on the tsuba looks like 忠重 (Tadashige). I don't have any info on him off the top of my head. But the koshirae fittings (including the tsuba) were most likely assembled well after the sword was made.
Sorry I can't be of much more help, but any identifying features have been lost due to some rough treatment.

Weird Tanto or wealthy child's play sword, only time knows.

 

[Ukigumo]

only time knows.

Do you think she might tell us?

 

[Numbers]

Do you think she might tell us?

I'm not holding my breath for the answer.....

 

[Numbers]

It's very odd, dare I say ugly, looking object! It looks like a tantō that's been dipped, blade-first, in an acid and dissolved away to leave…that!

At least no one said it's a Ninja assassination weapon....I actually had som

 

[Ukigumo]

At least no one said it's a Ninja assassination weapon....I actually had som

Oooo it might be!

 

[Numbers]

Oooo it might be!

Ninja is usually the fallback guess for anything unusual.

 

[Ukigumo]

It must be of some significance, if not value/historical significance or else it'd have been allowed to rust away.

 

[Numbers]

It must be of some significance, if not value/historical significance or else it'd have been allowed to rust away.

Correct, the name Tadashige on the tsuba is for a mid Edo period bladesmith, late 17th-early 18th century, pretty renowned in his day, now that does not necessarily mean the blade is his.

 

[Majestic]

I think this Tadashige is not a swordsmith, but a fittings specialist (kinko 金工).

 

[Numbers]

I think this Tadashige is not a swordsmith, but a fittings specialist (kinko 金工).

Ok, but still in Edo period?

 

[Majestic]

Yes. Actually there are about 7 metalsmiths who used the name Tadashige with those kanji (忠重), all of them mid-to-late Edo.