Advice please!! Is it worth the effort to do up?

[plastic-ninja]

I bought this Wakizashi size sword in a junk shop last week and just got round to having a proper look at it.I didn't pay much for it so I wasn't expecting a lot.The scabbard is wood and has a nice thick coat of black lacquer but it's cracked at the top where the binding is and there is a big chunk of lacquer missing at the bottom too.
The blade is particularly unfortunate.Looks like someone has tried to refurb it with some sort of wire brush on a power drill and then coarse wet n dry! The photos do not do the horrible finish any justice : Kurosawa would be weeping in his sake!
I quite like the tsuba.It appears to be cast iron and the decoration has some tiny copper highlights.It does look like it may have had a coat of black paint at some stage though.
Hilt appears to be fairly traditional wood covered in ray or shark skin and then cord wrapped with the two cartouches ; one on each side.They are different but I only got one of them on the thread.Hilt has a metal pommel and a metal ferrule at the blade end.Ferrule appears to be steel but no idea on the other.Both had a coat of black paint.Cartouches appear to be bronze or maybe ormolu.Hilt was held on with a wooden pin through the tang.There are no makers marks on the tang.
Blade is 22" Length overall is 30 1/2" .
The edge is also horrible , quite a few dings and has been made sharp on a grinder.
I think the former owner was a zombie hunter! Was certainly a barbarian!
My question is should I even bother trying to find out how to make it better or shall I just trade it on or sell it to a wannaninja?
Cheers , Simon
http://s1088.beta.photobucket.com/user/plastic-ninja/library/Wacky zashi
I'll try & get the pics on here too but I'm rubbish at tech stuff.
Any advice welcome.

 

[crosslandkelly]

I would say it would make a nice project if you have the time and know how. It would be good to see it restored.

 

[Perrari]

You say the photo's dont do justice to the horrible finish, but it looks pretty good to me overall. So I think it would be worth doing up. Do you think it is a real sword or a decorative piece ? If it's real then definately worth the time & effort.

 

[slingback]

I personally would bother putting any time into it, looks to me to be a decorative piece that someone has tried to use, is the edge in any way hard, take a file to it and see if it takes off metal and how much, I would guess its just a soft blade,

 

[decorum]

My question is should I even bother trying to find out how to make it better ...

Based purely on

... I didn't pay much for it so I wasn't expecting a lot.

I would be tempted to make absolutely sure that it's not anything special (and as you've looked for and found no makers mark ... ) and, if you're happy in yourself, do a lot of reading and research and make use of the piece to learn practical and, most importantly, sympathetic restoration.



I've taken the liberty of linking your pics into the forum ...

 

[PeterH]

Udamiano is possibly someone who may be able to guide you but you would have to wait for their return from "the far north"

 

[Tengu]

Well, I cant say anything much.

 

[plastic-ninja]

Thanks for adding the pics.
The steel is definitely hardened at the edge.The file made almost no mark at all.
My gut instinct is that it is one of the thousands produced after the war for GI s to take home with them.
I am tempted to spend some time on it as some of the jobs could be fun.I'd love to know how the cord wrap is done on the hilt.Could be a while before I get round to it though.
Any advice will be gratefully accepted.
Cheers , Simon

 

[johnbaz]

Thanks for adding the pics.
The steel is definitely hardened at the edge.The file made almost no mark at all.
My gut instinct is that it is one of the thousands produced after the war for GI s to take home with them.
I am tempted to spend some time on it as some of the jobs could be fun.I'd love to know how the cord wrap is done on the hilt.Could be a while before I get round to it though.
Any advice will be gratefully accepted.
Cheers , Simon

Hi

It needs polishing with waterstones but it's not a job that just anyone can do unfortunately

Whoever made that mess of it ought to be made to feel 'the sharp' end of it!!

I have one that's over 330 years old and has been remounted twice..

I was told that I should send it to Japan for a polish but it would take two years and would cost £1.500 to £2,000, this would be a gamble as once it was undergoing the polish, the metal removed could uncover a fatal flaw which would put me a couple of grand down
I'm not a gambler so it's still here with me!!!

The signature is Omi Daijo Fujiwara Tadahiro, I was told by my local museum that it had been remounted around a hundred years ago for the Satsuma uprising,that was about twenty years ago..


Bits of furniture are missing from mine


If it was mine and in such a state, i'd be tempted to repolish it myself, it would have to be done by hand so as not to lose the Hamon (quench line)..
Hard line collectors would say don't touch it, get it done professionally but not everyone can stretch to the price of a repolish..



John

 

[plastic-ninja]

I'm going to do some research on restoration and have a go myself I think. The current brushed satin finish is so vile that I think that there is nothing I could do to make it any worse. If there had been any script on the tang I would think twice but as it is so horrid I have to have a go at improving it. The only bit I really like is the tsuba.Many years ago I had a friend who was a keen collector and owned many beautiful katanas and some blades by first rate smiths so I do think I'd know a good one if I saw it.Cheers guys
Simon

 

[johnbaz]

I'm going to do some research on restoration and have a go myself I think. The current brushed satin finish is so vile that I think that there is nothing I could do to make it any worse. If there had been any script on the tang I would think twice but as it is so horrid I have to have a go at improving it. The only bit I really like is the tsuba.Many years ago I had a friend who was a keen collector and owned many beautiful katanas and some blades by first rate smiths so I do think I'd know a good one if I saw it.Cheers guys
Simon

As you said, you can't make it any worse so have a bash at it :notworthy

The Tsuba on mine had gold iin it originally but it was robbed out, The face on the figure at the right has gone as well as other bits (my pic is rubbish i'm afraid )

A lot of years ago a lad brought a Samurai sword to work for me to 'do up' the handle was a bit of 1"x1" square tubing that was tack welded on :yelrotflm

I cut through the welds without damaging the tang or blade then made a handle of wood and overwrapped it with leather (from memory!) strips, I made a peg of mahogany to hold it together!!

I dunno if he still has it or not but he retired from our place about four or five years ago...

Good luck with the polish


BTW, the Shagreen (Ray or Sharkskin)looks fine under the wrap, does it really need rewrapping??



John

 

[Laurentius]

Hi

It needs polishing with waterstones but it's not a job that just anyone can do unfortunately

Whoever made that mess of it ought to be made to feel 'the sharp' end of it!!

I have one that's over 330 years old and has been remounted twice..

I was told that I should send it to Japan for a polish but it would take two years and would cost £1.500 to £2,000, this would be a gamble as once it was undergoing the polish, the metal removed could uncover a fatal flaw which would put me a couple of grand down
I'm not a gambler so it's still here with me!!!

The signature is Omi Daijo Fujiwara Tadahiro, I was told by my local museum that it had been remounted around a hundred years ago for the Satsuma uprising,that was about twenty years ago..


Bits of furniture are missing from mine


If it was mine and in such a state, i'd be tempted to repolish it myself, it would have to be done by hand so as not to lose the Hamon (quench line)..
Hard line collectors would say don't touch it, get it done professionally but not everyone can stretch to the price of a repolish..



John

That is the dilemma of anyone who owns anything antique that needs "doing up" the cost is usually beyond the ability of the owner to pay, so what do you do? Sell it to someone who can afford the restoration? I think not, that way is a perpetuation of the imbalance of wealth against poverty.

I guess the answer is to learn the skill to restore the sword, but don't practice on the real thing until you have got there.

 

[johnbaz]

That is the dilemma of anyone who owns anything antique that needs "doing up" the cost is usually beyond the ability of the owner to pay, so what do you do? Sell it to someone who can afford the restoration? I think not, that way is a perpetuation of the imbalance of wealth against poverty.

I guess the answer is to learn the skill to restore the sword, but don't practice on the real thing until you have got there.

Fair point that, Possibly buy (or make!) a cheapo sword then try to get the same finish as the Japanese polishers, I think they use various stoes stones to 8000 grit:Wow:


John

 

[Niels]

Just be careful> How badly can you really ruin the sword, just from sharpening.
I would just try it if I were you

 

[Squidders]

Just be careful> How badly can you really ruin the sword, just from sharpening.

Regarding Japanese swords, the answer is extremely badly i'm afraid.

 

[plastic-ninja]

Regarding Japanese swords, the answer is extremely badly i'm afraid.

You are right mate. It's current condition is a testament to the damage that can be done to even a poor quality blade like this one.I think I just feel a bit sorry for it really.
Cheers, Simon

 

[johnbaz]

Regarding Japanese swords, the answer is extremely badly i'm afraid.

Looking at the state it's in now, I don't think plastic ninja can possibly make it any worse (poor thing !!)..

You are right mate. It's current condition is a testament to the damage that can be done to even a poor quality blade like this one.I think I just feel a bit sorry for it really.
Cheers, Simon

It needs good quality stones and hope that the previous grinding hasn't removed too much metal..

The keen edge comes with the polishing and a secondary bevel is to be totally avoided..

There are plenty of videos on youtube of blades being polished..

Here's one


This is a very interesting video too..




Cheers and good luck if you try to improve the blade



John