Kunisuke Wakizashi
SS0285
Another right out of the woodwork, a wakizashi in partial mounts, signed nijimei, Kunihiro. Hirazukure, shallow sakizori, iroi mune, bohi. Hawatare: 1 shaku 2 sun 9 bu (39.1 cm / 15.4"). Motohaba: 3.4 cm. Kasane: 7.7 mm Gunome slightly midare in fine ko nie, ashi iri. The polish is faded, so it is difficult to see details. The boshi is komaru, and jizo head. Tight itame hada, fine bright ji nie evenly distributed, and chikei, nado. This should come alive with a fresh polish. The habaki had the foil stripped off it. This is not to be confused with the Settsu Kunisuke smiths. The fact that there is a jizo boshi, and no extended yakidashi might indicate that this is the work of one of the Iwami smiths.
The koshirae, although somewhat striped, is worth restoring. The black lacquer saya is of good quality, and the only damage is as shown, and a small chip into the foundation on the reverse. The fuchi is a well done monkey on nanako, by Seki Mitsuyoshi, Haynes 5579. Damage as shown. The same is excellent, and had been mounted before, as witnessed by the small additional piece at the bottom of the tsuka. An excellent unsigned example of Daigoro Terusada. RefHaynes catalog #8, page 28, item 78 $3,750
Small hakobori
Nijimei Kunisuke
Daigoro Terusada
High quality same tsuka
Seki Mitsuyoshi Ref. Haynes 5579
Saya damage