AUTHENTIC ANTIQUE SAMURAI SWORD WAKIZASHI KATANA!!! 17th Century NBTHK Papered, Signed! BEST SWORD ON EBAY! Start Price USD 21,995.00 Current Price USD 21,995.00 Time Left 12 days 1 hours 58 minutes Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, November 21, 2008 End Time Tuesday, January 20, 2009 Location Flagstaff, Arizona See more about 'AUTHENTIC ANTIQUE SAMURAI SWORD WAKIZASHI KATANA!!!' Description Superb Edo era (17th Century) Katana by Yasutsuna (阿波守藤原康綱) Yasutsuna Katana (note: you can view a high resolution image HERE). This elegant Katana comes with an NBTHK Koshu Tokubetsu Kicho paper attesting to its authenticity and quality. Koshu Tokubetsu Kicho papers are just below Juyo level. Signature: 'Awa no kami Fujiwara Yasutsuna' (阿波守藤原康綱). On the reverse side of the tang, it is engraved with 'Nanbantetsu wo motte korewo tsukuru' (以南蛮鉄作之)(Forged with an imported steel). Foreign made steel was highly prized and very precious when this blade was forged. It is said that Yasutsuna was from Oumi province. He moved to Osaka later in his life. Yasatsuna belonged to Oumi-Ishido school and had a close relationship with the famed smith Tatara Nagayuki. The blade is in Japanese Polish and comes with a Koshiarae and Shirasaya with sayagaki written by Dr. Sato kanzan sensei. Blade length: 70.5cm; Sori: 2.6cm; Width at the hamachi: 3.16cm Thickness at the hamachi: 0.75cm Era: Middle Edo period (Ten-na era circa A.D.1681) Oumi Sugata(shape of blade): Shinogi zukuri, Ihori-mune. Mihaba is wide and Kasane is thick. This blade has an elegant, deep sori (curvature) with a nice funbari. This is a powerful, yet elegant blade. Kitae(forging pattern) : Kitae is tight with fine ko-itame with small bright ji-nie granules and some chikei activity. There are irregular jinie granules that produce Midare-Utsuri reflections over the hiraji. The surface of Shinogiji has a strong Masame hada. The entire jigane is finely and strongly forged. Hamon(tempering pattern): This beautiful Hamon has fine nie (delicate, uniform sparkling granules) with small gunome and choji outlines. The interior of the temper line has streaming sunagashi and thick nie lines. Nakago(tang): The Nakago is Ubu (unaltered) with one peg hole, Osujikai file marks and a V shaped heel. Koshirae: A beautiful, black saya with white ray-skin grip. Double layered gold foiled Habaki and antique Chrysanthemum pattern menuki. Tsuba: Chrysanthemum pattern with NBTHK Hozon paper. At Arizona Skies Meteorites™ we strive to consistently provide the highest quality collectibles available, so look for the Arizona Skies Meteorites™ Logo for your assurance of the best quality available and our customer satisfaction guarantee! Please feel free to vist our 'About Me' page for more information about us and our business philosophy. Add Us to Your Favorite Sellers List Arizona residents add 6.725% sales tax. Good Luck with your bid!!! All photographs are copyrighted © 2008. To see other High Quality Collectibles please visit our EBAY STORE Place a Bid!