blade length 24cm
This terrible blade is not a collectors item, but very interesting to study old sword.
This is a broken tip of long tachi blade. The tachi was "Sueyuki" signed on the tang. There are several Sueyuki in books, but this is attributed to the Ko-Aoe Sueyuki. Ko-Aoe is a group of the swords of Bitchu province in the early 13th century and older. So-called Ko-Aoe includes not only Aoe school, but also Senoh school.
This tachi blade was over 80 cm long in its original. It was used as training sword by an old fencing school so long time. They used to learn patterned fight using real swords. Therefore the blade is terribly damaged. And then, finally the blade broke off. Recently the broken tip is reshaped to short blade and polished.
The blade is very weary and having many cutting marks by other sword. Its edge is full of nicks. It looks pitiful.
The steel is very fine nashiji-hada that means full of particles. The hamon exists as a straight pattern, and its edge still has enough hardness. Probably the steel is almost the core in the construction of Kobuse, Makuri, or other wrapping like style. We can suppose that studying other healthy blades of Ko-Aoe group.
The utsuri is not very clear.
We want to show you the beautiful Nashiji-hada, but it is difficult to take by camera. Nashiji-hada is not an appearance of layer pattern. But it is an activity of steel particles. On this blade, the steel layer is a flowing large wood grain pattern, but the full of steel particles make an activity looks like small wood grain. We appreciate that activity so much.
Close-up of steel
Simple handle for fencing training
Tang is cut off from the blade. The blade is so weary that the width has become smaller than the tang by frequent sharpening.
Close-up pictures of the signature
The cut off section is polished.
