Long Mounted Katana with Horimono, Papered by the NBTHK to Den Ganmaku

Signature:  Mumei.
Year Made: Late Koto, early Shinto 
Forging Pattern: Nicely done small mokume/itame mix. 
Tempering Pattern: A mixture of midare and groups of chogi in nie.
Dimensions:  Blade Length:  28.625 inchesNakago: 8 inches 7 mm thick and 32 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings:  This sword had been remounted for use in the 2nd world war but the ashi has been removed and the lacquer redone on the saya, the tsuka was probably made for that purpose as well as it is wrapped in military brown ito. The menuki are probably also of that era. The fuchi and kashira were likely made prior to the Shinto era and may be original to the blade. They are iron and show great age. The tsuba is a simple armorer's tsuba with a family mon in sukashi, of iron and quite old looking. The habaki is solid silver and was made when the sword was polished. The Japanese polisher needed to repair the machi (see photo) and that required a new habaki, unfortunately he didn't have the shirasaya and so that now needs to be adjusted to fit the sword. We felt it best to leave that up to the owner, it is a fairly new high quality piece. There is wear on the same and ito, having been through a war, but they are sound.
Overall Condition:  Excellent, the sword is in fairly new polish, there are a few small scratches on the tip of the kissaki and a very small and barely visible unopened fukure on one side. The workmanship is excellent with much activity from the boshi back to the machi and the photos don't do it justice. There is horimono of suken and gomabashi as well as bonji on both sides and they are well carved. The sword is long and feels very graceful in the hand. The NBTHK has papered it to den Ganmaku but we have been told by a well respected appraiser that it was more likely made by Kaga Kiyomitsu in the 1680s. The sword had not yet been polished when it was papered. All and all a beautiful sword that is ready to display with your collection. The shirasaya would require very little to fit but this is best left to the appropriate craftsman. The owner needs to sell off some swords to pay for a recent addition so this is being sold at a very reasonable price.