Menu Close

Updated: 29 Mar 2024

SOLD

Modern Authentic Japanese Sword Gendaito Tanto
signed by Kuzan

$2,644.80

DELIVERY TIME : Approx. 1-1.5 months
*There might be delay in shipment depending on countries

SHIPPING TO :
USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Australia
*Please contact us prior to purchase if your country isn’t listed.

INCLUDED : Traditional Sword Carrying Case, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support

Category Tanto (Gendaito)
Age Heisei Period(2001)
Swordsmith Oda Kusan(小田久山)
Registration Tokyo286287
Location Tokyo
Blade Size Length:  29.2 cm(11.5 inches)/Curvature: 0 cm

More photos& videos available on request. Please feel free to contact us. 

 

SOLD

Modern authentic Japanese Sword Tanto signed by Kuzan

【Description】
  Oda Kuzan(小田久山) was born in 1942. Having been originally an engineer in Japan, he went to the USA when he was 32 and became one of the best custom knife makers there. He came back to Japan when he was 51 years old. He started to work for a Japanese swordsmith, Yoshihara Yoshindo as his apprentice for six years. He eventually became a professional Japanese swordsmith. While he is famous for his knife-making in the world, he decided to become a swordsmith to pursue his insatiable research of iron and learn the essence of the Japanese sword.

 If we have to pick one famous Kuzan episode, it should be his presence in a TV program where its presenter experimented with the strength between a Japanese sword and an American pistol. (Title: Japanese Sword vs. Pistol Which is stronger?) They fixed the blade, and the gunman shot a bullet to it in just 5 m distance. The result was that the sword forged by Kuzan cut a bullet into half. And the sword received no damage.
He is active in sword making, but we don’t often see Japanese swords forged by Kuzan in the market.

 About Modern Swordsmith
  There are around 150-200 swordsmiths in Japan today. To legally produce Japanese swords, one needs to pass the national exam given by the Agency for Cultural Affairs(Bunka-Cho) and receive the license. Before taking the exam, one must finish his or her apprenticeship under a licensed master for more than five years.
 Those who practice Iaido(居合道) tend to use those modern swords, and there are modern Japanese sword collectors nationwide.
The modern Japanese sword makers are researching old ways to forge swords and trying to recreate ancient style swords. They are the ones who keep the tradition of Japanese history alive.

 

【Blade】
Cutting Edge Length(Nagasa)  29.2 cm(11.5 inches)
Curvature(Sori) 0 cm

 

Hamon
The crystalline structure which forms along the cutting edge of a blade as a result of the hardening process
Jimon(Jihada)
visible steel surface pattern created by folding and hammering during forging process


 

NakagoKusan Saku(Forged by Kusan)/on October , in 13th year of Heisei era(2001)

 

【Koshirae】

Fuchi-KashiraA pair of matching sword fittings that cover the upper and bottom parts of its sword hilt. 

Tsuka and MenukiTsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration . Stingray skin is applied on the surface of Tsuka.

 This Menuki’s motif is a combination of the same design family crest. It is a kind of Hanabishi (花菱) pattern, and this crest might be categorized as the Maru-ni Shihou Hanabishi (丸に四方花菱). For the Hanabishi pattern, petals are usually designed in a rhombus. This design became a Yusoku Monyou (有職文様, generic term for designs of court nobles’ clothing or furnishings, these designs have unique and elegant styles) during the Heian period (794-1185). And people loved it as an auspicious pattern.

 Many Samurai families used the Hanabishi pattern for their family crests. Azai Nagamasa (浅井 長政, 1545-1573), he was Oichi-no Kata (お市の方)’s husband. Oichi-no Kata was the sister of Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長), who was one of the most famous Samurais in the Warring States period. It is said that Nagamasa used several different family crests, and one of them was the type of Hanabishi design.

HabakiHabaki is the equipment to make the blade not touch its scabbard inside.It prevents the blade from getting rusty and chipped.

 

SayaSaya is the scabbard for the Japanese sword. It is coated with black lacquer, which makes its surface shinny and beautiful.

Registration paper: Tokyo286287
 The Board of Education in Tokyo issued a registration paper for this sword in the same year the sword was forged(2001). In order to obtain this paper, the sword needs to be traditionally hand forged. With this paper, its owner can legally own an authentic Japanese sword in Japan.

 


—————————————————————–

【About us】
Samurai Museum is located in Tokyo, Japan, exhibiting antique artifacts related to the Samurai history. Samurai Museum Shop is the place for those who are interested in Japanese culture and craftsmanship. We deal with antique Samurai swords/armor, traditional crafts made in Japan and so on.

Japanese Sword& Export Process
The Japanese swords we deal with are hand-forged edged swords made in Japan. It was made from the traditional carbon steel called TAMAHAGANE(玉鋼). Samurai Museum is familiar with the proper legal procedure for an antique/ authentic Japanese sword to be exported from Japan. We have sent more than 300 Japanese swords to amazing owners who appreciate its historical value.

Each Japanese sword is registered under the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Board of Education in Japan.They issue a registration paper for each Japanese sword for its owner in Japan to legally possess it. The Japanese sword with its registration paper means it was traditionally hand-forged in Japan.

To legally export the sword from Japan to other countries, we will have to apply for its permit to the Agency for Cultural Affairs(Bunkacho) and return the original registration paper to the Board of Education. It normally takes around 2-4 weeks to receive this permit after submitting required documents. And we would like you to expect at least 1-1.5 months for your order to arrive at your given address after you ordered. For more detailed info, please click here.

It is allowed for residents in Japan to own authentic Japanese swords without a special license as long as they come with registration papers. Please feel free to contact us if you are a resident of Japan, whether temporarily or permanently. We will also assist you when you leave Japan and need to obtain the export permit.

【Payment Method】
We accept payment through Stripe (Credit card), PayPal, Apple Pay or ChromePay, all of which are secure payment methods. Also, you don’t need to make an account on Stripe for the checkout.
If you prefer other payment method, please contact us. After confirming your payment, we will apply for an export permit. You may either pay in JPY, USD, AUD, CAD,EUR or GBP. The price is set in Japanese Yen. Prices in other currencies are automatically calculated based on the latest exchange rate. 

* If the amount is above 1 million JPY, Stripe or wire transfer will be the only options for payment.

【Shipping】

We have shipped authentic Japanese swords to the USA, Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, Switzerland, France, Hong Kong and Australia. If you don’t live in these countries and like to order, please contact us first before making a purchase. We offer Free International Shipping as long as we can send antique Japanese swords by either EMS or FedEx(Canada). 

  We normally ship by EMS(Express Mail Service) provided by Japan Post. When we receive an order from the Canada we will use FedEx instead as EMS temporarily stops shipping from Japan to those countries due to COVID-19. 

  We will send you a tracking number for your order as soon as we hand it to the post office/FedEx. We will put 100 % insurance on the shipping document without any extra charge. Based on the total amount, there might be a duty tax or other fee for you to pay, depending on the countries. We use package cushioning to protect the item and put it in a PVC pipe, which is one of the most secure packages because of its durability.

  It will normally takes 5-14 days for the item to arrive at your given address after we dispatch it. Time of delivery is estimated as accurately as possible by the carrier but does not take into account any delays beyond our control such as by inclement weather, post office holiday seasons.

* If you live in Australia and like to purchase an authentic Japanese sword, please click here to know the detail.

*Please keep in mind that due to the spread of COVID-19, there might be delays in shipping. If you like to know the detail about shipping, please feel free to ask us.

【How to make sure the condition】
Please keep in mind that what you are going to purchase is an antique item. We uploaded high resolution photos for you to check its condition thoroughly. If you like to see more photos with different angles, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to send them to you so that you can make informed decision. It is essential for us to know that you are happy with your choice of a sword. and we are prepared to use the best of our ability to serve you.

The Art of Nihonto(Japanese Sword)
Samurai’s history is a profound, eloquent legacy of ancient Japanese warriors in which millions of people worldwide are being fascinated. If you like to find out the art of Nihonto, please click here.

A Guide to Japanese Sword Maintenance
  After acquiring an genuine Japanese sword, it is also important to know how to take good care of it. Here is the special video for you. Mr. Paul Martin, Japanese sword expert, shows you how to give proper maintenance to your sword. By mastering how to clean the Japanese sword, its aesthetic beauty will last forever.

When you purchase a Japanese sword from us, you can get a Free Japanese sword maintenance kit. It comes with four tools(Choji Oil, Uchiko Powder, Peg remover, Oil Applicator). By watching the video instruction above , you can enjoy learning how to maintain your Japanese sword while appreciating it.

 

MORE AUTHENTIC JAPANESE SWORD FOR SALE

READ KATANA ARCHIVE ARTICLE(Episode1-8)

LEARN JAPANESE SWORD TERMINOLOGY

SOLD

You may also like…