Nihonto Extra Long Wakizashi in koshirae

Mid Edo period sword in antique edo koshirae.  Legally registered as a wakizashi, this blade lives in “long-sword” territory by strict measurement: 59.8 cm sits right under the traditional katana threshold (2 shaku ≈ 60.6 cm). In practical terms it is a sun-nobi / ō-wakizashi, built to deliver the presence, reach, and wearing style of a short katana, without reading as a secondary companion sword. The piece presents as a serious weapon: elegant profile, convincing proportions, and a mounting intended both to display and to feel genuinely “long” in the hand.

BLADE

A shinogi-zukuri blade with a refined silhouette, restrained sori (1.2 cm), and a medium-proportioned kissaki, reinforcing a balanced and functional impression. The hamon reads as a softly undulating temperline (a notare-type profile with discreet irregularity), running with steady rhythm along the edge; the boshi continues cleanly into the point with a neat finish. The nakago is recorded as mumei, with two mekugi-ana, consistent with the registration.

KOSHIRAE

A mounting with strong presence, dominated by an iconography of authority. The maru-gata tsuba features a dragon in high relief with gold-toned detailing and an elaborately worked rim, instantly becoming the visual anchor of the piece. The fuchi continues the theme with a relief dragon, while the kashira closes with an armored warrior figure scene, adding martial narrative without theatrical excess. The tsuka is wrapped in olive-green ito over prominently-noded samegawa, with raised-metal menuki completing the ensemble. The dark-lacquered saya keeps the overall profile sober and forceful, paired with a dark sageo that balances the composition.

SPECIFICATIONS

Registered type: Wakizashi
Functional category: Sun-nobi / ō-wakizashi (short-katana carry and handling)
Nagasa: 59.8 cm
Sori: 1.2 cm
Mekugi-ana: 2
Mei: Mumei (unsigned)
Koshirae: complete, dragon theme (tsuba and fuchi) with figurative kashira finish