An interesting katana with considerable age and a variety of nuances that originally led me to it. The sword is mounted in WW2 period Gunto mounts with a an unusual black wrapping often cited as being for severe weather or conditions or potentially late war when the government was encouraging citizens to hand in blades for the war effort. The blade however is older, on the shorter side and a nihonto, a traditionally forged blade, the tang is bears the katana mei (sword signature) Hizen no kuni ju omi daijo Fujiwara Tadahiro, who was a blademaker of renown in 17th century Japan who is known to have made some shorter signed katana. There is a possibility though that like many signed blades this mei is gimei (a false signature) added to an 18th century blade to give it the prestige of a previous generations Smiths. The sword has been service sharpened in the fashion seen with gunto used by Imperial Japoanese forces expecting combat in WW2 but luckily the swords Hamon (tempering line) is still visible. Reduced to £1100 or best offer.