** SOLD** The blade is no longer available.
This is a very special and unique zatoichi style sword.
The blade is an older blade done by Rick Barrett. It does not have his signature on the nakago but it shows his signature skill. I verified the sword was made by Rick by asking him directly. He even offered to sign it for me or the next owner if they covered the cost.
The sword is likely made of W2 or maybe 1075, and has an interesting shape. It has a nearly straight, rather narrow, and short blade making it suitable for this style. It reminds me of yoroidoshi style koto blades at the tip. The mune is rounded and does not have a pitched angle until the tip drops about ¾ the way up the blade. Despite its size it still has a pretty reasonable thickness and a bit of distal taper. I believe the blade was originally made to be a sword cane though not specifically a zatoichi blade. It has a slightly different shape than is typically portrayed in the films but has a closer tie to a historical japanese sword cane. It is an excellent mix of modern materials, American craftsmanship, historical inspiration, and zatoichi styling.
The polish is very simple and could stand to be redone. There are small bits and scuffs on the blade. It also looks like a kissaki is partially done on one side only. It does not have all the boldness or shine that could be brought out by a full polish. The blade is sharp, straight, and ready to be used.
The mounting is done up like a zatoichi blade. It has a Delrin mekugi peg. The wood is a deep reddish brown with a clear coat of lacquer over the top. The habaki is hand made with a rain pattern. The single copper kojiri, sepa, and habaki have been done in a rokusho wash to bring out a deep orange color.
The tsuka shape has a very gentle taper to it and two slash groves cut in to indicate the direction of the blade. The saya was also made to intentionally bind on the blade a little bit. It makes it a little harder to draw but keeps the blade silent when moving. Given the use as a sword cane and not for iaito, binding slightly is a better option.
In terms of moving, the sword is not very heavy at under 2lb so it is not hard to move but it has a POB at 7” above where a cross-guard would normally be. It gives the sword a sense of heft and authority in the chop. In a heavier sword it would be cumbersome but it feels manageable in this sword.
Specs:
Handle/Tsuka Length: 9.25”
Blade/Nagasa Length: 25.75” (without habaki)
Sori: .12”
Moto-haba: 1.09”
Saki-haba: .69”
Motokasane: .25”
Sakikasane: .183”
Weight: 1lb 14.1oz
Blade only Weight: 1lb 1.8oz
POB: 7” from seppa
In terms of value, Rick does not make swords anymore but some of his remaining stock have come up for sale. A more standard size blade in full polish is currently for sale for $3800 (as of 8/5/21), given this one does not have full polish but has a more unique and perhaps challenging shape to make, I would guess the blade is worth around $2800-$3000. A full polish will run another $1000-$2000 if you were to have it done by someone professionally. The zatoichi style mount is functional on its own and is worth around $1000, or at least that is about what it would cost to have a habaki done and the saya as you see it. If it is not your thing then the zatoichi mount could be used as the base for another project. Though that would be a shame because it is soo cool looking!
The value is around $4000 if you were to have something similar made. It is uncommon to find zatoichi style blades done by professionals. This blade is made by an American smith of some renown for Japanese style swords. It was mounted by a professional (the man in black) who is also a big fan of the films.
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Link to my eBay sales page - www.ebay.com/usr/krunangree
Негізгі бет Ойын-сауық Custom Zatoichi Sword by Rick Barrett and the Man in Black
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