wakizashi ID info needed

[stratocaster]

Hi all,
I have this wakizashi that I got at a knife show recently. The guy tryed to sell it to me as a Phill Hartsfield but it doesn't really look like any of Phill's work, and no signature. It does look like stock removal, and the hamon looks real as well. The handle is black single cord wrap, with an hard mounted copper tsuba. The end of the sword seems to show the letters "M L B". If anyone has some Ideas about the id of this sword please let me know.

Thanks,

Email: silveredge007@cox.net

http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/scottocaster/wakizashione.jpg

http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/scottocaster/wakizashitwo.jpg

http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/scottocaster/wakizashithree.jpg

http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/scottocaster/wakizashifour.jpg

 

[para7452]

Hey Strat,

Not Phill's work. I'd bet on it. Wrong grind, wrong handle wrap, even the hamon, though the blade appears to have one, isn't the same "shimmery" one that Phill gets. Wrong tip shape, wrong blade finish, wrong edge stop at the ricasso. I love Phill's stuff, have two kozukas, an large aikuchi that we designed together and that I waited the full time for (2 years), a katana (that finances are forcing me to sell; It's killing me) and had a Zahid special that I let go about a year ago. Phill gets big bucks, but I hope that the guy that you got the blade from didn't get you for too much. You might send the photos to Phill. His website is Phillhartsfield.com, I believe. Heck, ask him! His signature is a large modified P over a modified H, on the right side of the blade (unlike most everyone else).

Maybe you got a serviceable waki, but I really doubt that it's Phill's.