Representing one of the greatest challenges to Japanese sword-making methods, the Odachi ("great sword" or "big sword", an honest name however you translate it) was a massive weapon that pushed the limits of traditional techniques of folding, quenching and sharpening steel, producing one of the most distinctive weapons wielded by a warrior on horseback anywhere on Earth. Manufactured from the early days of traditional Japanese swordsmithing up to the 1600s, most of these blades fell victim to the changing styles and regulations concerning swordplay, with shorter blades that could be brought into play faster and used easier on foot being sought out, and many odachi being shortened to meet this need. Not only has this blade not been shortened, retaining an impressive 36 inch length, but has been mounted in a semi-custom shin-gunto style; most antique blades mounted this way were shortened to a katana-length, nearly a foot shorter than this choice example. The edge of the blade displays a highly attractive hamon, starting with a rolling wave kissaki towards the tsuba and becoming more irregular out towards the tip, and sharply executed asymmetrical decoration on each side; the right side shows a pair of 11 1/2 inch kesso of equal width leading to a 3 1/2 inch long cloud horimono, and the right side showing a pair of 8 inch kesso, one thin and one wide, leading to a 7 inch horimono of a serpent wrapped around a staff, and lightly engraved silver habaki. The shin-gunto tsuba is gilt brass in the traditional 4-lobed style with chrysanthemum ornamentation and silver and bronze seppa, and a fine brown silk cord is wrapped over the white rayskin and the darkened bronze menuki, which each bear three family mons. The mon, a series of three overlaid diamonds, is the symbol of the Ogasawara Clan, part of the Tokugawa Clan's inner circle of allies and vassals, namesake of the Ogasawara Islands (aka the Bonin Islands), and originators of the "Ogasawara-ryu" school of combat and etiquette, which would be a massive influence of the development of the manners and protocols of Japanese nobility, helping to shape the historical path and modern image of the Japanese warrior. Dismounting the tsuka shows the type of aging one would expect from such an ancient style of blade, with faint traces of signatures present on both sides and an overall length of 47 inches. The saya is wood construction with a textured brown lacquer finish, brass fittings with gilt accents, and dual floral pattern suspension bands.

Excellent. The blade shows both attractive grain and a strong hamon, with a minuscule amount of spotting, a few tiny chips on the edge, and some hints of widening grain. A deep, well aged patina is visible on the kashira, with a negligible amount of play in the tsuba, minor chipping and skin loss around the mekugi-ana, and mild, honest wear and staining on the silk. The saya is good, with a few cracks forming in the lacquer, a small amount of play in the fittings and mild handling marks. Odachi length blades are scarce in any condition, and the superb quality of this weapon, the intriguing nature of it's current configuration, and it's connection to one of the Clans that helped to define the very meaning of the word "samurai" make this a weapon with few, if any, equals on the modern American market.