L6 by Howard Clark

Howard Clark L6 Katana, Fully Polished. Silver Habaki.
Currently being Mounted with Antique and Modern Fittings.

This is a 28-5/8" L6 katana by Howard Clark in full polish. This sword does not have an owner at the moment and is looking for a good home. The plan is for me to finish the sword mounting over the next few weeks. If someone wants to purchase it now, the buyer can specify things like tsuka length, tsukaito color and type (silk, doeskin, leather), saya colors, etc. I might even be amenable to changing the fittings if the buyer is willing since I will be at the San Francisco Token Kai very soon and will be able to find fittings there.

This is an excellent example of Howard Clark's top work. Gentle sori and an extremely sharp blade. This will be an excellent cutter or kata blade. The kissaki is an extended chu with a very nice kaeri (turnback). The blade has light niku and should glide right through tatami but with the strength of L6 it should also handle most targets with aplomb.

I intend to use an antique iron tsuba that fits the blade well. It is based on Gingko leaves and is a popular motif for tsuba.

I will be using generic Iron Higo fuchi kashira and kojiri (end cap for the saya) unless the buyer has something better they'd like to use. I am currently making a solid sterling silver habaki for the piece which I will likely heavily gold plate to match other fittings.

The idea is to give the entire mount a "Higo-esque" look with a gradually curving and slightly waisted 11" tsuka. I will use a full-wrap samekawa (which is what I always do) and will lacquer the samekawa a gloss black. I will then use either brown silk or doeskin tsuka-ito for wrapping the tsuka. The saya will be most likely a gloss with a deep brown fading in to black by the time it gets to the kojiri. I plan to find some nice mountable menuki, most likely dragon motif at the token kai to compliment the mount.

I plan to be finished in about a month from now, basically around the end of August.

If someone would like to buy this piece, it is available now.

Terms are simple. The blade is polished, habaki almost finished, and mounts started. If someone buys it before I get going any further on the mounts, they will have some say in how it is mounted. I am going to the San Francisco Token Kai in a week or so so I could find different fittings for this piece. Prices would be adjusted accordingly of course. But if someone wants in right now, I'll need a deposit to cover the blade, polish, and part of the mounting work with balance due on completion. If mounted as I described the price will be $8,600 USD. I will need $6,100 USD as a deposit with the balance due on completion (about a month later).

$8,600.00 USD.

Available

Contact me.