This wonderful naginata was made a number of years ago for a special order by Howard Clark. The blade was polished and put in shirasaya by Keith Larman of Summerchild Polishing (http://summerchild.com). The blade was originally intended to go in to a long term collection, but it is now on the market for immediate sale.
The nagasa (cutting edge length) of the naginata is an impressive 22-3/4" long. The nakago is about the same length as well.
There are more photographs available up on Keith Larman's Summerchild.com website.
This is truly a spectacular piece. Howard Clark has only made a few naginata over the years and this one was clearly special. With a hamon that turns back the length of the blade it is truly a remarkable piece to see in person and a testament to his craftsmanship. The blade even has a longer mei (signature) than usual for Howard Clark's swords. This one is signed "Made by O-Mimi on a lucky day in August".
If you have more questions about this piece you can contact us directly or Keith Larman at Summerchild.com.
To see Keith's writeup, go here.