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"Bad swords hurt your eyes!"

Excellent. My dojo is also part of ZNTIR, and I had a great time with some of your colleagues in Japan last May. Ping me anytime.

The engravings are so deep, repetitive, and so close together, almost makes me wonder if this was originally a horimono engraver's "practice piece"? Definitely distinctive!

Nice helmet. Great photos, too.

Volker. Try Maru ni chigai kashiwa. 丸に違い柏　家紋

If anyone setting up at the show has a WW2 Navy & a basic traditional saya / 1 Naval Menuki for sale I'll be looking for parts to complete a couple swords. Best regards, Bob

For many the lustre of Tokubetsu Hozon was reduced when swords could be submitted and pass Hozon & Tokubetsu Hozon in the same session. There was a extraordinary uptick in swords receiving TH and the significance was watered down to the point of absurdity in many cases. The NBTHK wisely put a stop to this and reverted the sessions to be separate.

Yep. The question becomes how common place and to what degree. I didn't realize it was happening this much. When you have a finite supply and an economic incentive to award papers, one of two scenarios eventually has to happen: You either stop awarding papers, or you move the goal posts and keep making money/stay relevant.

Hozon or Tokubetsu Hozon, it makes absolutely no difference for me, in my area (Kamakura to Nambokucho blades). - it is relevant for fittings, as it becomes an indicator of importance (as opposed to a mere checklist). - it is relevant for Showa period swords, where TH is rarely awarded. There, I believe it may contain some information about relative Importance. TH is a checklist, and one that keeps on changing. If you learn the checklist, you do not need to get the paper, unless you plan to submit to Juyo. As Ray justly points out, The NBHTK has moved the goalpost with mumei Muromachi blades receiving TH.

I Thought maybe a known smith

Koboshi Kabuto 67 plate , 30 rivets per plate Signed Myochin Munetsugu Early Edo Many thanks to Nick Ricopero at Nihonto art for selling this to me

This is no longer the case. The NBTHK is now awarding Tokubetsu Hozon for osuriage mumei Muromachi period swords, including those with only school attributions (not to a specific, famous swordsmith). I have seen an increasing number of osuriage mumei Muromachi blades receive Tokubetsu Hozon, even osuriage mumei wakizashi. A Tokubetsu Hozon Mihara was just recently offered for sale in the FB discussion groups.

Finished 🙂

Since you might find this helpful, I will share. Attached is a NBTHK Hozon paper of the undecorated tsuba. The paper states: "素文図鐔 (somon no zu tsuba)". The tsuba is plain and lacks any design or decorative pattern.

Does anybody have the images associated with this wonderful article archived? It's a shame they were lost with Darcy's passing as his diagrams and graphs were always a good accompaniment to the writing.

Generally speaking, the criteria is as follows below. The nature of the criteria lends itself to more value as it rises, however as has been pointed out, it is no guarantee of and vast ranges of value exist within any given paper level. Hozon Token 1) Edo and earlier blades with correct mei, or mumei blades on which the time period, kuni and group can be identified, may receive Hozon paper. 2) Blades that meet the criteria given above can receive Hozon paper even if they are slightly tired or have kizu, as long as those may be permissible in their appreciation. 3) Repair on jiba is permissible, unless it significantly impairs the beauty of the blade. 4) Blades made in the Meiji period and later can receive Hozon paper only when the blade is well made and zaimei. 5) For Nambokucho and earlier zaimei blades by famous smiths, re-temper can be permissible if the blade is valuable as a reference, and if the jiba and nakago are sufficiently well preserved. However, this will be documented as "yaki-naoshi" in the paper. 6) Blades are put to "reservation" (horyu) if a decision could not easily be made on the authenticity of the mei. This also applies to mumei blades in which an attribution is difficult to make. Tokubetsu Hozon Token 1) Blades with Hozon papers, good workmanship and state of preservation can receive Tokubetsu Hozon paper. 2) Blades with the following conditions are excluded from point 1. a. Re-tempered blades may not receive a Tokubetsu Hozon paper, as a rule, unless they date not later than Nanbokucho, are zaimei, by famous smiths, if the blade is valuable as a reference, and if the jiba and nakago are sufficiently well preserved. However, this will be documented as "yaki-naoshi" in the paper. b. Muromachi and Edo period mumei blades may not receive a Tokubetsu Hozon paper, as a rule. However, if a blade is attributable to a famous smith and in excellent condition it may receive Tokubetsu Hozon paper. Juyo Token Blades with Tokubetsu Hozon paper can receive Juyo if one of the following points is true: 1) Blades of extremely high quality workmanship and state of preservation, and judged as close to Juyo Bijutsuhin, may receive Juyo Token paper. 2) Blades that meet the criteria given above and made in or before Nambokucho may receive Juyo Token paper even if they are mumei. Blades made in the Muromachi period have to be zaimei and blades from the Edo period and later, as a rule, have to be ubu and zaimei to receive Juyo Token paper. Tokubetsu Juyo Token Among Juyo Token, the ones of excellent quality and superior condition, judged as the same as the top level Juyo Bijutsuhin, or conceivable as equivalent value as Juyo Bunkazai, may receive Tokubetsu Juyo Token paper.

If you really want blades in this price range then don't do stupid things How do you know this blade is healthy? It's not easy to tell from the photo, but especially the Ura side comes to me without reflection, which means the hamon is almost dead in the monouchi I repeat - don't rush And if it helps you - it wasn't that long ago that I reacted the same way you did

You need to apply ladder (fallacy) theory to each blade as an individual. For example, I have a sword (now my daughters) that was taken from Hozon to Tokubetsu Juyo. I also have a Masayuki sword that will never pass THozon and I still have Juyo blades that have hopes of reaching Tokubetsu Juyo, Tokubetsu Hozon that may reach Juyo. There is a financial upgrade but it is always at an individual level in regards to the sword in question. The complexity to this system is far, far greater and applies directly to learning and patient development of one's understanding. If you visit the NBTHK museum in Tokyo now you will see Juyo Kiyomaro on display, you will see Juyo swords from Kiyomaro that will leave you asking "how can this be Juyo?" And then you will see swords from Kiyomaro that make you ask "how can this not be TJuyo or Jubi?"

Thanks for posting, Perry! It's a really cool piece. Conway

Hello all. I just wish to pose a question and hopefully elicit some reasonable theories. I have very little knowledge on naginata(s), other than my ancestral family that had one, and had to be "turned in" to the government for metal during WWII. I digress, what would be some situations whereby a nagasa for a Shinto era naginata would only be 14 inches? Used by female warriors? Polished down due to damage? Ceremonial blade only? Thank you.

Hozon = traditionally made and the signature is good, nothing else. No quality question in hozon.

Thanks Bruce will see if I can get a better pic tomorrow

I remember reading someones post not too long ago that illustrates a relevant point to this and also kinda made me chuckle. The gist of the story (with a bit of storytelling embellishments since i dont fully remember it anyways) went something like: A respected collector in Japan was selling a historically significant and truly special blade by a top smith. The owner of the blade (which would make juyo or toku juyo) didn't go through the papering process past hozon for the simple reason that they simply wanted the shinsa "proof" of its authenticity and beyond that it's value is already apparent due to the blade/market itself. The buyer walks out after purchasing the outstanding blade for a very large sum and says to his friend with a smile, "seems really expensive for just a hozon blade'. I will say through that katana length tokubetsu hozon blades don't often pop up under 3k. So there is a higher "floor" for toku hozon than hozon.

Sounds good. Thank you.

need help to identity this Ka Mon T'ks in advance