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  1. Until Tokugawa Iyeasu united Japan around 1600, swords were made to be used in battle. Blade made in Kamakura & Nanbokucho eras were often used in battles, day after day, & are considered to be the epitome of sword uality. Over the next few hundred years, most of the early superior construction techniques were lost because they were never written down, & hundreds of years of war resulted in many inferior swords. Look up kazu-uchimono. But I have a katana that was made in 1302, that looks brand-new, & it's certainly in better shape than I am! I've trained in use of the sword for almost 4 decades, & this is the blade I would use, if CQC (close-quarter combat) was necessary. I suggest taking the "Nihontos suck as swords" as the BS it obviously is.
    4 points
  2. 佐藤兼住 = Satō Kanesumi plus a large Seki 関 stamp above. So as to save @Bruce Pennington some time, is there a date on the other side of the nakago? @mecox For a signature comparison, below is a link to another one. This one is courtesy of Kammell with a translation by Ray Singer. Any help would be greatly appreciated Addendum: Kanesumi 兼住 seems to have used a variety of signatures styles. There are several examples on NMB and they can be found by searching under Sato Kanesumi.
    4 points
  3. Given that what I said above is very qualitative and that you'd really need to handle some different swords to understand the difference, I'll add some diagrams. Diagrams will be more useful than diving into physics and the associated technical terms; radius of Gyration, Mass at blade node, Hilt Inertia, Tip Rotational Inertia, etc. Here's the effective mass curves and agility diagrams of a few very different swords. Below is the effective mass curve and agility diagram for a katana. There will of course be quite significant variation from one specific blade to another, but in my experience this quite well shows the handling characteristics of a katana as compared to the other sword types shown above. As you can no doubt intuit from these diagrams, the katana will much more easily amputate arms or cut a man in two but is much less nimble. Clearly it's not just about mass (how heavy the sword is). Imagine lifting a bar loaded with 80kg, now imagine if all 80kg were loaded on one side of the bar... With the above in mind, the following videos should clarify the way the dynamics of the blade affect swordsmanship. Katana: Longsword: Épée (770g 90cm blade): Sabre (500g 88cm blade): Shinai (~500g ~80cm):
    3 points
  4. Hi Piers I think we need to be clear……shibayama mounts such as this were never made to take a blade out of shirasaya. The vast majority contain blades that were “made” specifically for the shibayama mountings and are usually vague copies of assorted Tanto sugata usually with no hardening and made from whatever steel they could get their hands on. The sugata, as in this case is very awkward and the nakago is hastily formed…..all done to at least look a bit “old” to the Target market…..Meiji and Taisho period Gaijin who knew little about swords but loved works of art. I doubt it has any hada or hamon beyond a polished on Hadori “look alike”…..but that does not affect its value. Occasionally we find a “real” blade but it is nearly always defective in some way. We can find Wakizashi and Tachi in the same amazing shibayama koshirae and they have a better chance of having something old in them simply because they were aimed at the really seriously rich Gaijin and were very very expensive at the time. My comments are based on having owned (and restored) a great many of these flamboyant pieces in my previous life as a Meiji Art dealer. It’s a nice item….shame our I’ll informed UK government have banned the sale of such things……won’t save a single elephant sadly. All the best. Colin.
    3 points
  5. https://markussesko.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/nihontocompendium-e1.pdf Courtesy of Markus Sesko
    2 points
  6. 2 points
  7. Hi Chris, I think you're correct with Shigemitsu - 繁光 It's an unusual form of the kanji for "Shige" so he ought to be relatively easy to track down. There's a Suetsugu Shigemitsu signing in this way that looks a decent candidate but the military sword guys will be able to tell you more: https://www.aoijapan.net/katana-fukuoka-jyu-suetsugu-shigemitsu/
    2 points
  8. Yes, of course, a Japanese sword will work just fine to murder an unarmed man. It'll work just fine even if you have no training, so long as you draw the blade successfully. That said though, a large shard of broken glass will work just fine for that purpose. However, you'd very likely lose a duel against an (equally skilled) opponent using any of a large variety of European sword types; though it would serve you much, much better than the aforementioned meat cleaver. The point being made here isn't on the basis of metallurgy, but on the basis of the different dynamics, handling characteristics, range, etc and the very different fighting styles which the swords lend themselves to. The question raised at the start of the thread is a very high level question, which is to say that it can't be answered succinctly. The most appropriate response really is to provide a list of a few books which lay out the foundation for the discussion, but I'm guessing you're not sufficiently invested in this to read 1000+ pages? On the point of quality, it depends how you define it. If quality (to your friend) means durability then he'll no doubt agree that overalls are higher quality than bespoke suits.
    2 points
  9. Another on the back of the Fuchi: https://www.ebay.com/itm/134166909058?hash=item1f3cf89082:g:fN8AAOSwTIZixx5X
    2 points
  10. 警視廳 Metropolitan Police Department mark
    2 points
  11. For the record, this is the oldest known Tenshōzan blade marked with the 天照山鍛錬場作 signature. Prior to that time, they were made by either Fujiwara Kanenaga 藤原兼永 or Fujiwara Akimitsu 藤原昭光. Only about half of them have the Tenshōzan anchor stamp. The earliest being August 1939 and the last being June 1943.
    2 points
  12. The problem is that some images shown are also likely gimei. The case where specialized text cannot be replaced by search.
    2 points
  13. This isn't as simple as it might seem. I can explain this metallurgically and from the perspective of engineering (materials and dynamics) if you'd like, but it'll be a very long post and quite technical. The Japanese sword is a unique solution to a unique set of constraints. It is different in construction, metallurgy, geometry and dynamics from all other swords and is optimised for a different usage case. Having trained in JSA for many years I would certainly not select a Japanese sword for use in a duel. There are "superior" swords for any scenario (other than the draw cut).
    2 points
  14. Have a blade where the sayagaki said it was made as a gift to a daimyo for whatever that is worth =|:^)
    2 points
  15. Not exactly a "Royal" but here is a Wakizashi made by Akamatsu Masanori during the Onin war siege of Fuoka Castle. Masanori was assisted by Osafune Munemitsu & Katsumitsu. He made few blades and all of them were political gifts. This blade is presently in Japan awaiting NBTHK shinsa. Masanori was known to have made only 14 blades, this one, No. 15 surfaced in the US a few decades ago.
    2 points
  16. Just to add, often the shogun or Daimyo who had not treasure swords to offer, had a stock of o suriage mumei swords and offer them with a certificate of famous appraisers stating that the sword was forged by grand Grand Master so and so. Nobody was fooled and the blade could be reoffered a few years later and so on… Everybody was keeping face.
    2 points
  17. There are many things wrong with the tsuka, profile, section, alternating ito and diamonds. As my father would have said, "t's a bent as a dogs hindleg!" This part is not Japanese, most likely a post war repair attempt. Nothing to learn from that so back to the blade folks. Forgot to mention leather 'kashira'. All the best.
    2 points
  18. FWIW..The ito isn't alternating like it should be.
    2 points
  19. Tough one, at least for me. It could fall into Hamano area or into one of the Mito sub schools from the later half of Edo period. I look at the flowers, water, and tree execution and think somewhere in the later Mito schools. One of my favorite tsuba was from the Uchikoshi (Mito sub school) Then I look at the horse's head and how it is executed, and I bounce right over to Hamano school. If someone has a more rock solid opinion, I'd love to learn what they see.
    2 points
  20. Gents, I believe the appearance is a property of the steel itself and its response to corrosion. Reason?? I have a TENSHOZAN sword with a near identical rust pattern with area of pristine steel. I believe Robin's sword was once like the one I have, but Robin's nakago has been cleaned. I think it is clear that if I cleaned my nakago it would show the same pattern of rust and pitting.The mei is executed in the same thin characters. I might add this sword is BIG and is in a Shingunto koshirae. BaZZa.
    2 points
  21. http://Japan-forward.com/as-sign-of-goodwill-president-putin-returns-swords-to-Japan/ I think it is great to see that swords are still seen as diplomatic gifts and of importance. As are kabuto. And wow....he gave a Muramasa back in September? I bet that sword has a tale to tell. Nice light hearted article to enjoy.
    1 point
  22. Putin...-- russian. ....I do not recognize his name.....Who is is man.....not often i write in is comunnity but i do choose persons who is worth of mention...
    1 point
  23. Hello, Recently inherited a sword and having trouble identifying the maker... Hoping you all can help. It appears to have markings at the beginning saying NO SHU JU and at the end saying SAKU but I cannot figure out the rest. I thought at first it was a Kanesane or a Kanetaka but not sure. Looks like a partial Showa stamp at the top of the tang but there are no arsenal marks or Kokuin. It is all in pretty rough shape... Pretty sure someone tried to clean it years ago and did a wonderful job of rusting the blade Anyways, any help is appreciated!
    1 point
  24. and what about this one ?
    1 point
  25. Dear Piers, No, just the locust praying on the poor person's gourd. It has a potters stamp on the bottom that matches the first generation. I'll add better pictures in an hour or two. Only now do I realize how bad the photos are
    1 point
  26. Well as I was doing some research on some Jūyō related stuff, I found info on Tōken Bijutsu 235 (August 1976) when looking at Jūyō 24 results and submission numbers that the magazine had. There was additional section that was not included in the Jūyō 24 book, and I realized that during this session I believe separately NBTHK authenticated 18 swords and 3 tsuba for Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Now of course I was really into hunting them down and finding info on them. I believe I found 17 out of the 18 swords and all 3 tsuba are Natsuo, out of those I have 1 that I believe is certain due to theme and 2 options for number 3. Here is the list of the items and link to item on the MFA page. Tantō - Rai Kunitoshi - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/27497/sword-of-the-tanto-type?ctx=0a760ee2-a846-4894-a542-cf05cea18e4c&idx=0 Tantō (actually wakizashi sized) - Rai Kunimune - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/11209/sword-of-the-wakizashi-type?ctx=3ac83282-31da-474c-b24a-816811aa0889&idx=0 Tantō - Norinaga (1319) - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/25285/sword-of-the-tanto-type?ctx=df89231f-97bd-4445-bac3-f69b6ffa6173&idx=1 Katana - Ko-Bizen Yoshikane [71,2 cm] - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/11167/sword-of-the-katana-type?ctx=15631a84-e724-4ea4-a1b0-d61b9c2f0b5d&idx=0 Tachi - Shigehisa - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/27461/sword-of-the-tachi-type?ctx=6f31b97d-3d5d-4758-8bd8-81f73697bc45&idx=0 Katana - Fukuoka Ichimonji - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/27458/sword-of-the-katana-type-formerly-a-tachi?ctx=fcd9846d-a93a-43b2-9e65-8fb2363f1ff3&idx=3 Tachi - Naganori - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/28164/sword-of-the-tachi-type?ctx=fcd9846d-a93a-43b2-9e65-8fb2363f1ff3&idx=6 Tachi - Sukeshige (1343) - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/27390/sword-of-the-tachi-type?ctx=fcd9846d-a93a-43b2-9e65-8fb2363f1ff3&idx=0 Tachi - Nagamitsu - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/28165/sword-of-the-tachi-type?ctx=e3f9dc6d-dd01-42ef-83cd-28b9e94f482a&idx=4 Katana - Nagamitsu - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/27468/sword-of-the-katana-type?ctx=e3f9dc6d-dd01-42ef-83cd-28b9e94f482a&idx=3 Tachi - Kagemitsu [74,4 cm] (I believe it to be this as others have longer mei & orikaeshi) - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/25251/sword-of-the-tachi-type?ctx=8aed4d2a-6c36-4503-9123-59837b9077ae&idx=1 Tachi - Kagemoto - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/25247/sword-of-the-tachi-type?ctx=3609d043-e8a1-44c2-ab72-8d96e8f58fa2&idx=0 Tachi - Kunimune [78,3 cm] - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/27462/sword-of-the-tachi-type?ctx=0659cce9-2883-4870-8e3f-e51b957f3505&idx=1 Katana - den Unji [71,1cm] - this I couldn't find at the museum site Katana - den Chōgi - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/11227/sword-of-the-katana-type?ctx=d5cf90ae-6067-4190-a5c4-b5535e55accb&idx=10 Tachi - Morimitsu (1396) [72,3 cm] - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/28930/sword-of-the-tachi-type?ctx=40fb3ace-c776-4deb-b522-c2606583437d&idx=1 Katana - Kunimichi [76,5 cm] - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/27399/sword-of-the-katana-type?ctx=27cc3c69-5327-4a66-be62-1dcb1e48a69d&idx=25 Katana - Kunikiyo (with cutting test) [75,6 cm] - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/27394/sword-of-the-katana-type?ctx=5a1ec40d-84dc-4277-b050-160682aef399&idx=22 Tsuba - Natsuo (Deer theme) - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/11895/tsuba-with-design-of-deer-and-moon?ctx=bd241c00-f43b-4cd8-b57b-ee6a3b163631&idx=7 Tsuba - Natsuo (Peony theme) - This I couldn't match to MFA items, has also signature 夏雄製 (印銘) Tsuba - Natsuo (Iris theme) 2 options - https://collections.mfa.org/objects/11889/tsuba-with-design-of-iris?ctx=9bd2be43-ea15-40bc-9d4b-1a5d5564412c&idx=2 or https://collections.mfa.org/objects/205812/tsuba-with-design-of-reishi-fungus-and-irises?ctx=598d0e0b-1c78-4d03-8346-4b2e204f14b2&idx=29 Is any of this relevant info? Well I had fun searching them today and thought I would share it with people. This was also first time I saw NBTHK authenticate items in Jūyō shinsa that are not included in Jūyō book. Of course all of this happened long time ago but these items still are in the US (However just noted that many of these fine swords are on loan in Japan at Shizuoka City Museum at this moment).
    1 point
  27. As a point of fact and for your interest Francesco, Mark himself indeed came very close to losing his life when a shard of glass was buried in his chest. He wrote about it in the Izakaya section last year. You might not have seen it ? Roger 2
    1 point
  28. Thanks Thank you for the explanation. You killed me with the last example
    1 point
  29. These articles will be of interest: http://www.nihontocraft.com/Aratameshi_Nihonto.html http://www.nihontocraft.com/Suishinshi_Masahide.html
    1 point
  30. Eric many of those you posted are from Yahoo.jp auctions with green papers and are very likely to be Gimei as Rivkin mentioned. Published Oshigata from reference books are your best way to compare Mei.
    1 point
  31. Thanks for your comments Baz and Bruce. 'FWIW' that confused my for a moment Bruce ...... FTR (look that one up ) this Tenshozan tanrenjo (Kai Gunto) is unfortunately, not my sword notwithstanding my best efforts. Rob
    1 point
  32. They cut really well, and yes, they are the most brittle swords that ever existed in the world. You will not find non-Japanese blade with hagire and major chips also tend to be uncommon. There is a reason visible nie is considered major fault in other cultures. A great cutter with very low survivability.
    1 point
  33. That looks like a typical circa 1920 collectable from a European traveler to Japan. They loved these things. It would cost some good money today, they do well at auctions and in Japan. The blade is most likely shinshinto or even very early showa.
    1 point
  34. Kind of a loaded question. Not all Nihonto are created the same. By this I mean not all smiths created excellent swords. If you take a sword by an excellent rated smith im sure it would compare to a excellently made modern Japanese blade of today. But they were also designed for a different environment compared to other cultures(armor, swordsmanship etc..) Since your brought up knives, Japanese chefs knives are INDEED brittle on the edge. They are edge hardened(like nihonto) and can take wicked sharp edge but will chip easily whereas a western blade tends to fold instead of chip.
    1 point
  35. Thank you Dale and John for your nice exemples and for having given the exact topic of my tsuba as I was totally wrong. I was reluctant to assign a Hamano school influence to it but It is probably the case.
    1 point
  36. Dale is correct about the subject, it is Ariwara no Narihira (825-880) writing one of his famous poems. Toki shiranu yama wa fushi no ne itsu totemo ka no komadara ni yuki no furu ran Fuji is a mountain that knows no season. What time does it take this for, That it should be dappled with falling snow? I also have an iron tsuba with this subject (attached). Narihira was also the author of the poem that provides the subject for the yatsuhashi (8 plank bridge) so popular in Kyo sukashi tsuba (Karakoromo kitsutsu narenishitsumashi arebaharubaru kinurutabi oshizo omofu.) I have a beloved wife. Familiar as the skirt of a well- worn robe And so this distant journeying fills my heart with grief Apparently written when he was banished from Kyoto for having an affair with a high born lady of the court. So much for the beloved wife! best regards, John
    1 point
  37. Like Bazza I have a memory of seeing a tachi reputed to have belonged to the Duke of Windsor, the only reference I have found so far is here, https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/01/arts/antiques-swords-with-the-spirit-of-the-samurai.html The Duke certainly visited Japan in the 1920s. Of course, stupid me, the sword was offered as Lot 305 in Haynes original sale. All the best.
    1 point
  38. A remarkably similar piece up for auction now- same subjects and layout to Bruno's example but within a different frame and same design as Glen's first two mokko examples [top of this page]
    1 point
  39. 1 point
  40. They also did a review of the restoration work done in Nara Buddhist art museum's journal.
    1 point
  41. Hi folks, As some of you know already, on January 27 I suffered a fire in my house (an electric radiant heat panel in the ceiling arced out). No one was injured but the house is a mess and we likely won't live in it again until this fall at the earliest. None of my swords, kodogu, or books were damaged. All the books, however, have been put into storage and won't be available until I can move home. The swords and fittings, on the other hand, I can get to. I'm keeping a list of customers who want books so I can get to them later; I'd love to deal with you on a katana or tsuba right now. If you find something at Japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com that interests you, please let me know (contact me by email through the site). The phone # on my site is the land line and is currently dead. If you want to talk my cell is 218-340-1001. Thanks for all the support I've received from my friends in Nihonto, Grey
    1 point
  42. Some examples of Tenshozan tanrenjo from page 82:
    1 point
  43. 天照山鍛錬場作 – Tenshozan tanrenjo made 昭和十五年二月吉日 – Showa 15th year (1940), 2nd month, a lucky day
    1 point
  44. A rare representation of a firearm on a sword fitting - never take a sword to a gun fight! And it can shoot around corners. pretty close to the real thing.
    1 point
  45. Hi Piers In my experience these Meiji mounted shibayama pieces usually contain either a crude untempered blade of awkward sugata or one of either very modest quality or one with some serious problems. The hamon is often simply a polishing effect similar to Hadori. Can you see any hardened hamon on this one? This example is not a “knock-out” mounting…..the inlay is very sparse etc. They were produced from mid meiji onwards to sell to the Gaijin in Japan at that time. Some can be mind bogglingly opulent and those ones stand a chance of having a half decent blade. In a previous life I used to restore such items for some of the noted dealers……it was painstaking work carving hundreds of pieces in a variety of shells etc …….and emphasises just how much effort (often women and children) went in to producing such showy things. All the best. Colin
    1 point
  46. I came across two great examples of Chinese vs Japanese versions of that same double dragon themed tsuba I posted above. The images were also detailed enough to catch a glimpse of the 2-directional Chinese nunome vs 3-directional Japanese nunome. The 2-way pattern is definitely Chinese. However, I don't know if the Chinese smiths ever adopted the three-way pattern outside of the Chinese smiths who ended up living and working in Japan. So I can't say with certainty that the presence of the three way pattern is an absolutely certain sign that the tsuba was made in Japan, although it'll still be a very "safe" assumption. As with most tsuba, there gets to be this grey area of crossover in style and technique amongst different smiths in the same and/or different areas, and even in different time periods. Often those "mysteries" are part of the fun... but sometimes they can be a frustrating nightmare, and you just have to accept that you might never be able to find a clear answer The result is that you'll always find examples that become a "toss-up" in terms of classifying and you just have to throw yours hands up Chinese (again, note the cutout hitsu-ana and the added hitsu-ana ring): Japanese (original hitsu-ana):
    1 point
  47. 1 point
  48. I had one more example on file... I've got roughly 1500 Nanban tsuba images I've been building up and trying to sort/classify: OK, I know that's a little obsessive...
    1 point
  49. Looks like Tan stamp. http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/military.htm RH column
    1 point
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