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Swords from the Kasama Shigetsugu Mon: 於相武台下歓喜入道昭秀作之 "Made by Kangi nyūdō Akihide, in Sōbudai 1943" 酒井一貫斎繁正彫同作 "Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa, at the request of Iwate Takeshi 1943" 塚越繼延 三代川英雄所持"Tsukagoshi Tsugunobu for Hideo Sanyogawa/Miyokawa 1944"

Gimei is gimei and that's that. "nihonto-museum" is no valuable reference at all. And yes: Guido is a real character, always was. Sadly enough he is not able to participate anymore. As for you , "Dee", I have my doubts who you really are. Playing the "Lady-bonus" here for somebody else ? reinhard

It doesn´t matter if it is Koto, Shinto or ShinShinto. All that matters is: it is a Japanese sword with an inscription and a fair price tag. And Dee likes it.

トキワ　Tokiwa - it is a location in Tokyo (Tokiwamatsu-chō) where Shigetsugu's forge was. Near present-day Shibuya. https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/常磐松町

Not sure you know exactly what you are looking for. Mantetsu swords are purchased for their history and as militaria. They certainly aren't bought for their artistic traits. They don't exhibit nice hataraki or interesting hamon. They are arsenal swords, but made using certain techniques that increased their useability. Whether it's cleaned a bit or not isn't the prime factor in owning one of them. If you are looking for a nice WW2 sword with interesting hamon and showing hada/hataraki, then Mantetsu swords aren't where you should be looking. What were you expecting of this sword? It's a factory, not a particular smith. This is like buying a Type 95 Gunto and then lamenting that it doesn't have a nice polish or hamon.

Back to the main topic… I have 2 gimei blades. First is a Hizen Tadahiro signed katana but deemed gimei by NTHK-NPO, but still judged as a Hizen blade of same approximate time period as Tadahiro with exact same workmanship. Second blade is an Awataguchi Tadatsuna wakizashi deemed gimei by NTHK, but still judged as a lower level student of Tadatsuna and blade exhibits typical Awataguchi traits. So if you want to study schools and activity, and aren’t worried about who you show it to or the naysayers, I have no problem with gimei… especially at a fraction of the price.

Dear fellows collectors, I'd like to share with you the sword I've just brought home. She's a Kaneshige blade made in feb 1944 (and thanks to the members here that translated properly the nakago in my previous post). I apologize for the low quality pics, but I have to say that these objects are pretty hard to photograph.

Congratulations! Nice sword.

I'm sorry, I forgot to post the full mei:

Not a new member... But I changed my username from GeorgeLuucas to Scogg Scogg is an abbreviation of my last name, and has also been a common nickname for me. I am sick being called George. Although I remain a big StarWars fan Cheers, -Sam

I dont see Shinshinto, not with the nakago and worn horimono.

If you are in Tokyo ‘at the end of the month’, I would recommend the antique market in Kawagoe, which always takes place on the 28th of the month. I've already been to a few flea markets in Kyoto, Tokyo and the surrounding area, but I've never discovered any really nice tsuba (at least for my taste). Once there were really better pieces to be found at a dealer, but I could have bought them in Ginza for the prices they were asking. And that's how I've done it so far, by buying from the well-known dealers in their shops. You have the advantage of being able to compare favourites directly, and you usually get a discount if you pay cash.

Well put, Dee! I'm a little late, but I would say when it comes to actual high quality blades or well known smiths, it's a bit hard to keep out of the limelight, regardless if someone inadvertently draws attention to it. As well, we know FleaBay can be a minefield, but I'm sure we all skim across it in search of a treasure and by that, if one knowledgable person sees something, you can guarantee others do, as well! Short story, I was on GunBroker last year looking at Walther PPs just to pass some time, and saw an RSHA issued model. Won't go into details, but the organization was a part of the SS, not the Waffen-SS though, and about 6,000 were contracted to them. Main details are a serialized slide prior to it being put on all, and matching magazines if you're lucky to find them. About 5% are known to exist. I thought I was going to get a deal, since it wasn't labeled as that contract model, but I ended up in a bidding war with the most knowledgeable person on Walther PP/PPk variants. I ended up getting it for a decent price, though not a bargain. I took a risk since they didn't show any details on the mags, but when I picked it up, it ended up having one of the matching magazines. While I am a collector, and had been looking for one of these for as long as I was first able to buy handguns, I'm a shooter foremost, so will end up selling it. But I'm happy the hunt is over and was able to put out the information so it can be listed in the database for known surviving models for all to see. Hopefully the other mag is out there so the future owner can add it.

The Tadahiro I bought without papers. The mei was sketchy, but it did come with a Kanzan Sato sayagaki. I was given some advice by some well known people in the field who felt it was gimei and when I submitted for papers it was also deemed gimei so it did not come as a surprise. A couple of the people who advised me did say something along the lines of “you can see why whoever added the gimei signature chose this blade… it was a clear Hizen blade and it would be easier to pass as a Tadahiro”. Now, the sayagaki? Three choices… 1) sayagaki is gimei, 2) someone matched this blade to a different signed saya, or 3) Kanzan Sato got this one wrong. The Tadatsuna blade I bought with the pink paper. Seller did not try to hide the fact blade was gimei. I still liked the blade and it was an example of a Awataguchi blade I could study in hand. It wasn’t perfect or the best example, but it was nice and I liked it.

you could buy one from Grey for less https://japaneseswor...ck-dragon-residence/

It was a nice run gents, but I didn't expect it going for a final 6.5k bid, that's one happy seller

Most curious, yes. I suppose the added hitsu must have been very slight, for the three elements that you refer to, Piers, are all pretty similar in size and shape, so it doesn't seem that adding the hitsu affected these much, if at all. Most likely, the added hitsu merely intruded on the seppa-dai slightly. Here is another piece I am puzzling over as regards the motif elements. The one on the left is similar to that in the tsuba above, but is missing the three extra elements. In this piece, I am reminded of a carpenter's planer, such as that seen here: https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1172873118

Sadly I have to agree with the opinions here. The signature too is typical for one of these netsuke-like-objects (NLO). Remember, though, if you did not pay too much for it, you can actually use one of these to hang something from without fear of damaging it, and many people will even compliment you on it! One word of caution regarding the person who sold this to you. It is possible that they did not know much when they bought it, accepting whatever they were told, and happy to make a buck. Not all dealers are experts, most are still learning on the job, and some (not all) are even happy to be educated. A few years back I bought a neat little dragon Netsuke, but when I took it home for a really good look some faint mould lines between the legs showed that it was pressed resin. A month later I took it back to the same monthly market, and the dealer was more than happy to give my money back. Mr Maehata, salute! We've been good friends ever since and I have bought several things from him subsequently.

Thanks, guys. Appreciate it. I don't know that this reading of the motif is correct (seems like quite a reach -- even the kuruma/wheel sukashi is dubious), but many thanks for the replies.

Hi Steve, Namako ni kuruma sukashi - sea cucumber and wheel.

Namako

Biggest in Tokyo is Oedo Sunday Market at the Tokyo International Forum - Yurakucho Station 1st stop on the JR Yamanote after JR Yamanote Tokyo Station 1st and 3rd Sundays weather permitting. https://www.antique-market.jp/english/ And definitely echo what Brian said about prices and origin of some items.

Thanks Steve, I knew it was tiger, my brain typed dragon. I do appreciate the help it is much appreciated!!

My guess a type 94 with the curved tsuka. Sometimes seen on early swords.

Hi boys and girls while watching the sale of the katana by Kasama Shigetsugu today on eBay it got me thinking why some of Shigetsugu’s swords forged on the estate of Tōyama Mitsuru have an inscription stating made on the estate of the venerable Tōyama Mitsuru while other swords forged by Shigetsugu on the estate have the hot stamp of Tōyama Mitsuru ,were these swords made as gifts? Did other smiths who forged swords there use this stamp as well ,Curious to here your thoughts some pics of the hot stamp. cheers Chris H

Thank you, Conway. I've actually combed through dozens of seal script charts and web sites and read through Markus Sesko's book on seal scripts. So far, I have only found a few direct matches to the radicals in the scripts. I think they used their own version of the radical rather than a standard, in some cases (I even checked the Chinese versions). Another issue is that when I do decipher a seal script and find the corresponding kanji, I still can't read the meaning (see the Translation section for an example). John C.

Mine was in pretty bad shape originally. Polished up quite well:

If I spent 6.k on a sword I would be sleeping on the couch for a long time

I'm going to be quite bold here. I believe this could be a Shinshinto, blade.

On the up-side, while these guys are spending their money on rubbish, there's more decent stuff for those with half an eye open.

Who cares? I don't. reinhard

KANEKADO (兼門), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanekado” (兼門), real name Yoshida Tokuichi (吉田徳一), born March 29th 1906, he worked as a guntō smith and died September 6th 1969, student of Kurihara Kaneaki (栗原兼明), ryōkō no jōi (Akihide), Fifth Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941

Greetings Steve, I believe the value of this sword comes from the quality of the smith itself, the rarity of his works and as denoted by Stephen, the fact it was forged in close connection to Toyama Mitsuru, the famed ”Shadow Emperor” of the Shōwa period and head of the Black Dragon Society

Here's another "1" on the mune of a Taguchi Masatsugu along with the double "ho" stamps. Date is April (uzuki) 1943. No star stamp.

Gray, this looks like a (heavily damaged) WAKIZASHI (not wakazashi), and it has nothing to do with WWII. Although it is in bad condition, it should NEVER rest on concrete or any other hard surface.

This doesn't look right at all. Just one look at the blade should tell you all you need to know about it.

Funny I just brought Chris's thread back to life in Shigetsugu thread.

Just a quick thought, some Shrine and Temple precincts have mid week flea markets. Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in Narita City does. Heian Jingu Shrine in Kyoto does.

I guess I must have missed the 'Kinju' bit in your post. The statement was still incorrect and misleading.

Geery NO need to apologize at all. And asked a valid question about suguha. I agree with Miss Dee what you did warrants no downvote!! Like said it would have made its way too the board anyway. We have our share of There We Are Then members. Nick good recovery from agreeing. No anybody wants to talk about the condition of the blade? Rub lines or what. Going to go push up the price for fun...jk

Gassaku work by Kasama Ikkansai Shigetsugu and Kato Masayoshi in March 1944. Masayoshi forged the blade and Shigetsugu tempered the blade, which is the hardest part of sword making. Kasama Ikkansai Shigetsugu was a leading swordsmith, so it must have been a great honor for Kato Masayoshi to have received this lesson from a smith outside his "own group". Itame and Masame Hada with Nie, wild Choji-Midare Hamon. Kantei-sho origami. Shirasaya and Type 98 Koshirae in hight quality.

Thanks, David. It's a great resource for learning an bit more about tsuba attributions

(Joining Curran.) Fairly large iron 24-petal chrysanthemum tachi(?) tsuba. Sold as daishō, but they are not exactly identical.

@Bruce Pennington Thanks for highlighting mine, here are a few more photos and a link to more info about the sword. Cheers!

@Kiipu found this butterfly mon on a kaigunto HERE

Thanks John! Wow, that Russian site has quite a collection! Here's another kaigunto with mon on THIS PAGE.

There's no shop logo, this maker used a unique style of hangers from other Kai Gunto:

Family name on good quality mounts from a Koshirae shop rarely seen, thought it was interesting that the name in silver matched the name scratched into the fittings. https://origami-token.ru/catalog/arkhiv-mechi/bolshoy_katana_khisakadzu_v_oprave_morskogo_ofitserskogo_mecha/