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Up for offer is an extremely large (95 x 95mm) and impressive Myochin tsuba. Some tsuba-ko replicate the image of a kabuto, but this one is made in the style of a suji-bachi kabuto, consisting of 25 individual plates of iron, containing 50 rivets. The size and technique give this a dominating presence amongst other tsuba and would be the central point of an iron tsuba collection. An Akita Shoami coiled-dragon tsuba is given for comparison (and not for sale). It also comes in an unusually large deluxe box. SOLD

With reference to the replies now moved elsewhere: Guys, this is NOT the place for this, and it sets a really bad precedent. I do not want this sort of thing happening in sales posts, if we allow it then it becomes a free for all. That said, we are here to protect the community and also cannot just ignore it when sellers or buyers have an issue, and they need to hash it out with right of reply and people can make up their own minds. I have a Catch 22 here. Allow it and open the forum for fights on every sale post, or delete it completely and then we are not looking out for the community. So I am going to take the middle ground and continue with the policy of not allowing this sort of thing in sales posts. BUT I am shortly going to split this into a new thread and put it in the Sales/Sellers section, where people can discuss good and bad deals with sellers. I hope everyone understands that is best compromise I can come to right now. Shortly this will be moved, and will formulate a title there where seller/buyer can discuss this and lay out their case.

Haynes lists a Meiju as a student of Araki Tomei (H09800) working about 1865-75 and that there is a relationship, or the same person as Inoue Akiyoshi (H00089) The kanji are the same. I have a tsuba signed Akiyoshi which was an early name used by Kiyotoshi (H03368.0, 1804-1876). Not sure if its the same guy. An entry in ‘The Early Famed Works of the Kyoto Smiths (Kyomono no Ko-Meisaku)’, tanslated by Gordon Robson lists a tsuba by Akiyoshi with a shakudo ground. The text states that ‘Akiyoshi is among the skilled kinko of the Aizu during the late Edo priod’ ‘There must be some connection with Kawano Haruaki, and because of his signature and kao, we can agree to such a conjecture.’ There appears to be a similarity between the kao on this tsuba and examples attributed to Kono Haruaki, so it looks like the artisan of this tsuba is probably the one referred to. Akiyoshi seems to have worked around the mid 19thC and changed his name several times Not sure if this helps, or just muddies the picture further. Best regards, John

The blades are radically different — different traditions, different aesthetics, different emotional impact. In some ways, asking whether the Jūyō Iwato Ichimonji or the Jūyō Sa Yoshisada is “better” is like asking which classic Hollywood star was more beautiful. There is no objective answer. The real question is: what are YOU looking for? Do you want the flamboyant, aristocratic elegance and luminous choji of Ichimonji? Or the darker, more intense, more inwardly powerful atmosphere of late-Soshu Sa work? Those are fundamentally different experiences. At the Jūyō level, you are already operating in rare air. Many collectors on this board have never even handled a Jūyō blade, let alone had the opportunity to choose between two. Is this an investment question? A market-value question? A “best bang for the buck” question? A school popularity question? Or is it about which sword actually moves you when you hold it? Because ultimately, that is the only thing that matters. The sword you keep coming back to in your mind — the one that pulls at you a little — is probably your answer. On the matter I will say only this: there appears to me to be no shortage of Ichimonji or Rai school blades out there in the market. If you miss one, another one will come along, both better and worse. The same can't be said for blades directly attributed to Sa School smiths. But, again, it all comes down to what moves YOU. Nobody here can answer that but YOU.

Hi everyone, I just wanted to share this easy option for displaying your tsuba on your desk. I got these acrylic glass light boxes for about 15 Euro on amazon and I think they make a pretty neat display. I would love to see how you display your tosogu!

関住兼松一則作 – Seki ju Kanematsu Kazunori saku (Kazunori’s family name is Kanematsu.)

I thought you might want a picture of my railroad tassel. Tom

I was talking to Ray Singer about this yesterday. The problem here, as we discussed, is the connection with the Tokugawa. That association is such that few are going to ever say it is a fake, even to this day. Cultural respect, etc. But the fact that sword has no official status -- not Kokuho,Jubi, JuBun or any flavor of Juyo -- is telling. So it appears to be exactly as labeled: a sword signed Sadamune that was owned by powerful member of the Tokugawa family. No more. No less.

Sa blades attributed to specific smiths tend to be highly valued blades. They are considered a big step above the more numerous Sue-Sa and O-Sa Ichimon attributions, and thus are prized. Yoshisada has to his credit 56 recorded blades, including two Jubis, four TokuJus and 42 Juyos. Not too shabby by any standard. That said, top tier work like this is not that common and the setsumei is certainly very positive about the attribution and the quality of the blade. For me, a Sa School lover, I think the price isn't unreasonable at all especially with the current exchange rate for a Juyo work from a good session and great setsumei. And comparing the quality to other Soshu-adjacent schools and smiths, I think they represent probably some the best value in Nanbokucho Soshu works. The value of Sa blades within the Soshu pantheon was something that even Darcy commented on. And while Yoshisada's works are not as well-regarded as some of the other inner Samonji circle such as Yukihiro (my favorite) and Yoshisada's older brother, Yasuyoshi, his work is considered closer to his father's (Samonji) work style than is Yasuyoshi. (Kunihiro mentioned above was also good but was later and not necessarily among O-Sa's inner circle of children and early students.) Yes, there are lots of options at this price range, but if you are looking for a Juyo blade with excellent Soshu pedigree and supreme clarity of the steel and such a wide bright habuchi, I am not sure you are going to find much better at this price. Just my humble opinion. (And FTR, the only reason I didn't jump on it is these days I only collect tanto. My safe and closet are grateful!)

Hello! I had wanted to add a Kaga tsuba to my collection for a long time, and recently Okan finally convinced me with his wonderful example that was shown here not so long ago. Recently I came across this tsuba. It depicts the classic theme of drying fishing nets, and in my opinion the Kaga inlay is perfectly suited to the delicate nets. Overall, the composition is quite refined. The tsuba itself is made of rich and expensive shakudo, although this is somewhat hidden beneath the dark patina, it is especially noticeable when viewed at an angle. The plate is perfectly polished and shimmers beautifully in the light. I would also note the beautiful sekigane - it was probably mounted on two different swords.

The Toyama Sword Research Society brings together young people and women from all over the country. In recent years, the Toyama Sword Research Association, a sword enthusiast group based in Toyama Prefecture, has seen an increase in its membership among young people and women. Due to the influence of online games such as "Touken Ranbu ONLINE," the number of young people becoming interested in swords is increasing, and the company has made great efforts to make the game more approachable for beginners and to spread the word on social media. This initiative, which is rare nationwide in the world of swords, where middle-aged and elderly men have been the main fan base, has paid off, and the sword is becoming a popular choice for "sword beginners" from a wide range of regions, not just within the prefecture. The Toyama Sword Research Society was formed in 2017 by Yasunori Sawada (57) (Nanto City, civil servant), an enthusiast and former director of the Sword Museum (Tokyo). He holds sword appreciation events about five times a year and visits art museums both within and outside the prefecture. The study group, which began with around 20 members, has now grown to 220, 70% of whom are women. By age group, the most common age group is those in their 30s, followed by those in their 20s and 40s. 40% of people live in the three Hokuriku prefectures, with many in the Kanto, Kansai, and Chukyo regions. Some members are from Hokkaido and Kagoshima prefectures. In order to encourage young people and women to join, the study group has put in place a number of measures to make it easy for beginners to participate. This new sword study group has proven itself to be very successful and is quickly showing the way forward for Japanese Sword Societies in local communities.

When the sword was initially procured and priced, the FX rate ¥/$ was close to 100. So, you were looking at c.$25k back then. Currently the FX rate is closer to 160, which means the $25k would be nearly ¥4m. Furthermore, the Japanese dealers in the last couple of years overcompensated for the yen depreciation somewhat. While previously they used to think purely in yen, as their inflation has been next to 0% for decades, lately they started mentally converting to $ and pricing accordingly, as the sword market internationalised in the last 10-15 years beyond recognition. I remember decent TJ perhaps 8-10 years ago was in the ¥14-15m range, then that became ¥17-18m, now you are looking at ¥20m+. A famous dealer complained to me a few weeks ago about former customers also demanding extremely high prices from him for the swords he had sold to them years ago (but that is a different story for another day…). So, the maths for this sword: You add to the aforesaid ¥4m (the historic price) then the ¥0.75m-¥1m koshirae, the cost of the polish, the fact that the seller probably wants some return to his investment and you get to ¥5m. The sword is rather nice, albeit not my cup of tea. But indeed in the last 15 years the floodgates of information and access have opened, so one naturally has a lot of choice. Just go to Chris’s Nihontowatch website and see what AI has enabled in the last few months. He has put a tonne of valuable (and monetarily rather expensive) information in there - for now for the benefit of people. But such access and info should really be premium….. One important thing: buy what you like and resonates with you emotionally and do not get swayed by people’s likes and dislikes in Sa or Nanbokucho shapes, or more/less nie etc. And measure and weigh carefully options, opinions, facts.

Come to https://www.japanartfair.com/ (No taxes from dealers from Japan, btw) . For this price I would first learn more about Nihonto and second only buy after personal viewing.

It must be a typo. 純正眞鐵入鍛 I do not know its correct reading either. Junsei magane nyutan (?) - Forged from genuin iron.

The tag looks questionable to me. The town’s name Miyajima-cho (宮島町) was used after 1950. If the tag was written just after the end of WWII (1945), the town’s name should be Itsukushima-cho (厳島町). At the time, Hiroshima-ken was most likely written as 廣島縣. There are three 島 kanji on the tag. They are all wrong characters. 宮 looks strange. It looks like 官

I am not trying to be difficult here but the questions really don't make a lot of sense to me. For example, please define what you mean by "history" of the blade? Are you talking provenance? The history of the period when it was made? How the smiths and schools were seen by history? Given that one sword is attributed to a smith who was the son of one of the most important sword makers in Japan, and the other is broadly attributed to a school, is that the kind of historical touchstone you are referring to? These decisions for many collectors are normally based on their own interests and collections. If you collect Nanbokucho Soshu, then the Sa blade fits. If you collect Kamakura Bizen then Ichimonji would be the way to go. Other collectors just buy what moves them. Some just buy Juyo. Some want blades w/cutting tests or battle damage. Some want swords from particular time periods or schools. Now, broadly speaking Iwato Ichimonji is viewed as the least prestigious of the four Ichimonji traditions, the others being Ko-Ichimonji, Fukuoka Ichimonji and Yoshioka Ichimonji. Hard core Ichimonji fans love the first two. But it ultimately depends on the sword, because even the worse Ichimonji can be great. That said I have seen MANY ho-hum Ichimonji. In fact, I was kind of unimpressed with the hype surrounding Ichimonji swords until seeing Paul Davidson's Yoshioka Ichimonji two years ago at Sothebys. It was like a revelation, like seeing a sword for the first time: a brilliant habuchi with choji that looked almost three dimensional; layers of floating utusuri like the clouds a plane passes through on its way to a landing. Never handled one like that before. I've seen some nice ones but this was the first and only one I ever handled where I remember thinking: "So this is what all the Ichimonji excitement is about." So, If my pocket were full of change, and if I were hunting for an Ichimonji blade, I would want something at least which approaches that. But that's aesthetics, not history. Elias, while I appreciate your desire to touch history, my recommendation is almost like a mantra or broken record on this board: keep your money in your pocket. Study. Look at as many swords as you can. And when you decide what school or time period moves you, then go shopping. Until then, keep your powder dry and your mind open. Buying swords is easy. Buying the right sword takes study. Best of luck.

Hi Andy, I think the translation that you have for the tag is accurate: 広島県 – Hiroshima Ken - Hiroshima Prefecture 佐伯郡 - Saeki Gun - Saeki district 官島町 – Miyajima Machi - Miyajima town 一四六 – 146 海軍大佐 – Kaigun Daisa (Navy Colonel) 松井島吉 – Matsui Shimakichi (Given name) I don't know anything about Japanese Navy ranks, however, when I put "Daisa" into the online dictionary that I use, the definition comes back as "colonel; (navy) captain" so it might just be a semantic thing. https://jisho.org/search/daisa That said, how convinced are you that the surrender tag is genuine? It looks practically pristine and the ink is so black it could have been written yesterday...

入隊時の中隊長殿（十九年四月一日） - The company commander when he enlisted (1944, 4th month, 1st day). 陸軍中尉　堀米昇殿 – Army lieutenant, Mr. Horigome Noboru

藤次郎作 – Tojiro made 白紙 – Shirogami Tojiro is a trademark of the following kitchen knife manufacturer. TOJIRO Japan I More than just sharpness Shirogami is a brand name of carbon steel made by Proterial, Ltd.

Mark, the sword has a mei of Kenryushi Sadaharu. You can see the entry below from Markus Sesko: SADAHARU (貞晴), Keiō (慶応, 1865-1868), Settsu – “Naniwa-jū Mizuguchi Kenryūshi Sadaharu saku” (浪華住 水口剣龍子貞晴作), “Settsu Ikutama ni oite Kenryūshi Sadaharu kore o tsukuru” (於摂津生玉剣龍子 貞晴造之), “Naniwa-jū Kenryūshi Sadaharu saku” (浪花住剣龍子貞晴作), student of Gassan Sadayoshi (月山貞吉), his gō were Kenryūshi (剣龍子) and Kensaishi (剣斎子), we know blades from the Keiō to the Meiji era (明治, 1868-1912), mostly a magnificent sugata with a wide mihaba and an ō-kissaki, dense ko-itame or masame which tends to muji, suguha-hotsure, notare, gunome, he works in the style of his master Sadayoshi, he also added a koku´in seal in the form of the character “chū” (忠・忠) , chū-saku

Keisuke Nakamura gave an interesting treatise on the subject of these 2 blades exhumed from Mitsutomo's tomb. By comparing horimono carving styles with other Sadamune attributed blades and historical oshigata he is a little skeptical and reserves judgement. https://note.com/katana_case_shi/n/ne850e4972025

Yesterday's meeting and update indicated that 78 people have contributed JPY2,430,000 so far, just shy of the 2.5 million yen they are initially aiming for by the end of this month. A plan for the polishing of the Odachi was also handed out, to take place over the first three cold months of 2027 when rust will not be too much a problem. I had a chance to see their Muromachi period blades display, including upstairs a 1499 Katsumitsu/Sadamitsu joint-work naginata that Jussi might recognize. Photos: A B C

Very true, and that only comes after doing the hard yards researching the literature and more importantly experiencing high end swords in hand. Elias, since you are in Germany you should seriously consider attending an NBTHK-EB meeting either in Solingen or Manching. There are many members in Germany who have some magnificent Juyo and up swords, and are only too happy to share their knowledge and collections.

While historical sales are not good indicator of current prices due to several factors of which we have discussed previously at NMB too. You can see Aoi Art had this same sword for sale without koshirae in 2021 for 2,500,000 yen https://web.archive.org/web/20210802211856/https://www.aoijapan.com/katana-mumeiunsigned-attributed-as-sa-yoshisada/ So you can see koshirae has not been historically with the sword. Also new habaki and shirasaya have been made for the sword. To me the workmanship of the blade seems very good but I am not after that in swords. Size and shape of the sword are the factors that would put me off from this purchase. If I would be in position to purchase a Sa school blade some day I would want it to be of the imposing Nanbokuchō shape in which there are plenty of Sa school attributed blades.

I think we have a couple photos showing NCOs with officer gunto. If anyone knows where they are, please add to the thread. But what I found today is an officer gunto with a wrapped surrender cloth of a Sergeant Major. Found on this Gunboards Thread. The cloth says: ""243rd Infantry Reg., 5th Co., Army Sgt Maj. Nishikawa Yataro" with the flip side reading "One Nihonto sword including leather scabbard cover and handle cover" - translation by Edokko, Gunboards. The blade is an undated, large Seki stamp, Kanemasa. I mention that because later in the war, the uniform regulations were amended to allow NCOs to carry civil swords. This one is in a leather covered wooden saya, but there's nothing about the blade nor fittings that says "civilian sword refitted for war." The company grade tassel could easily have been added by an owner over the past 80 years, but if original, would be another one of those mysteries. Was the Sgt Major being promoted to officer rank? Who knows. My Army son-in-law said "Sgt Majors are at the top of the food chain, like a General or Admiral. They do whatever the fxxx they want to do."

The Iwato Ichimonji has passed through several dealers after passing the Jūyō shinsa. 2021 - https://web.archive.org/web/20210612111517/https://katananokura.jp/SHOP/2105-K02.html (without koshirae) 2025 - https://web.archive.org/web/20250322181409/https://www.samurai-nippon.net/SHOP/V-2114.html 2025 - https://www.toukentakarado.com/item-tk017-juyo-den-iwato-ichimonji 2026 - https://www.aoijapan.com/katana：mumeiunsigned-den-iwato-ichimonji-65th-juyo-token/

Go to Utrecht then. Best opportunity to see irl what world of nihonto have to offer, at least in Europe.

The Birmingham Arms Fair is coming up (14th June) so here are some poor images of assorted kozuka that I will be taking (Table 81) Mei include Goto, Hamano, Issando Joi, Hirata (the incredibly rare enamelled tigers) etc. Quality ranges from “OK” to very fine (imo🙂) Hope to see some of you there. All the best. Colin

I'm assuming Elias has put a hold on both swords and is now trying to decide which to buy. With all due respect, if you are asking these questions you are not ready to make such a purchase, especially a Juyo level sword sight unseen. I was where you are a few years ago. The excellent advice I received back then was to learn as much as I can about Nihonto, invest in good reference books, see high quality swords in museums or sword meet-ups eg NBTHK-EB (since you're Germany-based), the annual Japan Art Show in Utrecht etc. You need time to educate your eye and sense of appreciation. This invaluable time spent researching will help you to define what interests you most. There are so many blades available from all eras, traditions, schools, different blade shapes. With that knowledge you can begin to make a decision thats right for you and not someone else. Thinking about financial appreciation with regards Nihonto, Tosogu etc is wrong. These are not investment vehicles or a way to diversify your investment portfolio. Chances are you will lose money when you sell especially after you add 19% VAT and import duties to those prices. The blue chip investment pieces are healthy, signed, ubu blades by important makers. Personally I would take a step back. Spend 6-12 months researching nihonto then visit Japan if possible, or attend a show like the JAS in Utrecht to find a blade that speaks to you based on some criteria you have established for yourself. Photos are not a good way to determine whether a particular blade is right for you. And I certainly wouldn't put much weight behind a dealers marketing fluff. At the end of the day you have to make the decision, but that right decision for you will be very different to that made by someone else.

Please post the Original Sale Description

This seems fairly simple if someone can post a link to the original sale thread. Either the flaws pictured above were clearly stated in the original sales post or they were not….period. This is a contract dispute fellas, either the description of the sword was accurate or it wasn’t, this has NOTHING to do with how anyone “felt”.

With that many sales listings you would hope for a gold membership to support the forum.....

Hello everyone, Iron tsuba from the Akao school. Edo period. Beautifully crafted in sukashi (openwork) depicting a Japanese bird called a chidori against a full moon in the background. Dimensions: 71 x 68 mm. Thickness: 4.5 mm. The Akao school was founded in the 18th century by Akao Yoshitsugu shodai, a samurai in the service of the Matsudaira clan, lords of Echizen province. It was later transferred to Edo by his son, Yoshitsugu nidai, but the Echizen branch was nevertheless preserved. The work of this school is characterized by openwork motifs influenced by the Kawaji and Kinai styles. The Akasaka style developed later within the Edo branch, where the positive silhouettes of natural or artificial objects are reduced to such conventional forms that they sometimes become unrecognizable. 450 € (plus shipping)

I was told there was an issue but by the time I logged in, all was working fine. The whole of SA has had some serious internet disruptions the past few days. Apparently massive DDOS attacks launched against all the ISP's, and most have had some serious problems, so I'm guessing that was part of it. No-one knows why or by whom, but it's a large one, and taken down most of the providers for a bit. I expect there may be some lingering issues over the next few days.

Yes, probably this is the habaki on the Kanemitsu.

The square inscription that looks like a seal reads 大明成化 (Dai ming sei ka), or, if you use the Chinese pronunciation Da ming cheng hua, alluding to Chinese emperor Chenghua (mid-1400s) It's apparently a motif that was used by Japanese ceramic artisans to give their wares an air of antiquity and authenticity. I think used by Imari porcelain artisans in the late 1800s.

I remember chatting with Markus about this maybe few years ago when it was displayed first time? I can't say about the legitimacy of the item, I just accept it as genuine piece as Tokugawa Art Museum seems to accept it. Now what is interesting about this item that it is maybe not intended as a weapon in my eyes. Markus would be the best one to write his view but I think there could have been some perhaps ritualistic purpose for these extremely wide wakizashi that few shrines have. The historical Masamune (NBTHK demoted it to Tomomitsu) that currently resides at Yasukuni Jinja is another example of these, and there should be few more such wakizashi if I remember correctly. This is of course my personal view but I cannot see any actual advantage in usability when the short swords are extremely wide.

This is the kind of thing that makes me wish I lived in Japan... A famous sword appreciation event co-sponsored by the Toyama Sword Research Association and the branch e-Sword Research Association will be held on the 30th May. At the sword fittings exhibition, you will be able to see the sword fittings that came with the mountings of Satsuki Amee and Atsuto Shiro. This time, the sword lineup is also luxurious, including Bizen Saburo Kunimune, Shindo Go, Masamune, Norishige, Go, Hidari, Kunitsugu Rai, Naotane Daikei, Dewa Daijo Kunimichi, and Kashu Kiyomitsu, and it's already packed to capacity. Getting to hold and examine this calibre of sword is the stuff of legend. No wonder it is already fully subscribed. Sounds like the kind of meetup that Honma writes about in his memoirs. The next one is in July - for those interested and able to get to Toyama.

D E F

Seals for the calligraphy are: top left: 臨済正宗　(Rinzai Seishu) bottom right, upper seal: 黄檗主人 (Ōbaku shujin) bottom right, lower seal 大雅法印 (Taiga-hō-no-in)

Jigane is probably very attractive itame. I love Sa hada and it should be a good example of such. The work seems to be very homogeneous, not tired, pristine, without kizu. However, Sa hamon is choji always tends towards ko nie or even nioi. It is a very attractive shade of nioi, but on the blades I really like this is further accented by strong nie activities. Inazuma, patches of nie along the ha, strong chikei. I think this blade is more towards just ko nie. Still very attractive though.

There are many options at this price, if you're prepared to pay that amount it could be a better idea to travel to Japan to inspect some first class swords in hand.

Hi Elias, Welcome to NMB. I'm assuming this is the one AOI has on hold. Nice tachi koshirae if you like blingy mounts. Believed to be a student or son of O-Sa. Not the best of the nidai smiths but still highly rated at jojo-saku. I prefer Sa-Kunihiro. From Sesko's eSwordsmiths. YOSHISADA (吉貞), Jōwa (貞和, 1345-1350), Chikuzen – “Chikushū-jū Yoshisada” (筑州住吉貞), “Yoshisada” (吉貞), “Yoshisada saku” (吉貞作), “Mononobe Yoshisada” (物部吉貞), Sa school, according to tradition the son or student of Ō-Sa (大左), there exists a tantō with a date signature of the Shōhei era (正平, 1346-1370), no tachi are extant by Yoshisada, his tantō have a wide mihaba and some sori, the jigane is an itame-nagare with ji-nie and thick chikei, the hamon is a slightly undulating notare mixed with gunome and sunagashi, the bōshi has a rather long kaeri, we know smaller and larger signatures but it is assumed that they go back to the changes in the active period of a single smith because nothing indicates a 2nd gen., jōjō-saku As to value you have to also factor in the ~20% importation tax so after shipping costs its more like 6mil JPY you'll be paying. I personally would not pay that figure for this blade.

長曽祢興里入道乕徹 - Nagasone Okisato Nyudō Kotetsu

Here you are Time span to 1340, Soshu school Short blades separately and long blades separately

Sudden resurrection :D Nice T98 with crest. Habaki rising sun pattern. Looks neat. Don't ask for mei it's like 95% fake.

The Toronto Tōken Kai will be hosting a display of Japanese Swords and other items of interest as part of Toronto Doors Open at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre this Saturday and Sunday (May 23 and 24) from 10 am until 5 pm. This event is open to all and is free of charge. Come by and see us! The JCCC is located at 6 Sakura Way in Toronto, Ontario. Take the Wynford Drive exit from the DVP and go west to Sakura Way. Some map software may still list Sakura Way as Garamond Court.

@Conway some Asano Kanezane info in NMB Downloads:

This is a translation of the setsumei giving the opinion of the shinsa panel. Worth reading carefully. 65th Jūyō Tōken Designation Summary Designated on November 7, Reiwa 1 (2019) Classification & Attestation Item: Katana (刀) — One blade (一口) Signature: Mumei, attributed to Sa Yoshisada (無銘 左吉貞) Submitter: Paul Martin (ポール マーティン) Measurements (Sugata) Blade Length (Nagasa): 66.7 cm (2 shaku, 2 sun, 0 bu) Curvature (Sori): 1.6 cm Motohaba (Base Width): 2.8 cm Sakihaba (Tip Width): 1.8 cm Kissaki Length: 2.9 cm Nakago Length: 18.5 cm Nakago Sori: 0.1 cm Appraisal & Technical Description Shape (Taihai) Shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune. The blade exhibits standard width proportions with a typical differential between the base and tip width. The curvature is shallow, culminating in a slightly elongated chū-kissaki profile. Forging Pattern (Kitae) An itame-hada foundation seamlessly intermingles with areas of mokume-hada. The grain characteristically flows (nagare-gokoro) toward the cutting edge. The entire steel matrix is densely packed with fine ji-nie, displaying an excellent jigane clarity that yields a faint, soft utsuri (reflection). Temper Line (Hamon) A masterfully restrained ko-notare(small wave) serves as the primary motif, interspersed with ko-gunome(small undulating steps). The overall temper is intentionally low-profile, exhibiting active ashi (legs). The steel displays brilliant metallurgical activity near the cutting boundary, where yubashiri (drifting mist formations) fuse with sunagashi (streaks of sand). The nioiguchi remains bright, crisp, and exceedingly clear. Tip Temper (Bōshi) The temper line runs true (sugu) into the point, executing a shallow, rounded turnback (komaru-gokoro). The apex of the curve terminates with a delicate, swept hakikake (brushed) texture. Engravings (Horimono) A classic bōhi (wide groove) is cleanly carved into both faces of the blade, running entirely through the tang. Tang (Nakago) Ō-suriage (significantly shortened). The heel profile is finished in kirijiri (flat cut) with indistinct, faint yasurime (file marks). The tang features two mekugi-ana (retaining pin holes) and remains strictly unsigned (mumei). Official Commentary & Historical Context Yoshisada was an elite bladesmith belonging to the Sa lineage of Chikuzen province. Historical scholarship positions him alternately as the direct son or primary student of the legendary founding master, Sa (Samonji). His production era can be confidently contextualized through existing dated examples, notably a signed companion piece from the 13th year of the Shōhei era (1358). While signed long swords (tachi) by Yoshisada are vanishingly rare, his signature is primarily preserved on short daggers (tantō) and sidearms (wakizashi). His styling on long blades typically trends toward a highly controlled, narrower hamon footprint compared to his peers. This specific mumei katana perfectly captures those defining school traits. The blade's overall width is classical, paired with a sophisticated, gentle curvature. The hamon centers around a subtle, low-profile wave pattern. While the upper and lower halves show variation, the upper section resolves into a quiet, uniform temper line. Enhanced by vibrant nie activity, a flawless jigane, and remarkable health from tip to tang, this piece stands as a premier, highly dignified exemplar of the Sa Yoshisada tradition.