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Not looking for cheap deals, let's move to the other end of the spectrum. Late Kamakura to early Nanbokucho period. Shikkake School of Yamato province prospered present Tenri City in Nara prefecture. The name Shikkake is from Shikkake-ishi, the flat stone to place the divine palanquin in Shinto. The Jitetsu of this sword is extremely fine that has something in common with Taima School. It satiates the collector’s interest. Five principal schools prospered in Yamato province: Tegai, Shikkake, Taema, Senjuin and Hosho. Norinaga is thought as the substantial founder of Shikakke school. Dated Tanto in 1319, the third year of Bunpo era in late Kamakura period still survive at the age of 69. Counting backward, Norinaga was born in 1270, the seventh year of Bunei era in Kamakura period. Later generations Norinaga forged sword to the Muromachi period. Smart Shinogi-suji, wide Shinogi-haba, stream like pattern of Itame-hada and Suguha-hamon are characteristics common to all Yamato province. The workmanship of Shikkake School shows traditional Yamato style. Typical ko-gunome hamon based on suguha. Kunzan Sayagaki which states this belonged to Dean Hartley. Provenance: Col. Dean Hartley Price: Ask, if you are prepared to purchase a sword of this level.

I haven't seen this variant posted yet in this thread so here goes. This is an old family blade signed Munemitsu kitted out for WW2. I bought it a few years ago because I had never seen this kind of tsuka cover. I unsnapped the cover on the saya and it appears that an old sparkly lacquered wood saya lurks underneath. I would have to undo the threads on the tsuka cover to see what lies beneath and I don't have the courage to do that. I figure some things are best left undisturbed. I also haven't applied any leather preservative to field covers. Que sera, sera.

#72Buzen-Gō Sword, Unsigned, Gō Yoshihiro (Meibutsu: Buzen-Gō) Length: 2 shaku 2 sun 5 bu (68.2 cm) Curvature: 5 bu (1.5 cm) Mekugi: 1 Important Art Object, Designated May 27, 1937. Owner at the time of designation: Count Ogasawara Tadaharu, Tokyo. Important Cultural Property, Designated June 28, 1956. Buzen-Gō is said to be the work of Gō Yoshihiro, who resided in Matsukura-go, Etchu Province, and is the most flamboyant of Gō Yoshihiro's works. Ownership of the blade: The origin of the name "Buzen-Gō" is unclear, but the sword was handed down to the Ogasawara family of the Ogura Domain in Buzen Province (different from the Ogasawara family of the Echizen Katsuyama domain where Uguisumaru was kept). The Ogasawara family also owned the Hakata Toshiro, Fudou Yukimitsu, and Akita Toshiro but it is unclear if they owned them all at the same time. Designated as an Important Art Object on May 27, 1937. It was owned by Count Ogasawara Tadaharu at that time. Akita Toushirou, which was designated as an Important Art Object in the same year, was also in the same collection. In the 1949 publication "Commentary of National Important Art Objects of Yamaguchi Prefecture" is recorded that the sword is owned by Yamada Shinmatsu. Designated as an Important Cultural Property on June 28, 1956. Exhibited in the "Masamune and His Clan" exhibit held in 1961 and owned by Nakazawa Akira. Exhibited also at the "Famous Japanese Sword Exhibition" held in 1968, but the owner is not recorded. According to a 2018 survey conducted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, its whereabouts are currently unknown. Description of the blade: Buzen-Gō differs somewhat in style from other Gō swords; while the blade width and cutting edge are of normal form, the forging shows a fine wood grain mixed with mokume, with ji-nie (small crystals in the surface), and the hamon (temper line) is a mix of gunome (irregular wave pattern), notare (undulating pattern), and choji (clove pattern), with deep indentations and extending into the shinogi (ridge line) in places. The boshi (tip) is broken down and sweeping. Although it exhibits an unusual style, it is generally consistent with other works by the same artist and is a superior example among them. It is a long tachi (long sword) that was shortened to a katana (short sword). Shape: Shinogi-zukuri, Iori-mune, slightly thin cross-section, medium-sized point. Forging: Fine wood grain pattern, mixed with mottled surface, fine ji-nie (small crystals). Hamon (temper line): Wavy with gunome (irregular wave pattern), frequent ashi (legs) and ha (leaves), with occasional kinsuji (golden lines), making the striking surface particularly brilliant on both sides. Overall, the nioi (misty effect) is very deep, with fine nie (small crystals). Boshi (tip): Irregular and sweeping pattern with kinsuji. Tang: Greatly shortened, chestnut-shaped tip, cut file marks, one mekugi-ana (peg hole). The name "Buzen-go" is written in red on the reverse side. Honma Talks: Regarding Gō Yoshihiro, Dr Junji Honma describes him in detail in his book, "Masamune and His School" (1961) The following in parentheses is an translated excerpt from the same book: "To understand the style of Yoshihiro, or Go, one should first examine Inaba-Gō (or Tomita-Gō), Murakumo-Gō, and Matsui-Gō. After fully understanding the Gō style, one should finally examine Buzen-Gō. All existing works by this artist are greatly shortened swords; no reliable short swords have been found. Swords can be broad-bladed with extended tips (e.g., Tomita-Gō), of normal width and tip (e.g., Kuwana Go), slightly extended tip (e.g., Samidare Go), or somewhat slender e.g., (Collection of the Tokyo National Museum), these are all Iori-mune. The forging is of the same type as: tightly grained ko-itame (e.g., Inaba-Gō), mostly straight grained (e.g., Murakumo-Gō), and a mixture of itame and straight grain. There is ji-kei (pattern in the steel), but it is not as prominent as in Masamune or Norishige. All have good ji-nie (small crystals in the steel), and the coarse nie is not as noticeable as in Masamune or Norishige. The hamon (temper line) is mostly shallow and irregular, mainly small notare (e.g., Inaba-Gō), in which case the nioi (cloudy effect) is particularly deep and there is ko-nie, and sunagashi (sand-like patterns) are relatively few. Also, straight, undulating, and small irregular patterns (e.g., Murakumo-Gō) have particularly prominent nie (crystals), and some have frequent sunagashi (sand-like patterns), fraying, and uchinoke (striking patterns). Some have tight straight patterns with small nie, and some have ashi (legs) and ha (leaves) (e.g., Matsui-Gō). However, ashi and ha are present in all of the above types of hamon. Moreover, all types of hamon are deeply tempered, especially from the monouchi (striking point) to the boshi (tip), and some have a single boshi. The boshi is generally less elaborate than the activity below, and sōme are shallowly irregular. Many have a rounded shape, some with a pointed shape (Matsui-Gō), some with a flame-like shape, and some with a slight sweeping effect. The hamon (temper pattern) of Buzen-Gō swords is unusual, with a deep in-and-out pattern of gunome, notare, and choji (clove-shaped) patterns, and in places extending onto the shinogi-ji (ridge line). There are no carvings other than grooves, and while Inaba-Gō sword has grooves that slope downwards and deep, skillfully crafted bo-hi (straight grooves), generally, most do not have grooves." (Reference: Reprinted, quoted, and excerpted from the Encyclopedia of Japanese Swords) #72Buzen-Gō

I thought it may be worthwhile put up the offical list of currently missing Jūyō Bunkazai swords being searched for by the Japanese Government (in English) so that the non-Japanese sword community can easily reference and keep track of this list for the future. The Agency for Cultural Affairs has included some information on each of the missing swords on their website (you can see this by click on the missing sword's name). Most even include photos of the sword but unfortunately the images are tiny and they do not expand when you click on them... Still it means that the Agency appears to have the images so if we see anything that looks similar we can always write to them to seek clarification. It is worth noting that unless the sword has been brought to the attention of the Agency for Cultural Affairs the sword will not appear on this list, I mention this specifically referencing the missing 55 former National Treasure (国宝, Kokuhō) and Jūyō Bijutsuhin (重要美術品) blades that went missing post-WWII during the Allied Force occupation of Japan. You will see the Honjo Masamune and the Norshige owned by Ian Brooks appear on the list, this is because the Agency has opened a case for both missing swords and therefore they are tracking them. In the case of Ian Brooks' Norishige, whilst we as a community may be pretty convinced that the blade has been found, until the Agency can examine it themselves in Japan and confirm it to be the same blade, it remains in their opinion missing. It is also worth noting that Japan has a statute of limitation when it comes to missing/stolen property, that is, within Japan it is 2 years and internationally it is 10 years. As such, even if the blade is found, if it is outside the statutes of limitation then officially the sword belongs to whom ever possesses the sword. These "new" owners can therefore choose to give the sword back or they can approach the original owner or the Japanese Government to find out if they wish to purchase the sword back. I know it seems a little out there in terms of traditional western legal logic but that is the lay of the legal landscape in Japan. It is worth noting that of the 146 currently missing Cultural Properties 74 or more than 50% of these are swords and that does not include the majority of the 55 post-WWII blades. THE CURRENT OFFICIAL LIST OF 74 MISSING JŪYŌ BUNKAZAI SWORDS 1 Jūyō Bunkazai 1952 Tanto Kunimtisu Found 2 Jūyō Bunkazai 1952 Tanto Kunimitsu 3 Jūyō Bunkazai 1953 Tachi Bishu Osafune Hidemitsu / October, Oan 22 4 Jūyō Bunkazai 1938 Katana Mumei den Norishige 5 Jūyō Bunkazai 1942 Katana Kuniyasu Found 6 Jūyō Bunkazai 1941 Tachi Tamekiyo 7 Jūyō Bunkazai 1931 Tachi Moritsugu 8 Jūyō Bunkazai 1935 Tachi Rai Kunimitsu Found 9 Jūyō Bunkazai 1941 Tachi Aki Iri Nishi / October, Einin 5 10 Jūyō Bunkazai 1935 Tachi Ichi 11 Jūyō Bunkazai 1940 Tachi Unji 12 Jūyō Bunkazai 1941 Katana Mumei Attributed to Mitsutada / Korean Crane and Gold Inlay with Signature 13 Jūyō Bunkazai 1940 Tachi Nagamitsu 14 Jūyō Bunkazai 1952 Tanto Moritsugu, resident of Bitchu / August, Enbun 2 Found 15 Jūyō Bunkazai 1933 Tachi Nagamitsu 16 Jūyō Bunkazai 1934 Tachi Hisakuni 17 Jūyō Bunkazai 1916 Tachi Nobufusa 18 Jūyō Bunkazai 1952 Tachi Nagamitsu, resident of Osafune, Bizen / Auspicious day in February, Shoan 2 19 Jūyō Bunkazai 1953 Katana Mumei den Hasebe Kunishige 20 Jūyō Bunkazai 1956 Tachi Unji, resident of Bizen 21 Jūyō Bunkazai 1941 Tachi Ietada 22 Jūyō Bunkazai 1936 Tachi Mitsutada 23 Jūyō Bunkazai 1941 Katana Mumei den Kunitoshi 24 Jūyō Bunkazai 1953 Tachi Sukehige - Theft reported (1972) 25 Jūyō Bunkazai 1933 Tachi Yoshiie 26 Jūyō Bunkazai 1941 Tachi Kunimune, resident of Bishu Osafune 27 Jūyō Bunkazai 1952 Tachi Yoshiie 28 Jūyō Bunkazai 1955 Katana Mumei den Masamune - Theft reported (1982) 29 Jūyō Bunkazai 1939 Katana Mumei den Masamune (Meibutsu Honjo Masamune) 30 Jūyō Bunkazai 1955 Katana Kinzogan-mei Sukemitsu polished by Mitsunori 31 Jūyō Bunkazai 1937 Tachi Kuniyuki 32 Jūyō Bunkazai 1955 Tachi Bitchu-no-kuni-ju Tsuguyoshi / October Teiwa 2 33 Jūyō Bunkazai 1955 Tanto Rai Kunimitsu / Gentoku 2 34 Jūyō Bunkazai 1949 Tachi Sadayoshi 35 Jūyō Bunkazai 1955 Tanto Kashu-ju Masakage / Joji 6 36 Jūyō Bunkazai 1952 Tachi Mumei Mitsutada 37 Jūyō Bunkazai 1974 Tachi Mumei den Mitsutada Found 38 Jūyō Bunkazai 1953 Tanto Yasuyoshi 39 Jūyō Bunkazai 1939 Tachi Kunisuke 40 Jūyō Bunkazai 1952 Tachi Bitchu and below Found 41 Jūyō Bunkazai 1911 Tachi Mumei - Theft reported (1960) 42 Jūyō Bunkazai 1911 Tachi Tadayoshi - Theft reported (1960) 43 Jūyō Bunkazai 1922 Tachi Tōchin 44 Jūyō Bunkazai 1940 Tanto Noshige 45 Jūyō Bunkazai 1952 Wakizashi Hiromitsu, resident of Sagami / August, Enbun 5 46 Jūyō Bunkazai 1911 Tanto Front: Mishima Daimyojin Back: Fujiwara Tomoyuki, Teiji 3 - Theft reported (1948) 47 Jūyō Bunkazai 1935 Tachi Junkei 48 Jūyō Bunkazai 1958 Tachi Mitsutada 49 Jūyō Bunkazai 1956 Tachi Sukezane 50 Jūyō Bunkazai 1935 Tachi Mitsutada 51 Jūyō Bunkazai 1954 Katana Kinzogan-mei Motoshige / Hon’Ami Found 52 Jūyō Bunkazai 1953 Tachi Kaneuji 53 Jūyō Bunkazai 1953 Tanto Kagemitsu 54 Jūyō Bunkazai 1958 Tanto Kunimtisu / March Gen’o 2 55 Jūyō Bunkazai 1970 Sanko-Duka-Ken Made by Shigeyoshi Nyudo / January 7th Genko 2 by Ajari Yorinobu 56 Jūyō Bunkazai 1961 Katana Mumei Ichimonji 57 Jūyō Bunkazai 1926 Tachi Yasuyoshi 58 Jūyō Bunkazai 1927 Tachi Made by Moriyoshi / Shirasaki Hachiman Shrine, Boshu Found 59 Jūyō Bunkazai 1936 Tachi Mumei den Sukezane 60 Jūyō Bunkazai 1927 Tachi & Mounted with gold and mother-of-pearl inlaid scabbard, Nodachi style Gyōshin 61 Jūyō Bunkazai 1928 Katana February 1616, Yoshihito, Shinano no Kami Kunihiro/ Commissioned by Igamo Lord Yasutsuna 62 Jūyō Bunkazai 1956 Katana Kuninaga Found 63 Jūyō Bunkazai 1954 Katana Mumei Sadamune (Meibutsu Ikeda Sadamune) 64 Jūyō Bunkazai 1941 Tanto Kagemitsu, Bizen no Kuni Osafune ju / February, Genko 4 65 Jūyō Bunkazai 1925 Tachi Rai Kunimtisu 66 Jūyō Bunkazai 1925 Tachi Kunihiro, Kamakura Resident / February, Bunpo 2 67 Jūyō Bunkazai 1955 Wakizashi Namihei Ieyasu Found 68 Jūyō Bunkazai 1917 Uwazu Tachi Mumei 69 Jūyō Bunkazai 1931 Renzudachi Rai Kunitoshi / March 1st, Einin 5 70 Jūyō Bunkazai 1906 Peony Wakizashi Mumei 71 Jūyō Bunkazai 1909 Tachi Nagamitsu 72 Jūyō Bunkazai 1956 Katana Mumei Gō Yoshihiro (Meibutsu Buzen-Gō) 73 Jūyō Bunkazai 1919 Katana Shuuma no Kubi Ichihei Yasuyori Kōhaku 74 Jūyō Bunkazai 1918 Katana Mumei Norishige Found – Owned by Ian Brooks If you have any images or stories associated with any of the blades in this list, please preface the comment below with the # and name of the blade as it appears in this list, it would be good to have a little repository of images and information specific to these blades to help with tracking them down. Hopefully this little list will help with the quest to find these blades.

Just some information on the Fujiwara area of Nara. The place name still exists and it is located in front of Kasuga-taisha grand shrine. These smiths supplied arms for the warriors attached to the shrine. As Ray has provided, some of these smiths are from the Sue-Tegai School, some are Fujiwara School smiths and a few are pre-Kanabô smiths. The Kanabô School began in Fujiwara before moving to the Kanabô area of Nara.

Update: Yamanaka Newsletters V4 NL 08 - now available. Albert Yamanaka's Nihonto Newsletters Volume 1 Yamanaka V1 NL01 Yamanaka V1 NL02 Yamanaka V1 NL03 Yamanaka V1 NL04 Yamanaka V1 NL05 Yamanaka V1 NL06 Yamanaka V1 NL07 Yamanaka V1 NL08 Yamanaka V1 NL09 Yamanaka V1 NL10 Yamanaka V1 NL11 Yamanaka V1 NL12 Yamanaka V1 NL12 Extras Volume 2 Yamanaka V2 NL01 Yamanaka V2 NL02 Yamanaka V2 NL03 Yamanaka V2 NL04 Yamanaka V2 NL05 Yamanaka V2 NL06 Yamanaka V2 NL07 Yamanaka V2 NL08 Yamanaka V2 NL09 Yamanaka V2 NL10 Yamanaka V2 NL11 Yamanaka V2 NL12 Volume 3 Yamanaka V3 NL01 Yamanaka V3 NL02 Yamanaka V3 NL03 Yamanaka V3 NL04 Yamanaka V3 NL05 Yamanaka V3 NL06 Yamanaka V3 NL07 Yamanaka V3 NL08 Yamanaka V3 NL09 Yamanaka V3 NL10 Yamanaka V3 NL11 & NL12 Volume 4 Yamanaka V4 NL01 Yamanaka V4 NL02 Yamanaka V4 NL03 Yamanaka V4 NL04 Yamanaka V4 NL05 Yamanaka V4 NL06 Yamanaka V4 NL07 Yamanaka V4 NL08

Other side is 潜龍 "Hidden Dragon" 源義制 佩劔 Owned/Worn by MINAMOTO Yoshinori. Hidden Dragon would be the name given to the sword. I think Minamoto Yoshinori was a hatamoto in the Tokugawa Bakufu Government.

Beautiful work! One of my favorite works on this topic is by Omori Teruhide.

堅丸形 赤銅地 金平象嵌 無銘 加賀 年号に自信がないが昭和丁未年春 堅丸型＝katamarugata 赤銅地＝syakudouzi 金平象嵌＝kinhirazougan 無銘＝mumei　加賀＝kaga Maybe 昭和＝syouwa 丁未年＝hinotohituzi 春＝haru (1967) 私が知っているオカンさんなら、突然連絡が途絶えた時、心配しました

Here's one side: 備前長船秋水子祐直六十二歲作 = made by Bizen Osafune Shūsuishi Sukenao at the age of 62 文政十三年正月三日 = on the third day of the first month of Bunsei 13 (1830 CE) This is his entry in Markus Sesko's Swordsmiths of Japan:

I think it doesn’t really matter where an item is located. Museums often contain works of very different levels anyway, since many of them were assembled from donations from all over the world. Over the past couple of years I’ve become something of a Tosogu maniac - having read through half of the Tosogu forum and studied thousands of different works wherever possible) I find it almost like an addiction or an illness. For me it has become not just a hobby but a form of stress relief in any free moment. And the most pleasant thing is that there is still so much more ahead. As Colin already told you, only visual familiarity will eventually give you understanding - you will start to see the differences yourself. I also insist on studying and understanding the technical processes involved - many thanks to Ford Hallam. As for this particular piece, it is a really good Nara work, and compositionally I find it very appealing. However, when we talk about a master of the level of Sigiura Joi, the standards for the work are somewhat higher. Please understand me correctly - I simply do see differences in the carving, the inlay, and the signature, and in my opinion they are significant. To be honest, I’m a bit surprised by the reaction of many people, so let’s examine it in a bit more detail. As I like to say, everything is understood through comparison, so let’s take two works as a basis - pieces whose authenticity, I hope, does not raise any questions. First of all, all the elements are perfectly inlaid, the boundaries are crisp and carefully finished. Next, look at the treatment and polishing of all the fine elements - Joi truly managed to give them life. Just consider the frozen expression of Benten: the eyelids are perfectly polished and emphasize the smooth contours of the eyes with their inlaid pupils. As for the katakiribori carving - it is almost perfect. All the lines are straight, of ideal thickness, the edges are not collapsed, they have the same depth and are cut at the correct angle, which allows us to see the play of light so clearly - for example, in the hair of Benten’s hairstyle. Pay attention to the elegantly raised shoulder guards of Bishamonten - they truly have volume and a cloud-like feeling. Look at his helmet: all the details are carefully inlaid, and the surrounding surface is perfectly even. Consider the face for at least a minute—through different strokes and careful polishing the author managed to convey such a realistic appearance. The play of light from such polishing is visible even in these photos. And here is our recent mysterious friend In my opinion, one of the best portraits in Tosogu. Look at the palm and the fingers. The reed is inlaid so delicately that it seems to float in the air, this effect is achieved through additional cuts underneath that create a shadow effect - it's fantastic. (It’s a pity the reed is broken at the end, but we can clearly see the taper toward the tip) The forehead deserves special attention. The depth of the hair has been worked out, the hair of different lengths is directed at its own specific angle. Look at the ears of these characters - they are also carefully worked and polished. Also pay attention to all the small katakiribori elements: they are confidently carved, even with the same carving rhythm (those very eyelashes), again to properly convey the play of light. The signatures on those works are also carved with a confident hand, whereas in this example that feeling is absent - especially in the seal. I once held an authentic Joi kozuka with papers in hand, it was a work of similar quality to the examples above. I hope this helps a little with understanding. However, the most amusing thing is that in the end we may never know the truth - we are left only to guess and discuss Best regards! Viktor

Dear SR. (Can we have a name to address you by please?) The seller may be uninformed or something worse. This was never near the hand of Kawachi no Kami Kunisuke. It seems to be the result of a crude attempt to forge the signature. Genuine signatures are neat and precise for this smith. If the blade were ever a Japanese sword it is now ruined beyond redemption. The shinogi line is gone, the kissaki might have been broken and reshaped but there is nothing here to study or learn from. Don't buiy it, save your money and your sanity. More detail available if you would like. All the best.

I Propose for sale my Gassan Collection of swords ( 5). - 2 Gassan Sadakazu’horimono - 1 Gassan Sadatoshi’ horimono - 1 Gassan Sadaichi ‘ horimono - 1 Gassan Sadanobu’horimono They were collected thanks to the late Darcy Brockbank. Please ask if you are interested in. regards julien

FYI, another Fujiwara ju Yasumitsu Yahoo!オークション - 珍品 藤原住安光 指表に素剣彫り指裏に添樋の入...

About a year ago I bought a bronze oil pot for an Edo period Japanese andon lamp. A fine-looking thing, but as is often the case, it had lost its lid. Rather slim in silhouette, it needed a small lid. Round and round the antiques fairs I went, rejecting most but buying occasionally, only to be disappointed once more by the lack of a proper material or age match. Months passed. One dealer who has several weathered antique lids on a string handed me a nice one yesterday that he had been saving for me. “Cut this down to the correct size, using an angle grinder.” “Tin snips?” I ventured. “Definitely not. Grind it down to size!” Gulp. Never really been happy working metals. A delicate thing with definite age. What if I ruin the old lid? Still, lonely hearts club, etc., so a potential new life for the pot I reckoned, and got to work shrinking the thing. Hand files and sanding papers though. Getting close to the right size? About 6.7 cm across… Hmmm… .

I was told that JOI was/is very famous for fine work on faces. I bought this KASHIRA as "JOI school/workshop" piece. It is not signed, but good work in my eyes. Although rather flat in design (not at all MARU BORI), placing the face on the edge of the KASHIRA gives it more 3D dimension. 34,4 mm long

General grade saber arrived today. Excited to round out my collection of these. The general grade saber is very standard, not sharp, no mon, but it has that SA stamp, and some other unusual markings around where the blade enters the guard. From left to right: General Grade Dress Sword. Field Grade with straight imported blade. Company Grade with sharpened blade. Best, -Sam

Takeuchi (竹内) is a Japanese surname. Although the name literally means “inside bamboo,” here it is simply used as a family name. 軍刀報國第四一五號 竹內第二號 Military Sword for the Nation No. 415, Takeuchi No. 2 may indicate that this is the 415th case in the ‘Military Sword for the Nation’ movement and the second sword donated by the Takeuchi sword shop?

The “Military Sword for the Nation” Movement (Japanese: 軍刀報国 / Guntō Hōkoku) was a wartime mobilization campaign in Japan during the late 1930s and early 1940s. It encouraged civilians, organizations, and local communities to donate money or materials to produce military swords or sale the blade to army for officers use.

Dreadful fake:

Perhaps 植田兼忠 - Ueda Kanetada. Best regards, Ray

One correction 竪丸形 Tatemarugata Nengō is correct. Edit 型→形 (had to correct my own correction)

Hi Bob, as the length (= NAGASA) is 51,2 cm, it is a WAKIZASHI. The OVERALL length remains 66 cm. Although not 'really' old (= SHIN SHINTÔ), it looks like a nice piece which should be competently restored.

A BILLHOOK!!! How very fitting your 'traditional tool' should appear on NMB. As I'm sure many of you know, the billhook has a long career as a weapon. BaZZa.

Here's a teaser. I wanted to mimic the "feeling" of the design without copying it. The corner braces in their raw form. I will patinate them black to match the old iron. The flowers were stamped in with one of my leather leaf tools (the wife's idea. She thought they looked plain otherwise). John C.

Getting there. I'm about a week or two from finishing a suzuribako tansu. Started with just the door with all the ornate metal work, locking mechanism, hinges, etc. Long process due to making all of the supporting hardware from scratch (sheet copper), unfortunately without a full workshop, and trying to mimic the grain and color of the wood. I'll post pics when finished. John C.

Having a particular fondness for brass-inlaid tsuba, I eventually added several pieces from the Washida school of fittings makers to my collection. This sparked my interest in learning more about the school and its production. Over time I gathered a fair amount of information and eventually decided to compile it into a single document, which you can find in the download section of the board: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/files/file/210-the-shōnai-washida-school/ I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed putting it together. As I mentioned, given my particular weakness for brass inlay, the document is somewhat biased toward the work of Washida Mitsunaka! Just as an example of the Washida production here are the pieces from this school (or supposed to be from this school) in my collection: NBTHK Hozon to Washida. Dimensions 85.4 mm x 85.3 mm, thickness 3.9 at seppa dai, 4.2 at mimi. NBTHK Hozon to Washida. Dimensions 85.3mm x 79.2 mm, thickness 3.6 at seppa dai, 4.0 at mimi. Identical to tsuba attributed by NBTHK to Washida. Dimensions 87.2 mm x 82.2 mm, thickness 3.7 at seppa dai, 4.0 at mimi. Signed in kinzogan mei Kyozan Mitsunaka with Kao. Dimensions 87.2 mm x 77.6 mm, thickness 2.6 at seppa dai, 4.2 at mimi. Dimensions 83.5 mm x 78.6 mm, thickness 3.0 at seppa dai, 4.1 at mimi. Dimensions: 96.9 mm x 13.9 mm, thickness 4.7 mm. REgards Luca

I usually collect all the information on a school that I am interested in and at a certain point I feel the the need to put all toghter in a coherent form. From that to sharing it is a just a small step. Regards Luca

Looking at the mei I would think this would be from quite unknown group of makers who resided in Fujiwara area in Yamato. By extremely unlikely timing coincidence you should take a look on this thread that was started yesterday:

Many of the factory workers were high school girls. In fact, they would have lessons (and a teacher) at the factory for a limited amount of instruction or would work in the factory after school. The balloon bombs sent over the Jet Stream to Canada and the US were all sewn by high school girls as well. John C.

I couldn’t find anyone by the name of Ueda Kanetada（植田兼忠）, but I did discover a swordsmith who signed his blades with the name ‘Kanetada’.（兼忠） Keiichi Ishihara（石原銈一）It seems he was active in 1939. I was able to confirm the signature ‘Ishihara Kanetada’, but I could not confirm the signature ‘Ueda Kanetada’.

I have a Fujiwara jû Yasutomo oshigata and the signatures are very similar, although the nakago-jiri are different. This is certainly a Yamato Fujiwara smith that is unlisted in the Meikan.

Appears to be Fujiwara ju Yasumitsu. Fujiwara as a place rather than a clan is unusual to see, but you can see other examples searching in Sesko

Hi folks, Mark Jones and I have, for years, sold tsuba and kodogu that we acquired from Skip Holbrook as he whittled down his large collection to something more manageable. After his recent passing, we were contacted by his family and we have purchased a large portion of the pieces he left behind. Today I have listed the first (Kyo Sukashi tsuba, see below) of what will eventually be near 100 tsuba and other kodogu; my plan is to keep at it till all are listed. Many of the pieces are quite fine and with papers but many are within reach for a beginning collector. You will find them at the top of my Tsuba and Kodogu section: https://japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/item-category/tsuba-kodogu/ All will have a number that starts with an H. Much, much more to come. If anything is of interest, please contact me by email through my site, not by personal message here; I need your emails to keep track of business. Thank you, Grey

Hello, everyone, I would like to share one more fuchi-kashira depicting an eagle capturing a monkey, attributed to Risshū. I find the composition quite dynamic, especially the interaction between the eagle and the struggling monkey. One small detail that caught my attention is the treatment of the monkey’s head, where the hair seems to be rendered with irregular strokes, giving it a rather wild and lively appearance. I have also read that this motif has sometimes been interpreted as symbolizing authority or dominance, perhaps reflecting ideals associated with the warrior class, though I would be very interested to hear other views on the meaning of the scene. Any thoughts on the workmanship or comparable examples would be greatly appreciated. Liang

Center) Director of the Japanese Sword Forging Association, Naval Captain Kurata (left) Advisor, Dr. Kudo, Director of the Anki Steel Works.

Two examples in my collection. There may be a relationship between Gosan no Kiri and officers in the Imperial Guard divisions.

Bob, this is not a KEN but a sword with (rare) KOGARASUMARU shape ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kogarasu_Maru ). On the photos, I cannot see the KISSAKI ( = tip) very well. The blade length is not the overall length but it is measured from the notch above the NAKAGO ( = tang) to the tip. The SORI is probably more than just 7 mm, guessing just after the photo. ( https://japaneseswordindex.com/measure.htm ) Unfortunately, I cannot help with the text on the NAKAGO. It does not look like typical MEI. Is there something written/chiseled on the other side as well?

Dave, The kiri in this case is a kamon, or family crest. There have been a few posted at NMB over the years. Here is one for example: Concerning the knot, Dawson, page 432, calls it a "standard naval sword knot used from 1883 (possibly earlier) until 1945". Like the brown naval tassel, I believe he is saying that they were both for all ranks. Page 422 has a photo of an admiral with this standard knot on his sword. So, navy for sure, but rank not knowable.

Hello, some news about this set, as I am in Japan, ans in same city as the seller, we met. The set is carved from thick shakudo, relief carving is not takazogan as I first thought, and its not thin material work like menuki, the gold is solid, some wire used for the leaves and two different gold color for the flowers, every relief is carved from solid shakudo base. The set is quite heavy, even not very thick. The ground finish is ishimeji

Beyond the netsuke angle, this makes me sad to hear. In my experience individuals tend to get along together well, but when politics become involved ... I will say no more.

Well, you asked for it: On Sunday on a local flee-market, I bought a traditional tool that I will restore (very lightly as it is in good shape and as museum piece, I don't want it to look like new) in the next few days. It has a very solid hand-forged blade of 210 mm length and a max. spine thickness of 8 mm. Similar tools have been used in many cultures world-wide, called "billhook" in the English-speaking parts of the world. In my region, it was traditionally used for forest and agricultural work.

I believe the mei is Yamashiro (no) Suke Moritake (山城介盛武), and the date is 慶應三年八月日 (a day in the 8th month of 1857 - Keiō 3). Best regards, Ray

Here is a bullet hole, in a narigawa kabuto

Hi @Ben A Harris, @vajo, @John C and @Bruce Pennington I have relocated this thread to the NIHONTO section. Ben, I did this because it seems that your blade is not machine made. It appears older, and maybe interesting. Sometimes older blades were put into WW2 fittings to be carried during the war. Now that we're in this section, you will be asked to provide more detailed photos (if willing). You will want to remove all the fittings, including habaki, and focus on the blade. Use my photo below for some guidance. Please understand that it's very challenging to get blade details photographed, so it will not be an easy task. I recommend looking around the forum, and getting an idea of what some good photos look like. Looking forward to seeing more of your sword, if you choose to share with us. All the best, -Sam

Jacques, everyone is at a different stage of learning, everyone learns differently, and everyone has their own expectations for their goals. After all, you weren't born an expert. Personally, I can only express my opinion from my own perspective. And even that opinion was different 15 years ago and might be different in 15 years – if I'm still alive then. Personally, I currently only buy literature that mentions Oshigata, if at all. The NBTHK publications accompanying museum exhibitions often contain both: excellent photographs and Oshigata. And that's a good thing. The NBTHK's Shijo Kantei, for example, is also interesting. In recent years, blades with different Oshigata designations have appeared there, even with slight differences in the description and sometimes even minimal variations in dimensions. The differences in the description and Oshigata of the same blade are due to the author's perspective. Or, to put it more clearly: Someone who has studied a particular smith or their school over a long period will depict the oshigata of a specific blade differently than someone who has had little to no contact with that smith. The former will emphasize the swordsmith's character more strongly, while the latter will approach the oshigata more technically. I would argue that the situation of a professional oshigata artist is not unlike that of a first-class polisher. They must decide how best to express the essence of a particular swordsmith's work. Some elements can be highlighted and emphasized, while others are better kept subtle. A good oshigata offers the student significant advantages, as it allows them to focus more easily on specific details than when studying an actual blade, where many factors come into play—such as polishing, lighting, and even their own ability to concentrate, which is not always consistent. With an oshigata , a large portion of the information is naturally filtered out—information that, when studying a real blade, more or less consciously floods the viewer. This can quickly overwhelm beginners. Over time, one learns to temporarily block out certain things and retrieve them when needed. This requires a lot of practice and good eye training. Finally, I can't help but chuckle when I read Jussi's comment about viewing blades in a museum. You can immediately tell who's a "regular" and who's a sword-fighting student. And it's not unusual to be surprised to see someone performing the "sword viewing dance" in front of the display case—someone you wouldn't have expected at all.

Thanks Bruce and everyone who contributed knowledge to help me learn about this blade.🙏🏻 Nothing but respect.

I was just at Yuji’s shop in Nagoya visiting with him a few weeks ago. He’s doing great, no problems. Really great person and really into what he does. If anyone is not aware, what he posts on the website is like a fraction of what he carries in store. His store is stocked to the gills with treasures. It’s just him that posts things to his website so he doesn’t post that much. If you want to know more than what he shows on the website, just ask. He brought out his prized signed “-“ Ichimonji tachi for us to view while I was there and it’s a beauty. Apparently not for sale though 😂. Anyway he facilitated the polish of a sword for me that we are submitting for Juyo shinsa this year, polished by Sugihara Hiroshi.

Dear Jake, This old man should be Taigong Jiang(姜太公). Jiang Ziya is a figure from Chinese mythology. There is a well-known saying about him: “Jiang Taigong fishes — those who are willing will take the bait.”