Shugyosha

Hi Marius, I think we can take this up a level - how about you think of a sword and I have to guess what you're thinking? Best, John

Sorry other John, my bid was for the one working after Kanbun - Markus Sessko lists him as being first generation. The one thing I am confident of is that this is a shinto blade...

Here you go:

Hi John, I wasn't certain, but I've now had a double-check in Sessko and found: MORITATSU (盛龍・盛竜) → KOREYOSHI (惟義), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Kumamoto KOREYOSHI (惟義), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Kumamoto – “Koreyoshi” (惟義), “Higo Kikuchi-jū Koreyoshi Minamigawa-satetsu o motte kore o kitae” (肥後菊池住惟義以南川砂鉄 鍛之, “forged by Koreyoshi from Higo´s Kikuchi by using satetsu from the Minamigawa”), real name Ōtsuka Koreyoshi (大塚惟義), born December 24th 1916, he studied during World War II under Kongōbei Moritaka Yasuhiro (金剛兵衛 盛高靖博) and worked then as rikugun-jumei-tōshō, he had signed in his earlier years with Moritatsu (盛竜).

Hi Simon, I think it's Tatsu 龍. Best, John

It’ll take far less than togariba to fool me!!

Hi Matthew, Length is also a significant factor in dating a tanto - if you are able to measure the cutting edge that might give an idea. I'm trying to remember where I saw a chart of the various tanto shapes/ lengths related to era and set out for comparison...might have been on here...?? Best, John

I'll take a put at the first generation Kashu Kiyomitsu.

Something seems off about the sugata to me. It seems too slender and the point too small by comparison to other Hasebe work. Here's a link to a tanto that Darcy had by Kunishige which also has a picture of Hasebe Heshikiri for comparason of the sugata: http://www.nihonto.ca/hasebe-kunishige-2/index.html Also here's another Hasebe blade that Darcy had for sale: http://www.nihonto.ca/index.html But that said, it is a small sample so it might not tell the full story.

大和手掻包永の末文珠九郎三郎子 Yamato Tegai Kanenaga no tsue Monju Kurozaburo Ko. I think that this is a reference to being a descendant of Tegai Kanenaga and gives his real name - Monju Kurozaburo.

Ray beat me to it but I'll post anyway: The origami reads "one katana, mumei, Monju (文珠). The saya gaki is more specific: 南紀文珠重国 (Nanki Monju Shigekuni) Kanbun Goro (寛文頃) - around Kanbun. Best, John

Sorry - you're absolutely correct - that's me automatically associating mizukage with saiha. The Shimada school isn't one I really know anything about. I've had a look at some examples and I think the hada and jinie would certainly support your kantei. Thanks again for posting - I've learned something from that. Best, John

Me neither - I would have given it to Shinto and probably will if I see it again.

Hi Luis, In England we have a saying that "rules are for the guidance of the wise and for the governance of fools". I'm not suggesting that you are a fool (whereas in Nihonto terms I certainly am) but learning the rules is only the beginning... Best, John

Hi Gwyn, Were you able to move your pickle jar tsuba? Best, John

Hi Manuel, Sorry about that but I've always wanted to use that emoticon. Thanks for posting - it's an interesting blade. My initial thoughts from the sugata, tang shape and patina would be Keicho shinto. Looking at the hada tatsu and nagare hada and the hamon, I'd suggest there's a pointer towards Mino, but I don't know quite where to put all that nie utsuri - I haven't got time to have a trawl through the books to nail that down. I don't think that you are seeing mizukage - I just think it's the nie of the utsuri dipping down and meeting the hamon. I say no mizukage because I don't think the blade is suriage - see Darcy's post No. 15 here: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/15057-mizukage-retempered-blade-flaw-or-utsuri/ I hope that isn't too wildly out of line and I'll be interested to hear your views and those of the other NMB'ers. Kind regards, John

I think your reading is correct, but I can't see enough of the last kanji to help out further. Best, John

Dave, That's a great story. Congratulations on the hard work paying off.

Jean, Are you looking at katana #713, Osafune Sukemune? Otherwise, I totally agree - if I was looking to spend this kind of money, I'd be looking somewhere else. Best, John

I'm sure that this sword has been on here previously. I can't remember what the answer (if any) was though...

Hi Dan, The annotation normally used by the NBTHK where there is a mei that cannot be accurately read is 不明 - fu mei - meaning unclear. I think that the origami reads mu mei instead suggests that the shinsa panel felt there was nothing there by way of signature. It's a lovely blade by the way. Best, John

Hi Marco, Unfortunately we are looking at two different things so it's not an easy comparison, but I'll take a punt - sorry if this is a bit "stream of consciousness": Kaga Mitsu Kuni - This blade comes is signed (a plus point) with Tokubetsu Hozon papers (even better) and so as a stand alone item should be regarded as being of better quality than the Kunitsugu blade which is not capable of achieving higher papers being an unsigned edo period blade. Should you wish to sell it on these factors will enhance its attraction. It is well priced for a Tokuho blade and almost 50% cheaper than the Kunitsugu but on the down side, Kaga blades aren't thought of as overly sexy (but neither are unsigned shinto wakizashi, so it's still winning on this point). There is nothing on the papers to indicate that this is the first generation Mitsukuni (it simply says shinto) and both first and second generations of this smith worked pre-Kanbun though the second generation is closer as the first died in 1644. Aoi may be out with their assessment of the generation - I'm not sure if the first generation smith has any greater merit in terms of ranking than the others. There are no obvious forging flaws in this blade (again a plus in comparison) but there is an odd mark at about the level where the forward edge of the habaki would sit and so something may have got under the habaki and caused the discolouration. It's more prominent in the picture on the origami but that may just be caused by the differing lights/ methods of picture taking and shouldn't be anything significant given the level of papers achieved but I'd be tempted to inquire further. The hamon reaching up to the shinogi makes it look a bit bling for my taste (I like a balance between hamon and hada) but there are some nice activities in the hamon which will probably be more evident in hand as the scanned picture tends to deaden the detail. Yamashiro kunitsugu - The positives for this sword are that it is mounted with quite an attractive koshirae and that it, on the face of it, has a cutting test. Cutting tests normally sell swords which makes it surprising that this sword hasn't sold sooner as it went through Aoi's auction and has now been moved into their inventory - this rings alarm bells. For me, I would have concerns about the cutting test inscription. If it is genuine (and I believe that most tameshi mei need to be viewed in a skeptical light) it looks like a dog's breakfast because someone has done an awful job of trying to apply or reapply gold colour. Also the wording is odd. Why would a criminal at a testing ground in Edo Japan be wearing a quiver? Why would a sword tester throw one onto the mound to cut if he already had two bodies? Not convincing for me. So my money is on someone having added this inscription to sex-up an otherwise indifferent sword. I know that the tameshi mei is recorded on the origami but I'm not sure of the status of tameshi mei i.e. if a sword has a genuine signature or is a genuine sword, will it be denied papers due to a dodgy test inscription? I would guess that all of these things will enter the head of a would-be buyer when you come to move it on so it may be a hard sell. Leaving this apart, from the photographs there is not very much to look at in terms of activity (there is more in the other blade) and there are some ware which are also detractors. I can appreciate that you may want either of these swords to form part of a collection but, individually, they aren't that exciting. Meh. If you are only looking for a sword, for the price of the cutting test wakizashi, you can buy a full length Hizen katana from Raymond Singer at the moment: it's beautifully mounted, has an opinion from a well known Hizento expert as to the smith (one of the best smiths of the shinto era) and was probably a custom blade as it is still 70cm long despite being suriage. Please buy it before I do. Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy what you get. Best, John

I've just ordered a copy - matchlocks are something I know nothing about so I'm looking forward to a good read.

Is anyone familiar with these auctions? Not something I had heard of until I stumbled across this whilst looking for something else: https://issuu.com/kogire-kai/docs/91th_catalog_0102is It looks like a number of the catalogues are available on line and they look like they could be a real mine of information across the spectrum of Japanese arts.