Yoshii

Hi wayne, did you get this blade already? I'm curious how the state of the blade was when you get it, because in the pics there wa not much to see. Are you having it mount? Hoping you have done a good buy. Greetings Yoshii JMB

Hi Stephen, why do you think it isTadaaki from Inaba kuni? Hawley does not mention he works also in Hizen kuni. with regards, Yoshii

Hi everyone, So here is another question. recently i did buy a shinogi zukuri wakizashi, it is signed Hizen kuni junin Tadaaki saku kore. I could not find anything about him. So i would be pleased if anyone could give me some information on him. The sword is 54 cm in length, it has itame hada, nioi deki ko notare, the yasurime are katte sagari and it has a ha agari kuri jiri. I think it is made in the late Muromachi of the early Momoyama period Awating your anwsers, Yoshii

Hi everyone, so now i'm trying to get some information on teh smith who made this wakizashi. It is signed on one side Echizen ju and on the other side Iwami no Kami Fujiwara Nobuyori. I think it is the Nobuyori who is working around the Kanbun period (1661 - 1673) see Hawley nob 571 and in the Nihon to Nyumon page 200 and 290 He was working together with nidai Shigetaka (shi 506) So please correct me if i'm wrong. Does anyone has any further information on this smith? Thanks anyway, Yoshii

Hi Tharris, although i'm very new on this forum, i'm already 25 years in collecting and studiing swords. The name Sukenaga suggest it is a sword of the Yokoyama school. The name Toshimitsu was first used by Sukesada V, who was active during 1745 - 1771. There are also two swordsmiths who are related to the school. Tos 185, active around 1966, and Tos 187, active around 1954. So perhaps the reading means made by Toshimitsu in the style of Sukenaga, you should look for resemblence tothe style of the school on your sword. Tos 185 used itame hada and a o choji hamon. greetings Yoshii

Hi Darren, I have just today see your message. As far as my knowledge reach is say it reads Noshu ju Kaneyoshi an dated Keian san nen, 1650, the second kanji of the date is not clear so it could also be Keio san nen, 1867, but looking into the sword and at the hamon it lloks to me to be Keian, the hamon suggest it is made by a smith of the Mino Seki Kanemoto school. It is a typical example of the sanbonsugi hamon of this school. Being very regular it must be of a later period of this school which started about 1530. Hoping this will help you. greetings Yoshii

Hi Mark, To me it looks like the hamon is suguha based and mixed with gunome, very regular. Most time it is difficult to say exactly what the hamon is. Next time you give the measurements of a sword could you give it the Japanese way? I mean shaku, sun bu and rin. I hope you enjoy your sword. Jos Bonsel

I'm sorry to say so, but it looks to me to be a fake mei. judging it to te stroke depth it is put on the nakago by someone who does know the kanji but doesn't know how it realy must be done greetings Yoshii

Hi Peter, So far as i can see teh period your sword was made in is Kanbun Shinto, not the 1650's but 1661 - 1673. I don't know which smith it is but perhaps you could look into hawley.