Grey Doffin

Paul, The mei reads, "Kanemichi Saku". I haven't done any research on the mei so I can't say anything about which Kanemichi it may be or even if the signature is right or fake. One thing you should know is that the paper shown in the photos isn't evidence of authenticity. It is the Japanese government issued registration paper. It tells us only that the sword is Nihonto and that it has been registered with the government. Grey

Low 2K for the blade in polish, with paper and koshirae seems fair. Jumyo isn't the most valuable attribution but, hey, you get what you pay for. One way to look at it is, you're paying for the polish, shira-saya, and paper; the blade and koshirae are free. Another way to look at it is to ask yourself how much the kizu will bother you. If you can own this, thinking that it's man made and thus not perfect and a nice thing despite the kizu and you can appreciate it for what's good then all will be fine. If, every time you look at it you'll be saying, "I wish I'd bought something better", then it may not make sense. Yet another way to look at it is to ask yourself what's the purpose of owning it. If purely to have and enjoy, then all's well. If you plan to use it for eventual resale so you can move up to better stuff, then maybe not. It likely won't ever be worth much more than it is now, because of the kizu. Hope this helps. Grey

Me too. Can you tell us more about the sword? What is the length? What is the attribution on the paper? How is it mounted? Grey

With the exception of the one on the mune (which I would consider minor) I would expect the rest of these ware to lower the value of the sword. How much lowering is hard to say without knowing more about the sword. If it's being sold as the work of an important smith then the kizu really matter; not so much if the sword is "just a sword" and priced accordingly. Early Koto blades retain more of their value with kizu than would a Shinto or Shin-shinto blade. In any case, this is a lot of trouble for one sword. Grey

I wouldn't say the blade is tired because of that spot; it could be just an area of different grain. If it were a sign of tiredness it would be darker material without a grain inside. Grey

Not early Shinto; most likely WWII era. You see a lot of this type of knife, often with unusual shape, almost always about 6" nagasa, and always with a short, ugly, artificially colored nakago. They were made, possibly during the war, for what use I don't know (they're often called Kamikaze dirks on ebay). Or, equally if not more likely, they were made right after the war to sell or trade to the occupying forces. In any case, they're never very interesting; just stuff. Any one have a different take? Grey

About the sori: Kanbun Shinto swords have a very shallow curvature; they aren't straight but not far off. This is what is to be expected on a Hisamichi. I can think of 3 possible explanations for your sword's atypical curvature. 1. Hisamichi, for whatever reason, decided to make it this way. 2. The blade actually dates from a different period and a false signature was added, either as an attribution or forgery. 3. The sword is retempered. Fires happened frequently in Japanese history. If a sword were caught in a fire it would lose it's hamon. The sword could then be tempered again, either to make it into a usable weapon or to sell to the unsuspecting. One of the signs of retempering is an exaggerated sori. Option 1 is OK; 2 & 3 are not. Before you commit to the price of restoration you need to know more. Someone who can make the call has to see the sword in hand. Grey

Often, when looking at a sword, it appears as if there is a gap in the hamon. Usually, by turning the blade relative to the light source, you can see the missing temper. This is normal and not a problem. If there is an actual gap in the hamon, nioi guchi, that is a serious problem. Except on a very old sword, it would be considered a fatal flaw. Grey

1st Hisamichi worked in Kanbun (1661) and later generations weren't far behind. Isn't the sori on this blade awful strong for Kanbun Shinto (isn't the curvature exaggerated for a time period that produced mainly nearly straight blades)? Any thoughts? Grey

There are 2 different sets of Hawleys. The one that just sold on ebay is the earlier. It includes far fewer smiths but has a bunch of extras and is sized nicely to travel with. The other is newer, has all the smiths listed, and is much larger and heavier. If you're looking for the earlier, smaller set, get back to me by PM; I have a set I'd part with. Grey

The mei reads, "Noshu Ju Kanemitsu" and there is no question in my mind about the authenticity. You have a real Japanese sword. Grey

Hit him with a non-paying buyer; then it's his problem. If I understand the new rules, he can't give you negative feedback if he is shown to be a non-payer. Relist and say it is being relisted because of a non-payer who never saw the sword. Grey

Is the sword signed? If it is Shin-Shinto and unsigned then the smith didn't think it was a good sword and you have your answer. Grey

Brian, Thank you for offering to write the article. I agree; it will be great in the JSS/US "Newsletter". If you'd like help with editing, let me know. Grey

There's more to the question of whether or not to have the sword polished than just cost and value; you need to consider the sword. Japanese swords are made of different qualities of steel. The highest quality is the outer surface, the skin. Every time the sword is polished some of the skin is lost to the stones. After a certain number of polishes the skin is gone, the core shows through, and a great deal of the sword's artistic merit (and value) is lost. A properly done polish on a Japanese sword is a very fragile thing; it is easily damaged. Fingerprints, scratches, even chips and broken tips happen all too often. If you are going to have this sword polished you should learn how to properly handle and care for the polished sword, and make sure that everyone who will have access (your heirs?) does the same. No offense meant by the lecture; I'm sure you plan to take proper care. Just making sure you know what you're getting into. Like I said earlier in this thread, a polish isn't necessary to preserve the sword. Grey

Bob, A polish isn't necessary to preserve the sword; a very light coat of Japanese sword clove oil, or fine machine oil on the blade, except for the dark tang, is all that's necessary. I would recommend you learn more before you have a polish done; polishes are easily scratched and beginners often scratch polishes. Look for a Japanese sword care and etiquette page online. There should be one in the links at NMB home page, or google NBTHK American Branch and find the one on their website. Learn how to properly care for and handle your sword. Value: hard to say from just a few pictures but maybe $2,000. wouldn't be too far off the truth. This, of course, presupposes that there are no serious flaws on your blade, something we don't know for a fact yet. Hope this helps. Grey

You guys are missing the boat entirely on this one! You know the little ear wax spoon on the top of kogai? They were for the genteel Samurai in the city. The real, blood & guts Samurai in the country didn't have time for any such foppery; they used a serious ear wax cleaner. I forget the Japanese word for these implements; maybe one of you can supply that. In any case, this is the real deal in Samurai ear conditioning, with the added time saving advantage of being able to clean both ears at the same time. Grey

The latest translation effort of the JSS/US is now available for purchase. Kyomono no Ko-Meisaku: The Early Famed Works of the Kyoto Smiths, is 8 1/4 x 10 3/4", soft perfect bound, 100# gloss stock, and 142 pages. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3069 is a link to another thread on NMB that more thoroughly describes the book. Price is $65 plus postage for JSS/US members and $75 plus postage for non-members. Non-members should join the Society, save themselves $10, and help us publish our next book. Postage is $5 in the US and $10 everywhere else. The book can be ordered from Harry Watson, PO Box 630, Cisco TX, 76437, USA or with a credit card by email: afu@afuresearch.com If you send a check please make sure it is in US$ and made out to Harry Watson. I think this is a very good book but I'm biased, having spent so much time in editing it. A bunch of you picked up copies at the show in Chicago. What do you think? Grey

James, According to my 2 Kanji dictionaries that isn't a proper Kanji; must be sloppy handwriting. Teru, as has been suggested already, is as close as I can find. Wonder if I'm part of the evil clique. Grey

Correct,the disclaimer was not on the sale page when the sword was listed. What's more, I told Mr. Chaffee when he bought it that Bob Benson had put in a window and that the blade has no temper, not partial temper here and there that might be fixed by a polisher, but NO temper. You can see the edge of the window in the shinogi-ji in one of the pictures on the sale. Sorry, but I don't think I owe an apology. Grey

The seller is Christian Chaffee. When I sold him this sword at the Chicago show last weekend it didn't have a hamon (it had been in a fire and had never been retempered). I told him about the problem when I sold it to him. He seems to have forgotten to mention it. Grey

For the past few months I've been working to get a new book in English out to all of you. Just had a call from the printer; the books will be ready early next week, in time for me to drive them to the show in Chicago. We can't take mail orders yet; I have to ship some to Harry Watson and set a price for postage first. But in case some of you want a copy and know someone who will be at the show and can get you one, here's what we have. Kyomono no Ko-Meisaku: The Early Famed Works of the Kyoto Smiths, by Yoshikawa Koen and the NTHK. First published in Japanese in 1980 in conjunction with an NTHK Annual Convention, translated by Gordon Robson, and published in English by the JSS/US. Paper perfect bound, 8 1/2 x 11", 142 pages on 100# gloss stock. This is a very useful book; also great fun to look at and drool over. I can highly recommend it to you. The first 33 blades are important pieces from the Yamashiro tradition in Koto: Kiku Gyosaku, Awataguchi, Rai, Sanjo, Ayanokoji, and more, Imperial collection and National Treasure, really amazing pieces and ones that hadn't been published before. There follows 5 high end Kinko kodogu, and the last half of the book is 40 blades from the Osaka Kobe branch members display (Kiyomaro, Kotetsu, Naokatsu, etc). All of the swords are extensively described and discussed, with excellent oshigata, and the kodogu is presented in color. The cost will be $65 for members of the JSS/US and $75 for non-members. You can join at the show and get the member price. Once mail order becomes possible (mid April maybe) I'll post here to let you know. Come say hello if you're at the show. Take care, Grey

I don't think it needs to be polished.... It's retempered, gimei, or both. I learned this one the hard way, at the NBTHK in Tokyo. Grey

Unless the blade, once in hand and not judging by photos only, shows promise, there is no logical reason to spend more money on it. If I were in your friend's place, I would put it back on ebay and use the proceeds towards purchasing something better. Grey

And I can vouch for Mark; he'll treat you fairly. Grey