Grey Doffin

Hi Chris, Seki Mifuku Masayuki Saku, I believe. Grey

Steve, can I ask you where you found this information? I'm puzzling over this soemei with a friend who can read Japanese and he couldn't find reference to Tadatsuna's family name in his references. Thanks, Grey

Thank you Steve; now I understand. Grey

Interesting and thanks all. I found this on wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azai_clan and this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azai_Nagamasa Which leads to a question: if the Azai were obliterated by Nobunaga in the 16th century, can we assume Tadatsuna, who worked in the 17th century, was making the sword for a descendant who had no official position or did the remnants of the clan make a come back and reestablish importance? Grey

Hi Bruce, Unfortunately, Mr. Plimpton is not available for correspondence. I'm sure that when he acquired this sword he went with the information of the time and called it what he called it. Nothing more to add. Grey

Yes Bruce, a word for word quote. Grey

Hi guys, I, along with Mark Jones, Matt Jarrell, and Eric Molinier, purchased the Plimpton collection and have been selling it. This sword was in the collection but it wasn't sold on ebay by any of the 4 of us; it was sold some time back to a different sword dealer and he has placed it on ebay. We want all of you to know that when we are the sellers we will be honest in our descriptions and we will stand behind them. I think the sword's buyer should contact the seller and ask to return it. Although I am not responsible for this sale, I would like to mention that the seller may have been relying on John Plimpton's description of the sword in his soon to be published book: "ARMY NAVY LATE WAR. These swords were made near the very end of the war by the Tokugawa naval arsenal in Aichi Prefecture. Many of them have mixed army and navy fiittings. All of them have navy arsenal stamps, stainless steel blades, and black lacquer scabbards. In rare cases the tang is signed." Mr Plimpton has not been in good health and his description likely was written before modern research into the souvenir swords. That said, if the buyer is unhappy he should contact the seller; no honest seller wants dissatisfied buyers. Thanks, Grey

Hi guys, Harry Watson, in his translation of Nihonto Koza, says that Nidai Tadatsuna signed with "a soemei of Asai Uji on the ura". What does Asai Uji mean in English? Thanks, Grey

Hi Grev, There was the Koshu Tokubetsu Kicho paper (see below) that was a higher paper than Tokubetsu Kicho. Also, the 1st Juyo papers date to 1958, well before Kicho and higher were replaced by Hozon and higher. Grey

If I understand the question: Tokubetsu Kicho are not on the same level as Juyo. I came to Nihonto about the time that the NBTHK made the change from Kicho and above to Hozon and above. At that time I was told that they were also upping their expectations to qualify for a paper: Hozon would roughly equal the old Tokubetsu Kicho and Tokubetsu Hozon would roughly equal the old Koshu Tokubetsu Kicho. Not all of the old papers are suspect. An old green paper to Muramasa or Masamune on a sword or Nobuiye or Kaneiye on a tsuba, say, are to be eyed suspiciously but, for less important artists, not so much. Grey

Hi Dan, I don't plan to attend that one; sorry. Grey

Hi guys, I haven't posted here for a while; thought I should stir the pot. I just listed a lovely signed and papered katana with itomaki no dachi koshirae: all of it in excellent condition. https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/swords/q642-signed-papered-katana-itomaki-no-dachi-koshirae I know there have been newer collectors here on NMB asking about possible purchases. They could do a whole lot worse than this one. And as long as I'm tooting my horn, I don't understand why I still own this Hojoji Kunimasa katana: https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/swords/q404-long-katana-hojoji-kunimasa Give it a look. Cheers, Grey

With the understanding that I haven't seen the sword in hand (it may be wonderful) and also, since I do sell swords, I have a dog in this fight, I think you can do better for the money. 4,500 GBP is about US$6,150; I would expect something more exciting than unsigned Jumyo in shirasaya with a paper for that amount. Grey

I think it is shiny because the habaki protected it from corrosion. Grey

Hi Khalid, Pretty sure this is a broken sword and you're looking at the lower half. This is close to being worthless in an informed market. Grey

Hi Khalid, The mei is Tango no Kami Fujiwara Kanemichi and on the reverse Kiku Ichi. It is a real Japanese sword but that doesn't mean the signature isn't a forgery; may or may not be. Tango no Kami means Lord of Tango, which is an honorary title. Fujiwara is a clan name and Kanemichi is the smith's name. The kiku is the imperial crest and ichi means the # 1. Not sure if any old smith could use the kiku or if permission had to be granted. Pictures of the rest of the long tanto would tell us more. Tanto don't usually have shinogi (the ridge line). If the sugata is shinogi zukuri (with ridge and yokote markig the kissaki), this may be the end of a broken sword with a forged signature. Grey

Hi Chris, Without having cracked a book I vote fake signature. This looks like it was cut with a Dremel (rotary) tool, not with a chisel. Even without the telltale rotary marks, the mei is clumsy, nothing like those of a group who had quite fluid signatures. You will have no trouble finding true signatures online and you will easily see the difference. Grey

Hi Jeff, The saya should match quite closely the fuchi and seppa should be slightly larger. Grey

Hi guys, I have gotten involved with the cartel that is selling the Plimpton collection of Japanese civil & diplomatic swords; I just listed my 1st from the collection to my site. https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/swords/s142-type-19-civil-%26-diplomatic-official-dress-sword-plimpton-collection# Check it out if you're interested; this one is in exceptionally fine condition. Thanks, Grey

I agree and will add that it wasn't very well done; the nakago is weak. I think this was put together out of existing parts. Grey

Hi John, A paper from the NBTHK usually carries more weight than one from other organizations, both here in the west and in Japan. If you are buying the sword from a dealer in Japan, you have to figure that he knows this as well as anyone does, and that he may have submitted the blade to the NBTHK (why wouldn't he; he's there) and received an answer he liked less than the one he got from the NTHK-NPO. I can't say for sure that this is what happened, maybe he was satisfied with the NPO paper or maybe it is a consigned sword and the owner didn't want a new paper or who knows why, but it is a possibility. You might ask the dealer if it has been submitted to the NBTHK and if not would he be willing to do that to clinch the sale. Might be interesting to see his answer. Grey

Or it is possible that this is a low grade fake; the file marks stop too low on the nakago. Pictures of the rest of the blade might help. Grey

Maybe Unshu Ju Fujiwara Fuyuhiro. This isn't Gunto; it is a significantly earlier sword. Grey

Tadashige Saku (Akasaka) tsuba made from horse tack Cheers, Grey

Hi John, Every sword you care about needs a bag for storage. The bag prevents UV fading and deterioration of handle wrap and sageo, and protects the sword from dust and curious fingers of people who don't understand how to handle the sword. Padded bags protect lacquered sayas. Also, if a sword is picked up up-side down, it won't fall out of the saya to the floor if it is in a bag. Of course, if a sword is on display you don't want it in a bag but, for reasons stated above, maybe you don't want all of your swords on permanent display. Grey