Eric H

Old wine in new wineskins http://www.nihontomessageboard.com/nmb/ ... =1&t=14417 Nobuo Nakahara, p.128 (Viewing the Blade) Sometimes there is mune-yaki (a tempered line or spot on the mune) to be considered. If you do not notice at first it is not so serious, but there are some cases that should not be ignored, as it is an important kantei point. The whole discussion whether intentionally or unintentionally made is fruitless, fact is that a number of first rate swordsmiths are associated with mune-yaki. Eric

Hi After the Solingen city privilege already had been renewed in 1560, the knifemaker received privileges in 1571. Them further was required to make their products originating from Solingen recognizable, such as with the inscription MEFECIT SOLINGEN (Solingen made me). The sword I have pictured is made by Meves Berns and interestingly a street in Solingen is named "Meves-Berns-Strasse". Eric

Hi

Kaneyuki F/K on one of my swords. Eric

Link http://www.aoijapan.com/katana-enju-iey ... 2-gatsu-hi Eric

Neither the period of manufacture nor the the school have an influence on the hardness of an edge, all depends on the skill of the smith. Any properly made sword from tamahagane has by performing yakiire a very hard edge. A study of microstructures on a cross section: a small piece was cut from a Muramasa 2nd.gen. blade. The maximum hardness of the sharp edge was 720-730 HV. Other researchers had reported the maximum hardness level in sharp edge (other swords) was about 700-820 HV. It is found the hardened area is limited to sharp edge and a few distance from the sharp edge decreases hardness drastically. (EDP Sciences, 2009) HV = Vickers hardness test Eric

Kokuho „nozoki ryu“ Kagemitsu - Tachi 80.6 cm Property of the Yamada Asauemon family in Edo period, then presented to the Emperor Meiji. Eric

Kokuho Dai Hannya Nagamitsu - Property of the Ashikaga Shogunate became eventually property of Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Okudaira Nobumasa. Eric

Thanks for the pics on this very fine tanto, there are not many yushu gendaito I believe. Earlier papers had a red stamp „yushu saku“ and nowadays it‘s written on the origami. Eric

Yushu papered by NTHK is equal to Juyo Token by NBTHK. NTHK has established a system of appraisal by awarding points to the specific blade. Congratulations to your friend for this superior quality tanto....detailed pics would be much appreciated...btw shouldn‘t there be a „yushu saku“ stamp on the origami? Eric

Generally a Daisho is defined by matching koshirae. However the most desirable Daisho consists of blades by the same smith and bearing the same production date with matching koshirae. From the Swords of the 47 Ronin, 33 Daisho are known and from those 7 Daisho have blades done by the same smith. Eric

Thanks for posting this article on Toshizane. Because it needs a lot of imagination what is meant under „Mt Fuji style“ hamon... I add a picture, this hamon is called Fujimi Saigyo. Eric

Aoi Appraisal Quiz 283 : Osafune Kagemasa Kagemitsu was the older brother and teacher of Kagemasa and there was a close relationship between these two smiths because of the fact that the work of Kagemasa closely resemble those of Kagemitsu. That said the Quiz-blade in my opinion is a representative example of this close relationship. Eric BIZEN OSAFUNE KAGEMITSU School (excerpt)

Nobukuni nidai - Enbun - some see him as actual 1st. gen. of Nobukuni school. However there is the oldest extant dated Nobukuni blade from the third year of Enbun - 1308 - and is attributed to the 2nd gen. ...we know excellent and aesthetically arranged horimono...the tip of his ken is pointed and looks acute and its upper part is deeper and broader cut than the lower part... from Markus‘ Sword Index Eric

Naginata or Nagamaki that have been reshaped are papered as naginata naoshi or nagamaki naoshi regardless of their size as Katana or Wakizashi. Generally the part of the kaeri is removed and thus becoming a yakizume boshi...the occasionally added yokote by the polisher gives the blade a special effect and is perhaps an indicator to identify at a first glance that it is a „naoshi“ blade. That said in the eyes of the NBTHK this is no issue, it‘s merely an aesthetic value by polisher or owner. Eric

Substitutionally for other examples I post these pictures of a JuTo classified as naginata naoshi. Eric

Nakago Moroha Tanto Eric

The sansaku boshi is a hint... I vote for Osafune Kagemitsu Eric

The Myochin articulated Dragon, Lot 534, was sold for $ 425,000... Eric

There a Shibata Ka for $ 7'800 that needs polish and shirasaya and here an impeccable Shibata Ka for $ 8'500 from ricecracker. The owner of the ebay buy will rub his eyes now. Eric

Article by Guido Schiller http://www.jssus.org/nkp/japanese_sword_laws.html Eric

Thanks for the correction and there are doubtlessly other to be corrected. However there are horimono on swords but without the affix „hori do-saku“, just for example the Tatsuyoshi horimono. Is it then not very probable that the smith did the horimono? Izu ju Tatsuyoshi saku - with dragon horimono on both sides ura: Heisei 14 Aki Kichijitsu Eric

A list from my library: Kurihara Akihide Gassan Sadateru Gassan Sadatoshi Hizen Tadamasa Minamoto Sadatsugu Ikkansai Shigetoshi So Tsutomu Enomoto Tatsuyoshi Tsunehira Umayoshi Yoshiaki Yanagimura Senju - horimono-shi Ono Yoshimitsu Yoshisada Eric

Ron, thank you for posting the pictures, the details are well displayed. The magnified bonji on the Naotane exhibits the precision of the carving. One of Naotane‘s traits is uzumaki hada that is visible as mentioned, the kaen-fudomyo-o is a bit worn, but the face is still well rendered. If the dragon on the Tadamitsu is compared to the dragon by the supposedly Yoshitane, the execution of the scales is obvious. Yoshitane‘s scales are cut in a way that it looks as if coins were laid each on the other... his trade mark. Eric

That‘s exactly what he‘s talking about. Eric