JH Lee

🤣🤣🤣😁

I blame the ignorance on action movies and anime.

To my inexperienced eyes, I didn't even see this as an o-kissaki... I thought this was a slightly longer chu-kissaki. Is it because of the geometry of the ko-shinogi that this is an o-kissaki? Or is it a matter of ratio (e.g. yokote : length of the kissaki being at least 1 : 2+, etc)?

I don't understand the obsession with cutting paper. It's like watching someone gut a Lamborghini because he thinks it should work like a tractor.

I will definitely read these this weekend! Thank you so much for the helpful links. Any guesses about the sword in the pictures above? When do you think it was made and by whom, etc? It would help me to hear the opinions of more seasoned collectors so that I don't miss the mark too wildly. Thank you!

It's the first sword on this page: http://ipolishswords.com/beforeandafter.html What are the things a total beginner like me should look for/notice in a mumei nihonto like this one, if trying to figure out its origins (era/age, probable school/-den, possible maker, etc.)? Thank you! It's pretty overwhelming the amount of things I don't know in the study of Japanese swords....

Ron, Is that something to look for as indication of good quality overall (across all JP swords), or specific to determining if a blade is koto?

Looks nice to me as well. I don't see any noticeable kizu or ware or any edge damage that detracts from its overall quality or beauty. Some of the core steel is being revealed in spots, I think, which partially speaks to its ancient age and repolishing during its long life. I think it has a very pleasant shape and graceful sori. Looks to me like a lot of care was taken when it was shortened to preserve the sugata... and I really think its slender dimensions is reminiscent of other tachi I have seen. Your father would be happy for you to continue to take good care of it. 😊

To my (inexperienced) eyes, it looks like a tachi that was shortened. The blade dimensions are rather slender but looks very well made and nicely preserved.

I see. Thank you for the clarification.

Um.... what....

Thank you very much!! As you can see, I am still just a complete beginner when it comes to appreciating and collecting nihonto.

Nakago.... I read in an old thread that the older white kicho papers are occasionally not helpful/reliable. Anyway, I thought one of the purposes of shinsa was to reveal some more information than what is already obvious... It's signed "Kuniyoshi," but is it a legitimate mei or gimei, which Kuniyoshi... and so on. I was hoping that the info, even a best educated guess, would be recorded in the paper.

Does this mean they were not able to deduce any more details, such as time period, school, etc? "Kuniyoshi" is too numerous to help anyone figure out more, no?

Thank you in advance.

Even against armor (and one would be aiming at the joints or where protection was light), a ~10cm thrust would be enough to disable or even kill.

I think they are absolutely beautiful and would love to own one one day.

Rai Kunifusa. He made my gendaito.

Is this a "bashin"? I've read different things about their use. Was it basically used as a stiletto? Or something else?

It's really interesting that, even as they were losing the war, with dwindling supplies and manufacturing capacity, the Japanese wanted to keep equipping their officers with a symbol like the sword on a modern battlefield.

I'm not too proud to admit that I simply didn't know that something which looks like the sword in this thread could be a genuine Japanese gunto. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Thank you so much for sharing these! It makes me want to also get better at taking pics of my own blades....

I've been making a tsuba, fuchi-kashira from copper for the past few weeks. It's relaxing and fun. Just simple utilitarian design is all I'm capable of though.

Right. Exactly. So, I think you are contradicting yourself in saying that the blades from Komonjo are too nice to be Chinese (or wherever else they are being made). The problem is that they are being purchased and regarded by novice collectors as genuine Japanese made swords, which I do not believe they are. It is harmful to the study, collection, and preservation of the real thing. And it definitely hurts actual young Japanese smiths, who definitely do have a hard time. Komonjo is cleverly showing just enough pictures and information so that he is not "technically" telling any overt lies, so he cannot be accused of directly participating in illegal activity, but anyone with common sense knows what is really going on. Here's the bottom line for me: IF these are really Japanese blades, then the Japanese authorities should reach out to eBay and shut this kind of crap down; that the platform is being used to violate Japanese law. IF THEY ARE NOT, then Komonjo should make it explicit that those "shinsakuto" are NOT Japanese. It is only ethical. Ok, I'm going to leave it at that. Really going to be quiet about this now. Not what the thread was about.