Peter Bleed

I have been "collecting" long enough to realize that sword collecting has changed. And it sure has changed! The people who are doing it nowadays are very different from the guys who used to do it. The ways swords are encountered is no longer how things used to enter "collections." And "we" sure seem to know things now that transcend the knowledge and wisdom that used to make a fellow "expert." There are as well lots of new networks, communities, and systems that impact how collections are formed - - and dispersed. We are currently presented with an interesting example of collection dispersion, and I'd like some advice on how to watch that process. As discussed in an earlier thread, Paul Davidson was a a wonderful fellow who assembled an outstanding collection. How do you think the collectors' community should treat this "event"? Will the sale be a spectator event? Will collecting become a spectator sport? I certainly expect to watch the sale develop, but I am not sure how to do that. Will people be checking in to the sale regularly. Do you have particular pieces you will watch? What have you got you eye on? What are you expectations? Peter

I feel way out of circulation. Can anyone tell me a good way to the English versions of Tanobe's books? Please and Thank you! Peter

Kris, Forgive me. I thought a useful first step might be to realize that the this signature may have been rendered rather unusually. If you - and others - think this mei does, indeed, proport that this sword was made and signed signed katana-mei, by someone named Sukekane, you can then begin looking to see if it - in any way - conforms to one or another of the Sukekane smiths. And, gee there are a couple of really important smiths with that name who worked in Kamakura times. And then the name popped up later - like during the Sengoku era. In that regard, I thought it interesting - and maybe significant - that this sword seemed to me(!) to have a nakago like other late koto Bizen blades. Clealry your sword deserves careful study. You are on the right path and now your challenge will be to assess the sword. Peter

Well, gee, I'd start by checking the SUKEKANE guys... Got a nice Bizen nakago

All of these issues are excellently addressed in Gina Barnes' book, "Archaeology of East Asia: the rise of civilization in China, Korea and Japan" (532pp. Oxbow Books, 2015).

Gustavo, I think that skilled treatment of Japanese style matchlock arms MIGHT be a potentially worthwhile specialty. The price frame you outline should be reasonable to folks with this interest, but I'd have to suggest that this will be a tough market. I doubt that folks in this country would be numerous and serious enough about competitive matchlock shooting to support your effort. And if guys are simply looking for noise makers, I doubt that they'd pay for quality replication. I co-taught a couple of NPS class on the archaeology of firearms and there certainly might be issues that could be studied and addressed in that regard concerning tanegashima. But the guns that I think might be worth study would be large caliber pieces. That research would not require historical accuracy. Finally, it is easy to predict that there will be a bunch of tanegashima collections that will be coming on the market in the next few years, and that MANY of those guns will be serious, expert and sensitive maintenance. That may not be the work you wish to do, but I think it will be an important effort. Peter

The issue becomes your definition of "accurate reproductions." Dixie Gun Works offered matchlock that sure looked shootable. They looked rather nice and sure seemed shootable, but they sold out and seem not to have been re-produced. What are you thinking, Gustavo? Peter

Hey, the dude was 76 years old. Maybe his penmanship was slipping. Or do I mean his chiselmanship? P

Dee, Thanks for sharing this. It find it remarkable! "Masamune Meets Forged in Fire!" I have forwarded it to some of local bladesmiths. I am deeply impressed at how surprised and respectful the Japanese smith is for both the tools - and the results - of modern bladesmiths. We may be right at the end of "Japanese" sword making! Peter

Actually, William, there is a guy in Arkansas who has a pretty fair library that would let you assess this signature - - ME! Let's get together and discuss it. In fact, my impression of this signature is rather positive. Peter Bleed - Little Rock!

Jackson, The world is a complicated place and I think that WE ought realize that "collecting" and "discovery" are the real rewards of collecting. Treating the swords we "discover" and "acquire" as "investments" is very difficult because values go up and down for both the stuff we acquired and the stuff we swapped away. I think we all must learn to enjoy the process of collecting rather then the things we acquire. Manchurian blades are pretty interesting, but realizing that involves moving them from "gun show" to "collector's" condition. It also involves moving them into the collectors community. There will be both delays and costs in doing that, and maybe some disappointment. It looks like you preserved a worthwhile sword and you can take pleasure in that. Peter

Let me boast. One of my proudest moments of my life as a collector was when an acquaintance was visiting. After looking around and visiting a couple of rooms, he said. "I thought you collected Japanese swords." P

Actually, it would be 1888, wouldn't it? Peter

Dan, Thanks for some interesting pictures! This comes from very near the end of the matchlock era, but it also has a rather modern manner of markings and notation. These guys may well have realized that things were about change. Peter

Andi., Thank you very much. Your explanatory approach is very good. I have rarely looked "inside" of the teppo I have ended up with, but the system we are discussing here strikes me as rathe rare. Is that the case? Peter

Andi and Brian. I have appreciated this discussion - even if I am to sure that I have followed it all. I think discussions like this may depend of bright individuals, BUT they are easiest to follow when real parts and objects can be observed. Thanks for you presentations! I also have not had very much experience with this lock style. The world is a complex place! Peter

Dee, thank you for this recollection. Clearly, in addition to world-wide interest in 'militaria' there seems to be an audience for well-made recent military blades in Japan. There should be respect for historical items ( I'm trying to tap dance around bunka-zai). I completely do NOT understand the removal of star stamps. The NBTHK is - let's remember - about "art swords" so leadership on this issue may have to come from another organization. It may well be that leadership in this area well have to come from collectors outside of Japan. Peter

Well, gee, I have learned a lot. My basic aim was to argue that American and Western "collectors" have assembled information on the recent history of Japanese swords that (I thought) was outside the view of Japanese sword "aesthetes." My horizons have been widened. Thank you Dee, Steve, and Bruce. I imagine that collectors will have to decide what is interesting and desirable. I bet it will also be a while before there are displays of gunto at the Sword Museum. In 100 years I also bet there will be judgements made about exactly how Showa stamps and Seki marks were treated and which variations are "desirable." But when will Fuller and Gregory be awarded a Sacred Treasure? Peter

Clealry, semantics matter. My interest is in BLADES rather than FITTINGS (koshirae). Clearly Ohmura-sama's presentations shows that some Japanese collectors are interested in military fittings. "Machine made" blades seem not to be legal in modern Japan, altho they certainly were made by expert craftsmen who drew on traditions of Japanese cutlery. Producing gunto blades was also a difficult process that certainly involved great skill. They were also signed and finished in very Japanese manner. Officially, "machine made blades of the Showa era" seem not considered "Nippon-to", but I have to wonder if (and sincerely hope that) some Japanese individuals or organizations (musuems, Seki-area cutlery organizations ???) might be interested in having information of this phase of sword history. If they exist, they should well draw on the work done by American and Western collectors. Peter

I am curious about the audience for machine made blades of the WWII era. One of the first skills that “serious” American collectors needed to gain in the old days was how to separate “gunto” from “samurai swords.” Modern “machine-made” swords were pretty much ignored. It took a couple of English collectors – Fuller and Gregory, thank you!– to begin paying attention to the fact that gunto were signed and dated. As market forces made it harder to find and collect pre-modern blades (ie. they got expensive and harder to “find”), collectors’ scholarship about wartime blades began to grow and even flourish. “Military swords” have become a serious topic and a reasonable and interesting focus for many collectors. The question I would ask is if this excellent research is at all interesting to folks in Japan. Are Japanese archives paying attention to your work, Bruce? Peter

This has been a very interesting discussion. Thnak you Gerry and Jussi. It also makes me glad to be a collector of mere Shinto! Peter

Yep, it is a Yoshisada, and we could have guessed he was a Seki smith even before Bruce showed us the sword from his index. This community really works! Peter