Ted Tenold

Ted, I must confess that I am rather feeling the pain in the lower part of my anatomy ...... :x Yes, perhaps it is closer to the "derriere" than the neck. :lol:

Yes, thanks for posting that Jean. There has been an "on again, off again" policy by Japan Air Lines (JAL) for the past year and a half or so. JAL is the exclusive carrier of EMS packages out of Japan, and established a policy refusing to carry weapons on board it's aircraft citing security concerns. The shifting between allowing and not allowing has caused a great deal of confusion. So I guess they are now officially refusing........again. Such a pain in the neck. It should also be pointed out that EMS works just fine for shipping swords into Japan (at least from the U.S.), with all the usual licensing procedures applied. EMS transport into Japan is by carriers from the point of origin and not JAL.

I hear the best place for finding diamonds in the rough is in Kimberlite pipes. :lol: The odds that something good is in those mounts are astronomically slim, especially if the mounts are bone sections and not ivory. Even most examples of the very best carved ivory koshirae usually had less than appreciable blades in them because the work was about the ivory carving, not the blade holding them together. Good luck with it but don't psych yourself up for a major disappointment.

If it does not bear a good stamp and/or mei associated with the NMR on the nakago, then I'd be very suspicious. These things are starting to grab the attention of forgers now that there's more reference and popularity of them.

I'll give you a hint as it seems you're trying to get more out of it than it is. Your image only shows two characters. Don't confuse the elements within each which are radicals, as being seperate characters. Hope this helps. Giv'er another go!

Joe, Very interesting. You do come across the oddest stuff in guntos. :D I've seen whole lot of these and never seen one with this mei. I would call it a rare example. Is the sword bent at the nakago?? The shot of the nakago mune appears to show it. Perhaps a twist of light or angle, but it looks oddly canted.

I received two katana via FedEx from Japan earlier this year. Cost was about $240.00 total. The customs officials in Anchorage saw fit to "inspect" the shipment. And the primate inspector's choice of expedient tools? A box cutter. Which was used to slice along the length of the sword through the bubble wrap............and through the *padded* shirasaya bag..........AND into the exterior of the shirasaya itself. Brilliant.....another triumph of civil service.

Utsuri would be a feature to look for in Bizen work. But it is not mandatory can vary in strength, form, and presence depending on smith, school, and period, none of which can be determined by the photos.

I would want to see this blade in hand before being sure, but there's three things that bother me about it; 1) The nakago is very "crusty" and dry looking. 2) The yakiba looks to taper down and fall off the edge as it approaches the sabigawa (rust border) on the sashiura. 3) A couple of the images show a *profuse* amount of chikei that are very large and lack-luster. Because of these things, I'd be on the lookout for Saiba (retemper). As always, it's difficult to say conclusively from images, and these, as Mark pointed out, don't give a great deal of variety to see more. So it's not a "for sure", just an observation to consider. Be careful and take a lot of time looking.

Grey, I've shipped to that region before, but didn't have to go through that process. Maybe a recent policy? Maybe it's a weapon if mounted and subject to rejection?

Thanks, but that's not me. I don't have all the answers. Heck I don't even know all the questions. :lol:

Ford, We're on the same side of the fence on this, though maybe a toprail apart. :lol: I would agree and as before, I think this has a lot to do with the reletive lack of extensive recording of kinko and shiroganeshi. As a return stroke I would offer that one of Shoji Hamada's students, Warren MacKenzie (also a Bernard Leach student), stopped signing his works altogether. He felt the person should buy the pot, not the signature that the dealers were inflating and driving beyond the reach of the very people he wanted to enjoy his works.

I think Rich means "Nambu" magazines, though a Namban pistol magazine would be quite interesting! :lol: It would let in too much mud and sand, but I doubt that would affect the accuracy of the Nambu anyways.

More like a needle in a haystack in Montana. Even if he manages to get some decent photos, it doesn't mean it can be identified conclusively.

If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it is yours. If not, then check the local hospital ER. Fortunately...looks like a lucky escape from injury....not to mention tragedy.

I remember a story relayed to me about a Japanese swordsmith that was a visiting guest here in the US. He has made a few small tanto while here and was signing them the morning after a long night of libation. As he was inscribing the mei, he made an abrupt stop from his pace. He grunted and shook his head obviously annoyed by his misplaced strike of a single stroke. Looking up at the observers he laughed lightly and said, "In two hundred years, this is gimei!", then went back about his business. On the whole I would agree that there will be variance in any craftsman’s signature due to moment, material, and progression of time. Also, Ford's point of the vast cataloging of sword inscriptions has the advantage of decades of comparisons in any individual craftsman’s career. There are minor variations that are accepted and those that are not due to this volume of information that doesn’t seem often available in tosogu. But I would also argue that when it comes to the matter of signing something, the consistency sought in a sword or a tosogu is a higher level of intensive focus for a craftsman, and not the relegation of an everyday commonplace task of "Dad, sign my report card" or "Honey, sign this check". The inscription of a signature is just as much a part of the intensive training as the manufacture of the piece, and by nature, the truly “finishing touch” and point of pride. Look at the consistency of highly recorded works by smiths such as Hizen Tadayoshi, Inoue Shinkai, and you'll find a remarkable amount of accuracy. A signature that might appear at first glance to be obviously good, can fall apart quickly when compared to known works. One can track the variation over time by these records and therefore observe their evolution. There was once a Taikei Naotane sword I saw with a *singular* stroke slightly different than listed examples, that threw the entire lovely work into question. It was a fantastic piece and the work was gorgeous, but that one stroke cast a shadow of doubt. It was submitted with some trepidation and passed shinsa. Turns out there were only three other examples of this particular stroke recorded, but they were indeed consistent among this small group of variants. Also, the tools used are also important when examining. The angles, widths, shape of the cutting face, etc, are all important factors. Some swordsmiths used a single bevel on their tagane (chisel), some flat edged, some rounded to facilitate cursive and/or smoother cutting instead of chopping. Examining mei with a 10x loupe is quite an education. These forms and characteristics were passed on over generations. It would seem plausible that tosogu also share these traits and traditions. So while I agree that variation is possible, the acceptable breadth of variation is quite narrow. The signatures on swords and tosogu are more than jotting a name. They were part of the work being produced, and points of pride, training, and traditions. This is far different from an office memo among a stack of others on which a personal mark is quickly penned to prove that it was seen by the addressee. If we signed our name each day with the same intent and focus as these craftsman did, I believe we would see much more consistency in our own signature.

There was a Nidai Hisayuki who first signed Hisataka. This variation could be peculiar to him, though there is nothing to firmly substantiate this through oshigatas of dated works that I know of. I have three oshigatas of the Shodai Hisayuki works that I made personally. The small variation in this one stroke does not convince me that it is gimei in the face of all the other strokes that are quite consistant. Even as a Jo-saku smith, he was not very famous in his day, and efforts to gimei a sword (especially a little yari) for monetary gain would likely have carried a name of more notoriety. I doubt someone with the forgery skill of Kajihei would have tried knocking out a gimei Yari to a guy nobody really recognized. This is the first time I've seen this central stroke variation, but not the only variation I've seen in the Yuki kanji. The two small tagane right and left of the central stroke, and between the top and second horizontal strokes also have two variants; the strokes are directly between the horizontals (a Shodai trait for sure), or they cross over the second horizontal. Again, I think this may perhaps be peculiar to the Nidai as I've seen this only on Yari so far, and not swords. The Nidai continued forging swords and teaching swordsmanship after his father and lived well into Meiji. It would be nice if the Yari were dated because then we could perhaps establish the Nidai as the maker. Unfortunately we're forced to speculate. Personally, I think it's righteous. But that's just my opinion, worth what I charge for it.

I received the email as well, but it was not to an address I have ever listed on this forum. I have several accounts that are rarely used. So there is reason to believe the sourcing for addresses is elsewhere, or in addition to those on this board. Not sure what the end game to a mail like this would be if it's malicious. Seems a bit specific and involved for spam harvesters.

Brian, This looks like the work of a smith named Kawaii Hisayuki. The mei looks consistant with examples I've seen, and Kawaii Hisayuki was a Sojutsu (spearmanship) master. Also, I looked up the auction and the other images of it. I found the nakagojiri is consistant as well. Here's an oshigata I took of one of his works. This yari should be examined for polishing.

Japan is one of those places that seems very intimidating to the uninitiated. About an hour into my first trip, I was pleasantly surprised at how friendly, helpful, and comfortable it was to get around. Don't be too concerned about the language barrier. Yes, absolutely learn some key introductory phrases and certainly some etiquette, but for the most part, you shouldn't have any major problems. Many Japanese speak at least rudementary english and will take time to help you. I've experienced several occasions standing in a station or an intersection with clear confusion on my face and someone will come up and ask, "Excuse me, but do you need some help?" Some took so much time out of their day to help I was amazed. Trains are quite easy to learn. In Tokyo, start with the JR Yamanote which is the loop line around Tokyo. http://www.Japan-guide.com/e/e2370.html Big recommendation; Wear nice, but comfy walking shoes with rubber soles too. You'll be doing a lot of walking and it may be wet. Also, nothing complicated. Easy to take off and put on. Some shops you take off shoes, others not. If you plan to travel around the country, look into a Japan Rail Pass. http://www.japanrail.com/ Depending on *how* much you plan to travel and where, they can make sense. However, with regard to cost efficiency they sometimes don't if you're just hanging around singular cities. Trains, subways, and buses are very affordable, although it takes a bit more to learn the buses. I'll second Nigel's suggestion of Nikko. It's a fantastic place to visit. Lovely and picturesque anytime but the fall is particularly pretty. Another easy one from Tokyo is Kamakura. The Kotoku-in with the Daibutsu (the great bronze Buddha) is there as as well as a host of other lovely temples and gardens. The ocean views add to the beauty too. If you go in very late October, you could go to the Dai Token Ichi. There might be a few swords and fittings there. :lol: But if that doesn't fit your schedule, there still lots of sword viewing opportunities though. Setting up something with a swordsmith might be possible. I think Takano Yukimitsu still offers a class for making a kogatana or just an observation appointment(?). It's arranged through a shop, but I can't remember the name of it. Paul Martin is a member here and he should be able to send you the info.

As koshirae is more or less a sum of parts, anything that would be questionable would preclude issuance for the whole. Otherwise the koshirae is compromised and the whole koshirae is what is being papered. Whether the papers *specifically* document the signature or not, or how detailed the description of the items is another matter. But I believe it's safe to say that if there wasn't faith in the parts, then the koshirae would otherwise be viewed as unworthy of "special preservation". Just my thoughts.

Mark, I'd like to commend you on your approach here with respect to learning how to read mei. It's a fine way to interact while really helping yourself with efforts instead of just asking answers. I hope others will follow your lead.

Cuirrasier, I merged the two topics so the conversation can continue without interruption. Please remember to sign your posts with your real name.

Joe, What Jacques is hinting at is that this style kanji for "kane" was used by Yamato region smiths. The more frequently seen version such as those on many gunto you may have seen, is the Mino based "kane".

As far as I can tell, the term Sarute 猿手 is the same regardless of the design. Some have clasping hands others have different designs such as Grey's which looks more like a knot. Some gunto also have some with cherry blossoms or just plain. Perhaps the design of the clasping hands actually came from the term that was originally used(?).