Bryce

G'day Marcin, Is there any chance you can post a good photo of the nakago showing the complete mei and nakago jiri? I ask this because from your photo it looks like the nakago jiri is a very unusual shape for Kojima Kanemichi. I wonder if it may actually be by Kanesane? Cheers, Bryce

C'mon Bruce, No more photos, what were you thinking? Did you see the nakago? Date? Looks like type 94 koshirae. As this sword is Gassan Sadakatsu and not Sadakazu, it would have been better over in the Gassan Family thread. Thanks for posting it Bruce. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Alexi, I have handled a few of Gassan Sadakatsu's blades and I would describe them as typically having a wide shinogi rather than a high shinogi. I have no idea how this translates to durability. I doubt that many have ever been used for test cutting. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Steve, It is a showato, so probably oil quenched, but the photos aren't good enough to tell for certain. I disagree with Mal about the mounts, they are type 98, nothing suggests type 94 to me. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, I think the Suya Shoten tsuba and two seppa may be replacements. The left hand seppa with 377 serial number and made for a rounded nakago mune may be original. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, Just to be clear, David is referring to the Juyo, Sadamune Utsushi that Edward reposted, not my 1866 dated, tokubetsu hozon papered blade that I posted the closeup photos of. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, Here are some better photos of the 1866 dated blade from above. The horimono are very small, but still incredibly detailed. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Jag, You have a tanto made by Gassan Sadakatsu using steel smelted by the Japan Iron Sand Steel Industry Company. More information is available on this thread: Gassan Sadakatsu is the son of Gassan Sadakazu. Sadakazu is arguably the most famous of the revived Gassan line of smiths. The Gassan smiths are still forging blades to this day. Your tanto would have been forged around 1940. I am not an expert on the koshirae, but I would think it is authentic. Cheers, Bryce

Fantastic guys. Thanks very much for your help. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, I finally got around to getting a better photo of the writing. Cheers, Bryce

Thanks Steve. I will try to get a better shot of the writing in the next few days. Was the writer's name Ishikawa Shoshinsen? Cheers, Bryce

G'day Steve, The nakago is simply signed and dated, no poem. The shot of the writing is the best I can do for the moment. Cheers, Bryce

This is a partial translation someone else was able to give me. Sounds like Mr Ishikawa really liked it. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, Gassan Sadakazu 1866. These horimono are very small as they are completely contained within the bo-hi, but are still very detailed. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, What do you call a sword description written on a sword bag? This sword bag belongs to a very nice Gassan Sadakazu katana in what looks to be its original koshirae. I can see that Gassan Sadakazu is mentioned and it is dated Showa 3 (1928) and perhaps signed by Mr Ishikawa. Can anyone help me to fill in the many blanks? Cheers, Bryce

Thanks Dave, Just a quick note that I disagree with a couple of points raised in the article. The tanto in figure 9 that the author says is gimei is actually shoshin. The NBTHK paper these to Sadakazu. I have no explanation for why these mei look so different, but Sadakazu did use a number of different stamps throughout his career and the work in these blades does look like Sadakazu's. Also while I agree the katana blade in figures 12-15 was probably made by Sadakatsu, it was also signed by Sadakatsu for his father, rather than being signed by Sadakazu. Cheers, Bryce

Here are some more of the beautiful photos that AOIJapan posted of the kissaki of that blade. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, Here is an example together with what I think is the original koshirae and blade. The tsuba and blade are signed by Gassan Sadakazu. The tsuba isn't dated, but the blade is dated 1866. Cheers, Bryce

I find the stamps he used on the tsuba interesting. It suggests that he may have sometimes used different stamps to the few that I have seen marking his blades. Below is a shot of the koshirae that was with the sword. Tsuruta San of AOIJapan thinks that Sadakazu may have made all of the metal work for the koshirae. The fact that he isn't absolutely sure suggests that only the tsuba must be signed. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, One of the reasons why I am fascinated with the Gassan smiths, is that they are the complete package. Not only are they excellent swordsmiths, but they also carve beautiful horimono, make their own habaki and from time to time make their own tsuba. AOIJapan recently had a magnificent example of this by Gassan Sadakazu. The sturdy blade which is forged in masame, is dated 1866 and has beautiful Fudo Myo horimono. The original koshirae includes a tsuba signed by Sadakazu. A similar tsuba is shown in the "Gassan Sadaichi Kaiko Ten" book. Cheers, Bryce

Thanks Bazza, Do you think that by including this stamp, Sadakazu was further reinforcing the fact that he made this tsuba? I have never seen this stamp on any of his blades. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, AOIJapan recently had a Gassan Sadakazu katana for sale dated 1866 with what looks like it's original koshirae. The koshirae includes a tsuba signed by Sadakazu. The tsuba is decorated with hot stamps including Sadakazu's familiar "sada" kokuin and another stamp which I think may be the Japanese kanji for kanshudo or manufacture in English? Am I right? Cheers, Bryce

AOIJapan currently have two fantastic Gassan blades with horimono for sale. A katana by Sadakazu and a wakizashi by his son Sadakatsu. The Sadakazu horimono (top) is entirely contained within the bohi, so is only about half the size of the Sadakatsu example below. Cheers, Bryce

Thanks Alex, There doesn't seem to be any consistency with the "open/closed mouth" and tail type. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, I have heard people talk about male and female dragons in horimono and have noticed that some dragons have a spiky tail and some have a ken tail. Can anyone shed some light on this? Cheers, Bryce