Brano

How can you describe an attribution as gimei? If a blade has an attribution, it means it is a mumei (it can have Kinzoganmei/Shumei...) Maybe I misunderstood your statement - you mean that all/most blades attributed to the best swordsmiths in Western collections are not what Shinsa says?

Yes - that's it It is undoubtedly an amazing blade and one of the best tantos from Norishige Setsumei translated using a translator: Designated on April 23, Heisei 26 (2014) – 23rd Designation Session Inscription: "Norishige" Measurements Nagasa: 23.8 cm, Sori: Uchi-sori, Motohaba: 2.05 cm, Nakago length: 8.7 cm, Nakago sori: None Shape Sugata: Hira-zukuri, Mitsu-mune. The mihaba is standard, with a slightly Fukura-kareru appearance. The ridge (mune) is sharply tapered. Forging (Kitae) Kitae: Itame-hada mixed with masame, partially showing hada-tachi. The ji-nie is densely distributed, and chikei are prominently visible. Hamon Hamon: Overall, the yakiba is high, featuring a ko-notare pattern mixed with ko-gunome elements. The hamon has ashi and yo, with deep nioi and thick nie. Kinsuji, nie-suji, and sunagashi cross between the ji and ha, while yubashiri follows the hada lines. The mune is hardened (yakikomi) from the base to the tip, giving the impression of a hitatsura-style hamon. The nioiguchi is bright and sharp. Boshi Bōshi: Midare-komi. The omote side shows strong nie with island-like (shima-ba) formations, while the ura side has vigorous hakikake with a flame-like (kaen) appearance. Nakago Nakago: Ubu, with a shallow ha-agari and kurijiri. The yasurime are unclear. One mekugi-ana is present. On the omote side, below the mekugi-ana, there is a large, bold two-character inscription ("Norishige"). Smith Etchū no Kuni Norishige Period Late Kamakura period Explanation Historical sword records from the Edo period list Norishige as one of the "Masamune Juttetsu" (Ten Great Disciples of Masamune). However, based on the sugata of his tachi and tanto works, as well as dated pieces from the Shōwa and Gen’ō eras, it is more accurate to consider him a student of Shintōgo Kunimitsu, as described in Muromachi-period texts. He should thus be regarded as a fellow disciple of Masamune rather than a direct student. Norishige’s style closely resembles that of the highest-tier Sōshū smiths, particularly Masamune. However, he often displays even more pronounced nie variations than Masamune. His forging features bold, large-patterned hada-tachi, known as "Matsukawa-hada" (pine-bark grain), with prominent chikei. Additionally, the hamon exhibits dynamic hataraki where the forging texture interacts with the hardened edge, showcasing an extraordinary range of nie activity. This tanto exemplifies Norishige’s distinctive style, with a standard mihaba and his characteristic "hako-sori" (box-shaped curvature). The jigane combines itame and masame, with dense ji-nie and abundant chikei. The hamon is notably high, blending ko-notare with ko-gunome, featuring deep nioi, thick nie, and a bright nioiguchi. Kinsuji, nie-suji, and sunagashi extend dramatically across the ji and ha, while yubashiri follows the hada lines. The bold chikei and well-refined itame-hada serve as a textbook example of "Matsukawa-hada." Furthermore, the radiant hamon, characteristic of top-tier Sōshū work, displays thick nie that fully expresses the beauty of nie activity across the blade. Large-scale kinsuji, nie-suji, and sunagashi dynamically traverse the ji and ha. This work perfectly encapsulates Norishige’s mastery, and its exceptional preservation makes it an outstanding example of his artistry.

Kotetsu has always been highly priced However, I doubt it will sell for this price A Tanto by Norishige was on offer two years ago and the asking price at the time was 75 million Yen and it was sold A few months ago this blade reappeared on offer from the same seller as a consignment sale. It has recently disappeared from the offer, so it has either been sold or the owner has taken it back Almost all top blades are traded quietly and there is no interest in either party letting the price be known

So if I understand you correctly - you claim/think that the above examples of naginata-naoshi with boshi that kaeri has were not modified from naginata, but were made as we see them - correct? And don't worry - my English is worse than yours and I often use a translator

In fact, with today's AI capabilities, it's quite easy to get a translation of Japanese texts However, many nihonto enthusiasts lack a library they can work with

Come on Jacques Do you expect someone to show you a blade before and after? What is the argument that they are two different blades? On the left is the blade that NBTHK designated as a naginata If you have even a little imagination, then you can guess whether it is possible to preserve the kaeri when transforming into a naginata-naoshi by modifying this particular blade by the mune

It is undoubtedly a generous gesture from @Rayhan It is one thing to process data and databases for one's own use And another thing to have publicly available data Just a friendly reminder Every publication is subject to copyright And since Japan is a signatory to the Berne Convention, copyright expires 50 years after the author's death

Another example of an early Yamashiro blade with very fine ko-nie jigane and chikei, which are also very fine (you can see them better in places where the photo is a bit out of focus)

The first case you describe is actually the jigane itself (chikei is not made of a cluster of ji-nie) The published photos are of a blade from a first-class Soshu swordsmith, however the chikei are made of martensite crystals that are woven through the layers of jigane Chikei can take many forms and many times may not be visible at first glance Here is an example of a Bitchu blade from the end of Kamakura, where the chikei are about the thickness of a human hair (for a better idea - the sakihaba is 16mm and the kissaki is 25mm)

Chikei doesn't always follow hada In places where chikei are not formed you can see the structure of the jigane, which has a much finer texture than it might seem when looking at the chikei

Markus describes Jifu in his book as: " Areas of dense ji-nie which appear as spots, splotches (fu, 斑) on the ji. It as a more or less clear border and deeper color than the surrounding jigane and it is a hardening effect. That means it appears free from the jihada, the forging structure, and is not limited to follow the pattern of the grain. "

Maybe you meant sumihada, which is typical of the AOE school

I separated the ura side from the photo and then divided it into the top and bottom of the ura side Maybe it will be clearer now However, as I said, it is impossible to draw definite conclusions from the photo and Norinari is undoubtedly a rare swordsmith

With the exception of the highest quality blades, there is almost zero chance that your investment in nihonto will appreciate - even in terms of absolute value. And I am not comparing this from a time perspective compared to an investment in, for example, the SP500 index, which can double in a decade over the long term If you are not above average educated in nihonto , do not buy blades as part of an investment portfolio If you buy a blade with Hozon papers, but in Juyo quality, the price will almost always be close to what the quality of the blade represents and not the papers that come with the blade. Be aware that blade dealers have been in business for decades and they know what they are selling

As Jussi said, blades that meet your expectations are very rare A healthy blade with a nagasa over 80cm pre Muromachi should easily pass Juyo if it is really healthy Therefore you will have to adjust one of your requirements - parameters or price In the entire history of Shinsa only about 150 Juyo blades fit your expectations And of those, I'm guessing maybe half won't have the sori you expect. Regarding the Nipponto seller - here I would be especially careful and without checking the blade in the hands of someone I trust I would not buy anything

This was valid for some time during Covid I think You can apply again for Hozon and Tokubetsu Hozon in one application https://www.touken.or.jp/shinsa/fee.html BTW - Shinsa has again significantly raised fees for Juyo and TokuJu

If you really want blades in this price range then don't do stupid things How do you know this blade is healthy? It's not easy to tell from the photo, but especially the Ura side comes to me without reflection, which means the hamon is almost dead in the monouchi I repeat - don't rush And if it helps you - it wasn't that long ago that I reacted the same way you did

The seller is trustworthy However, I think this blade has been sold for a long time ago - it's just that the website is not updated

Jedediah - it's your money and your decision of course. A friend who is also a member of this forum and an avid collector Bizen Den searched for a blade from this smith for several years before he got one that was worth it Study Saburo Kunimune thoroughly and learn what you don't want on a blade from him Spending money is the easiest thing in the world - the market offers thousands of ways to do it. However, when it comes time to sell, you will have a very hard time selling such a blade to collectors because: 1. the number of people who can spend that amount on a blade is limited 2. these people usually know and understand what they are looking for This is just friendly advice Don't rush

The worst thing you can do is buy a blade from a famous swordsmith just because it is from a famous swordsmith and the price seems low If you can spare that amount for a purchase, rather invest 20% of that price and make repeated trips to Japan and study really good blades in museums and at dealers

Of course - but I didn't say anything in the context of nie/nioi for jifu, did I? My comment was directed at how jifu utsuri manifests itself on blades - exactly as you write like a fingerprint. And the reason why it is so is perhaps small variations in the carbon concentration in the steel that cause such an effect. But that's just a guess I also agree that utsuri hardens the surface of the blade, but I'm not sure if that was the swordsmith's intention First of all - utsuri occurs only in a very thin layer of steel and with repeated sharpening it disappears much faster than hamon And then - I'm saying this as I heard, from a friend who has been a togishi for over 30 years A well-forged blade will crack/break in battle due to the higher harmonic frequencies that are created in the steel when blade repeatedly hits blade against blade To eliminate this phenomenon, the fumbari at the base of the blade is of fundamental importance

The third is a blade from the end of Kamakura, Bitchu/Bingo area Setsumei describes it as shirake utsuri Although the utsuri on this blade is not that pronounced, it is very sensitive to changes in the angle of light and the reflection looks like a hologram It is my favorite blade by the way

The second is a blade from the Rai school also from the Nanbokucho period. Setsumei describes utsuri as jifu utsuri but I would rather call it nie -utsuri

I have never statistically evaluated the presence of utsuri for higher rated blades in a time and school I agree with you that the prerequisite for the emergence of utsuri is first-class tamahagane. We can only assume that the typical appearance of Jifu utsuri is a consequence of fluctuations in the homogeneity of the raw material with respect to carbon content I am not a metallurgist and am not competent to make any conclusion However, I can attach examples of three different blades. All have nioiguchi in the ko-nie. The first is the Soden-Bizen school from the Nanbokucho period Prominent midare utsuri

First of all, I think that swordsmiths in the Early Koto period did not create utsuri intentionally. They primarily made weapons. The utsuri was just a side effect of the material's sensitivity to the yakiire process There are many great Kamakura blades from the Bizen school that do not have utsuri I'm not even sure if they were able to get the blade surface to a state where they could see the utsuri. Nice to see you back here @Rayhan