waljamada

I have a wakizashi with gunto tsuba in those identical style mounts with wood and leather handle. Wonder if this is also a non military mount survival style or perhaps army crew gunto.

All I know is a great match in theme to this single blade that I have with an ato-bori dragon in the clouds and tiger horimono!

Same, have only seen one Fuji hamon in real life and it was on a short wakizashi but didn't have the moon. I think the moon really makes it. Could be a sun too, the art leaves it for interpretation!

I'll just leave this magazine I have framed on my wall here....

I really want organizations to exist but wouldn't consistently attend one at this time in my life. To fill that statement out a bit what I mean is, I want experts talking, I want an environment for pursuing being an "expert", I want means to share learned information that gets a form of "peer review" and to encourage creation of new material etc...the high levels needs a venue and deserves a spotlight. I (selfishly and altruisticly) also think ideally far more people could benefit from what the organizations can and are producing. The investment in those arriving and people already participating in the nihonto is at the deep core of a healthy continuing hobby. One day when I have enough knowledge to truly add to the nihonto field I will pay it back. Until then I'll help at the lower levels. Furthermore, organizations and conventions are still really the only way to organize larger scale spaces/times where people can physically share, do traditional physical kantei, give speakers a more traditional platform, gather sellers and buyers etc... and so many more classic needed goodies. I also agree with some above saying that gendaito etc...should be in the fold as it's one of the largest entry points and still created with the purpose of a functional tool of war. Don't know that swords will ever be made and used like that again...ever...and deserve their place. Not every nihonto fan needs or wants an "art" piece to be a collector or develop a passion and at the start most likely couldn't afford one....but one day they may/will. I will say though if you search "Nihonto" on youtube, comparative to other hobbies I have, it's kind of a dead zone. There's no consistent personalities giving it life or sharing guided examples or telling stories...it's a gap that needs some filling and perhaps that personality could come from or even be an organization. It takes a person (or persons) with a good balance of personality, passion, knowledge and tech skill to devote some real time so I hope one day one arises. TLDR: to sum it all up, need some beacon personalities/groups, more sharing of currently active groups/organizations online, materials/videos available to get people up and running on the basics, organizations to give expertise a venue and "microphone" and then to quote Jurassic Park, "life will find a way."

Bump, peeking my head out in the buyers market again.

He was just making a joke and I pointed out that I've noticed that seller is just false listings copied from other sellers, a warning flag per se as Ive seen fake postings of previously sold items for multiple other sellers listed on that seller account. "Trickery inception" was also a joke making a general term on multiple layers of stacked trickery. So just off the cuff "fun".

Also that "seller" copies other sellers listings I'm pretty sure. Trickery inception.

Ang odd ducks?

Have a blade where the sayagaki said it was made as a gift to a daimyo for whatever that is worth =|:^)

I don't believe I am. They are more than just cutting tools. They are a science, an art and a passion...literally. To some they were a job/tool, to some a necessity, to some there were an art and to some they were a school of study etc... So experimentation and stretched attempts take place. This maker directly demonstrates that. He took an academic and practical study approach mostly focused on the metallurgy of swordmaking. Studying the variety and variations within the perfections are infinitely interesting. This happens with x and if you combine y you get z etc.... It's evolution is part of its interesting features. To only idealize the epitomes (which are deserved) misses the breadths.

While i understand the respect for perfect controlled and skillful execution, for me personally, in any art/skill I feel extremely strict rigidity/narrowing in appreciate is a losing man's game. Like in painting the control and harnessing of paint and brush (mastery of material and execution) in realism is amazing but personally I find the homogeny of perfection somewhat boring. I prefer the imperfections that allow impressionism to be more resonant for example. Sword makers are probably much the same, each found different things beautiful and worthy of attempt. Sometimes purposeful imperfectness or even attempts and "other" can actually be more beautiful and require impressive skill/knowledge. Perfection are things you can write computer programs for with repeatable and predictable outcomes. Predictable, repeatable and perfect even when requiring immense skill might not inspire me to want to describe it as "splendid". A beautiful mistake will though.... Don't tread on my splendid =|:^)

That most sensible way worked. Thanks Jussi.

I think some of what I appreciate seeing in the blade is some of it's hataraki: for example the consistent sunagashi and togari. Nie and nioi both play their parts. It's splendid. I picture Numata Naomune more like book smart smith compared to natural "God given" talent type like a Kiyomaro.

Filming and photographing blades is so hard and balancing/holding straight a 32" nagasa blade in one hand is near impossible! Also I had a bit too much choji on it. Aoi link to blade: https://sword-auction.com/en/product/10563/as20031-刀：沼田直宗/ A short terribly shot and out of focus video in all the wrong lighting: splendid nioi-guchi!?! and a pic. I will say that Numata Naomune was big into metallurgy and even wrote books on it. This blade does have more nioi-guchi than usual which is at that layer area at the top/inner edge line of the hamon. I forget some of the names/terms but during the tempering process it creates the softer pearlite hamon area and the harder martensitic steel area. The clusters/activity in that top/inner layer kinda bordering between the pearlite hamon and martensitic steel (I believe it has its own name) but in this blade that area has more going on. It does have the most interesting nioi-guchi (as I understand it) out of any blades I have. I think a guy like Numata Naomune would try for just such things.

AlanK, Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and thoughts on Miyamoto Kanenori and I'm glad some of his excellent works have found their way into your collection. Sounds they found the right person. This maker's life is indeed an intriguing one of note and acclaim. His designations and commissions speak to this clearly. Also, as a side note, I love the photos of him in his old age. A man who followed an art through a long life to the end.

I didn't know about the late adoption of the kuyo mon. Must make those a bit rarer as they must be on a smaller percentage of their work. If you have in Miyamoto Kanenori bladed feel free to share here if the mood strikes you. =|:^)

Anyone by chance know how to get an old picture off aoijapan.com blade posts that isnt on the archived version? I realized that the pictures of the guy who always looks at the swords at the bottom of the page is actually holding the specific blade they are selling. Now I kinda wish I copied that photo of the guy (Mr. Aoi?) holding/kantei-ing my blade.

Alan, indeed it is. Here's a cool picture of the signsture/mon on a wakizashi.

Always find these tameshigiri blades interesting and the side topic of notable testers. Notoriety in such a thing is oddly morbid but historically has it's context. The Yamadas I believe literally "wrote the book" on tameshigiri by defining/naming which cut is what. I do sometimes forget katana are firstly designed as lethal weapons.

Here's some pics I took of it to help on your quest.

Also have these, love this style of wrap.

George, Have a type 3 gunto saya kinda wrapped like that.