Lewis B

I certainly didn't take anything negative. There are so many blades with 'atypical' Mei that have received a Shintogo attribution based on the quality of the forging. Like Norishige he has quite a distinctive forging style. I was merely making a statement about the status of the blade in my thread. The Shirasaya is being made, hibachi has been refurbished and then it goes for polish.

A signed Tametsugu is quite special.

Very early registration number for the torokusho, No74 from March 1951. Only seen one earlier which was No66 for a Sadatsuna Sekishu with Tameshigiri inscription.

Yep that thread became a deep dive for every signature nuance and subtlety associated with Shintogo Kunimitsu and his acolytes. I hope the information deposited there, distilled down to a few key points, will be enough to sway the Shinsa panel. If not then the quest will continue. Question now is does the forging meet Shintogo's very high standard. The togishi seems to think so.

And there are even doubts that 'Midare-Shintogo' is Shoshin. Its been suggested its the work of Yukimitsu signing daimei-daisaku.

I would say opportunity missed. The mei looks good to me for Sadakazu. He was also known for Katakiriha-zukuri For 42500 JPY someone stole it. Better to buy first and ask for forgiveness later.

Just to get you started. Check out the Mei on this signed Shintogo Kunimitsu dated 1315 that was part of the Sano Museum exhibition in the early 2000's. Several of the kanji are shared by your tanto and this example. Note the atypical style of 'mitsu' carving.

Interesting. Whats the nagasa measurement? Mitsu or iorimune?

Links not working for me.

Wonderful opportunity for seasoned collectors and novices alike. The more exposure we have to nihonto the better for the hobby. Word of advice. Gloves should be worn when handling the blades in shirasaya or displayed with a tsuka. Bare hands when holding the nakago.

Thats what I thought. Might the simplicity of the overall tsuba design and rough cutting of the open hitsu ana suggest its a provincial piece? The current sizing of the nakago ana fit my short Senjuin sword perfectly. This understated tsuba works nicely with the blade and doesn't detract. Now I just have to find a tsuka to complete the set.

I picked this tsuba up a while ago. My first one. Its simplicity and 'honesty' appealed to me and that it was mounted at least 2 times. Apart from the mokko gata shape the only other adornment is quite an intricately designed and execution of gold inlay in the filled hitsu-ana. The vertical lines scored in the material (I assume its lead alloy) are reminiscent of stems and the gold representing the flower heads eg iris. Could this embellishment have been added at a later date? Any ideas regarding period and maker/school?

It was more common during this period for short swords to be left mumei by the smith. Off the top of my head, Sa School (Sa Kunihiro), Masamune for example. The explanation I hear is that these could have been commissioned works and so the customer preferred not to have the name of the maker chiseled on the nakago I would make a purchase decision on a case-by-case basis. Requiring a signature and you might miss out on a Masamune .....

Attractive blade that appears to be keenly priced. Just wondering why its consignment as the photos don't show major condition issues and the attribution (excluding the misinformation) is not controversial. Not a fan of the koshirae but that's just personal aesthetics. Some interesting info on the 2 smiths here https://nihonto.com/hasebe-kunishige-and-hasebe-kuninobu-長谷部国重＆長谷部国信　/

My first reaction is that the monouchi and kissaki have been reshaped. Possibly it had some damage. And that could certainly account for the poorly defined yokote.

Like the tax collector?

As the saying goes, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing

Could this be the higher priced TJ Yukimitsu? Dealer had it priced at 38mil 2 yrs ago https://www.tsuruginoya.com/items/f00665.html

Beautiful work by Shozo Sato, encapsulating the imagery of a Masamune hamon in full energetic flow. Very powerful.

Darcy used to sell some of the big name blades he acquired through the major auction houses. Given his contacts both in Japan and outside I can only surmise he chose that venue because they could command top dollar in a public auction. I think one blade he sold was a Norishige achieving ~$100k, which at that time it was a significant price for a sword by the smith. Maybe even the well heeled, inner circle, Japanese collectors have their limits...

That tanto is magnificent. It’s the first time I’ve seen it so thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Excellent points. According to historical references there was a signed Masamune blade, dated 1314, so he was active for several decades. The condition of this blade will almost certainly hold it back. Very speculative pricing for a blade that, taken on its own merits, is far from appealing. This is the best 'Masamune' that I've seen on the open market. Very healthy and I think this is worthy of its attribution at Juyo level, also with early Honami family papers. The distribution of Nie is quite distinctive. I doubt there would be Sadamune without Masamune's influence. Their style from what I can tell is quite distinctive compared to the other contemporary Soshu grandmasters. Who else had such control of Nie distribution? Of course with so much cross pollination of ideas and technology a great deal of overlap should be expected. Norishige with his Mitsukawa hada is probably the standout Soshu smith offering a unique style later in his career.

Whats so interesting about that Norishige? Plenty out there to be viewed. Take this one for example https://www.samurai-nippon.net/SHOP/V-2144.html Or this https://katanahanbai.com/en/katana/katana-norishige/

Last visited 5 years ago so I doubt you going to get a reply.

Personally I buy to collect and study not as an investment vehicle to diversify my portfolio. There has been way too much speculation in other collecting arenas eg whisky, fine art, watches etc that all it achieves is to price out the little guy (read enthusiast). I’m all for downward adjustments as it warns off the investor types who have no interest in the commodity only that it makes a profit on resale.