Lewis B

I've read mitsu-mune was more difficult to produce and therefore associated with blades of a higher caliber. I've seen it mostly on Tanto and having read in another thread that these short blades were often custom made for important persons during the early Koto, the additional work and expense would be justified.

Were mune styles exclusively used by certain gokuden. Are they reliable kantei features? I've seen several blades by Go Yoshihiro considered one of the founding smiths of the Soshu tradition that are iori-mune. Is mitsu-mune more common on tanto?

It appears you have some active rust on the blade so it's a good idea to coat the blade in Choji or Tsubaki oil and every few weeks wipe off the old oil and replace with fresh. That should help to stabilise things.

This is another by the same 2nd gen maker, but in Tamahagane steel. Being primarily swordsmiths they had access to some old material accumulated during the late 19th century by the founder.

Some Kiridashi can be works of art. This is by one of my favourite gendaito makers. 2nd generation Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Kato Shinpei. His son Kato Kiyoshi is also a certified swordsmith (nihonto name Kanekuni) and still active at 80+ years of age.

Looks like a case of over enthusiastic oiling Oli

Yes that's the event. Here is a glossy pre-show YT advertisement Regarding the NBTHK-EB meetings. You are entitled to one free admission after that you need to be a NBTHK member or pay an attendance fee. I'll PM some details.

Seller also has a bridge for sale. Jubi papers are extremely suspicious and look to be easy to fake. Worth reading this

This one is Hozon and sold through a Bonhams auction

Here is the Mei for a couple of other tantos by Miyamoto Kanenori. I see some differences not least the location on the nakago. A TH tanto

That wakizashi was originally purchased from a dealer in Andorra quite recently. They have a very poor reputation and their 'certificates of authenticity' are worthless. I would advise you to consider very carefully and certainly ask your friend why they are selling so quickly. As Lex says this dealer sells many gimei blades and is known to remove valuable fittings eg urushi saya, replacing them with cheaper, poorly fitting parts.

Here's an English translation Sword valuation en.pdf

Wow thats a LOT of uchiko. Its use is frowned on in many quarters, but who am I to critique.......

You're not the first to find the blade was not as impressive in hand relative to the published images. They must have a very good photographer. Caveat emptor.

Hi Lukrez, While I certainly agree some EU dealers leave a lot to be desired (avoid Catawiki and the dealers selling on that site), there are certainly some notable exceptions. Pablo Kuntz of Unique Japan is based in the UK but has an office in Tokyo. His teams photography is among the best and he appears to be offering some more accessibly priced pieces. I would trust him implicitely to curate the blades he offers. For informal contact with enthusiasts consider joining the NBTHK-EB (European Branch). They organise bimonthly meetings (usually in the Klinge Museum in Solingen) and occasionally closer to you in Manching. These events are incredible and I have had the pleasure to examine many Juyo and Tokuju blades by some grandmasters. Next week we will have a special meetup and a unique opportunity to see several swords by 3 generations from the Rai school, the founder Rai Kuniyuki, Kunitoshi (son) and Kunimitsu (grandson). There is also the German Nihonto Club but they only meet once or twice a year. I haven't attended one of these yet but hope to attend next October. Next month will see the annual Japan Art Expo in Utrecht and this is another unmissable occasion for European collectors. Over 15 retailers from Europe, Japan and North America will attend offering many high quality nihonto, tosugu and katchu from all eras. The lectures are also worthwhile.

Max, did you buy through the sellers Ebay account? Seller doesn't accept returns but under certain circumstances Ebay might rule in your favour if you decide to return. There are financial considerations at play. Import duties into Germany are 19% and these may not be easily refundable (never tried so don't know for sure). Return shipping can be expensive too unless you have access to a business account. For such a small nick I'd not worry and remember, these things can happen at any time.

Yes the Masahide article was enlightening. I had no idea the mune was used in an offensive mode. And that swordsmithing techniques were adopted to strengthen the blade when used as such.

That video is at least 10 months old. I can't see any damage along the edge but a lot could have happened in the interim. Nice blade in good polish. I can see why you like it.

So this was from a dealer in Japan? Can you check the photos to see if it's something you might have overlooked? Shipping damage is a stretch, especially if the seals on the box were intact. The nicks are small but might diminish your enjoyment over time (or you wouldn't have posted here). Talk to a togishi like Massimo Rossi in Italy and ask if it can be fixed without a full polish and therefore at a reduced cost, which might be justified from a value perspective.

Yes I concur. Horimono- check, signature-check, shirasaya with metal fittings-odd. I would even say the horimono looks stamped with maybe some hand finishing flourishes. The Mei looks really weak as if someone scratched the kanji into the Nakago. Overall lots of red flags.

He's in Poland. I'm guessing 19% customs duties will be due if anything like Germany.

Doesn't look like any Fukuoka Ichimonji I've seen, but I've been looking for one of his books (Tatakara Daikan). He makes some quite controversial claims like Go Yoshihiro was a Yamato smith, namely Senjuin, having connections with Yamato Shizu, but no association to the Sagami smiths.

I think thats only a reflection (see last pic in 3rd post)

Hard to define 'best' as these makers worked in different styles but were equally accomplished in technique. I would also say Rai Kunimitsu should also be up there. He and Shintogo Kunimitsu are regularly referred to as the best Tanto makers. As representatives of their respective schools I would say these 3 are the pinnacle of whats been accomplished.

The 3 on Nihonto.com are some of the best currently available online.