Mushin

What makes this fascinating little blade so important is its date. It appears at least a full decade earlier than what has traditionally been considered Chōgi's established working period, making it a significant piece for students of Sōden-Bizen and the development of the Chōgi school. Unfortunately, the blade is showing its age. Condition issues including ware in the ha likely explain why it has remained at the Tokubetsu Hozon level despite its rarity and research value. Could it make Jūyō someday? Anything is possible, but I would not consider it likely. That said, it is probably the most reasonably priced zaimei Chōgi to appear on the market in quite some time. The blade was previously offered by Aoi Art roughly four years ago, though I do not know the asking price at the time. @Jussi Ekholm may have that information recorded. I am also curious why the current owner is parting with it after such a relatively short period, something some collectors may understandably view as a cautionary sign. The hitatsura is another point of interest. It is an outlier within Chōgi's body of work, recalling the work of Hiromitsu and, further back, the full-temper explorations seen in some works of Yukimitsu. Yet despite the treatment, Chōgi's hand still comes through clearly. The blade retains the dynamic,Sōshū-influenced Bizen character that makes his work so distinctive. Signed and dated Nanbokuchō-period works by Chōgi and his immediate circle rarely appear on the market. Even mumei examples are encountered infrequently. By comparison, the blade pictured below was offered by Aoi Art last year and received 2025 Tokubetsu Hozon papers to Kenchō—not Den Kenchō, but Kenchō himself, generally regarded as Chōgi's foremost student. Tanobe-sensei, however, attributed the blade to Chōgi in his sayagaki. Both opinions are entirely reasonable. The condition of that blade is exceptional. The zaimei example being offered here, however, provides something the Kenchō attribution debate cannot: a firmly signed and dated reference point from the formative years of the school. For collectors of top Nanbokucho Soshu works, that carries considerable importance. The asking price is not unreasonable for what is being offered, and I would not be surprised to see it rise before the auction closes, much as the zaimei Kanemitsu did last week. If I had an extra $40,000 available in these uncertain times, I would be very tempted. For collectors of Sōshū-influenced work, Sōden-Bizen, Nanbokuchō tantō, or blades exhibiting strong Masamune-style jihada, this is certainly worthy of serious consideration. As for me, I will remain content with my little mumei example.

Michael, As usual, I agree with you wholeheartedly but I'm not sure I concur 100% on the above point. There are some ware in the Ichimonji hamon, small indeed, but pitting and openings in the ha kinda drive me crazy even on almost 700-year-old blades. Can't always be avoided and I get that. It's a purely personal thing. And when you say the Iwato jigane is tighter, I would argue that Bizen jigane is almost always going to be tighter than Sa School work, with the exception of maybe Yasuyoshi whose work appears to have been influenced by the Bizen school. The Iwato has flashes of brilliance but never quite gets there for my taste, but that's Iwato, I guess. It just doesn't have that "oomph" that the other Ichimonji schools have. Likewise, the Sa blade is well above average with a nice thick nioiguchi, but it's nowhere close to the top of the Sa School pile.At the same time neither of them are priced like they are national treasures. And I agree that by and large they on equal footing, both being stout Nanbokucho works done in notare, offering the qualities of their respective traditions. The ask isn't huge, but it is a big leap for most people. But I am with you in that Elias should walk away at this point and study until he knows what his heart desires, and a trip to DTI would be mind-opening. In fact, I need to go one of these years before I am a fully petrified fossil. PS: I am trying not to be a victim of my own Sa School fanboy inclinations but it's hard not to love what you love and not be swayed by that.

I am not trying to be difficult here but the questions really don't make a lot of sense to me. For example, please define what you mean by "history" of the blade? Are you talking provenance? The history of the period when it was made? How the smiths and schools were seen by history? Given that one sword is attributed to a smith who was the son of one of the most important sword makers in Japan, and the other is broadly attributed to a school, is that the kind of historical touchstone you are referring to? These decisions for many collectors are normally based on their own interests and collections. If you collect Nanbokucho Soshu, then the Sa blade fits. If you collect Kamakura Bizen then Ichimonji would be the way to go. Other collectors just buy what moves them. Some just buy Juyo. Some want blades w/cutting tests or battle damage. Some want swords from particular time periods or schools. Now, broadly speaking Iwato Ichimonji is viewed as the least prestigious of the four Ichimonji traditions, the others being Ko-Ichimonji, Fukuoka Ichimonji and Yoshioka Ichimonji. Hard core Ichimonji fans love the first two. But it ultimately depends on the sword, because even the worse Ichimonji can be great. That said I have seen MANY ho-hum Ichimonji. In fact, I was kind of unimpressed with the hype surrounding Ichimonji swords until seeing Paul Davidson's Yoshioka Ichimonji two years ago at Sothebys. It was like a revelation, like seeing a sword for the first time: a brilliant habuchi with choji that looked almost three dimensional; layers of floating utusuri like the clouds a plane passes through on its way to a landing. Never handled one like that before. I've seen some nice ones but this was the first and only one I ever handled where I remember thinking: "So this is what all the Ichimonji excitement is about." So, If my pocket were full of change, and if I were hunting for an Ichimonji blade, I would want something at least which approaches that. But that's aesthetics, not history. Elias, while I appreciate your desire to touch history, my recommendation is almost like a mantra or broken record on this board: keep your money in your pocket. Study. Look at as many swords as you can. And when you decide what school or time period moves you, then go shopping. Until then, keep your powder dry and your mind open. Buying swords is easy. Buying the right sword takes study. Best of luck.

The blades are radically different — different traditions, different aesthetics, different emotional impact. In some ways, asking whether the Jūyō Iwato Ichimonji or the Jūyō Sa Yoshisada is “better” is like asking which classic Hollywood star was more beautiful. There is no objective answer. The real question is: what are YOU looking for? Do you want the flamboyant, aristocratic elegance and luminous choji of Ichimonji? Or the darker, more intense, more inwardly powerful atmosphere of late-Soshu Sa work? Those are fundamentally different experiences. At the Jūyō level, you are already operating in rare air. Many collectors on this board have never even handled a Jūyō blade, let alone had the opportunity to choose between two. Is this an investment question? A market-value question? A “best bang for the buck” question? A school popularity question? Or is it about which sword actually moves you when you hold it? Because ultimately, that is the only thing that matters. The sword you keep coming back to in your mind — the one that pulls at you a little — is probably your answer. On the matter I will say only this: there appears to me to be no shortage of Ichimonji or Rai school blades out there in the market. If you miss one, another one will come along, both better and worse. The same can't be said for blades directly attributed to Sa School smiths. But, again, it all comes down to what moves YOU. Nobody here can answer that but YOU.

Same just happened with a friend here in Florida. Bought some fittings from a well-known dealer in Japan. Arrived w/no problem from UPS and then months later, he got hit for almost $400 in taxes, fees and penalties. With the mess created by the tariffs and the issues we have had with thefts from USPS shipments from and to Japan, I have stopped buying from overseas altogether. Though there are some very desirable pieces I have seen of late on Japanese dealer websites, and the yen is so depressed v the dollar, it's just not worth the stress, worry and hidden costs. Looking forward to the remaining US shows and whatever my US dealer friends dig out of the woodwork or from older US collections. Sucks but it is what it is. I fear that the Golden Days of international sword trade may be behind us. Boo!

I was talking to Ray Singer about this yesterday. The problem here, as we discussed, is the connection with the Tokugawa. That association is such that few are going to ever say it is a fake, even to this day. Cultural respect, etc. But the fact that sword has no official status -- not Kokuho,Jubi, JuBun or any flavor of Juyo -- is telling. So it appears to be exactly as labeled: a sword signed Sadamune that was owned by powerful member of the Tokugawa family. No more. No less.

Sa blades attributed to specific smiths tend to be highly valued blades. They are considered a big step above the more numerous Sue-Sa and O-Sa Ichimon attributions, and thus are prized. Yoshisada has to his credit 56 recorded blades, including two Jubis, four TokuJus and 42 Juyos. Not too shabby by any standard. That said, top tier work like this is not that common and the setsumei is certainly very positive about the attribution and the quality of the blade. For me, a Sa School lover, I think the price isn't unreasonable at all especially with the current exchange rate for a Juyo work from a good session and great setsumei. And comparing the quality to other Soshu-adjacent schools and smiths, I think they represent probably some the best value in Nanbokucho Soshu works. The value of Sa blades within the Soshu pantheon was something that even Darcy commented on. And while Yoshisada's works are not as well-regarded as some of the other inner Samonji circle such as Yukihiro (my favorite) and Yoshisada's older brother, Yasuyoshi, his work is considered closer to his father's (Samonji) work style than is Yasuyoshi. (Kunihiro mentioned above was also good but was later and not necessarily among O-Sa's inner circle of children and early students.) Yes, there are lots of options at this price range, but if you are looking for a Juyo blade with excellent Soshu pedigree and supreme clarity of the steel and such a wide bright habuchi, I am not sure you are going to find much better at this price. Just my humble opinion. (And FTR, the only reason I didn't jump on it is these days I only collect tanto. My safe and closet are grateful!)

So glade you and Mark are coming as first timers! Looking forward to meeting you!!!

Thanks, Hokke. The hotel says the room block closes on May 26th so there is still time to book for reservations with the reduced rate.

The 12th Orlando Japanese Arts, Collectibles & Sword Show (June 26–28, 2026) continues to grow and improve every year, and this year is shaping up to be the biggest and strongest yet. This year’s featured exhibition is “Masterpieces of the Yamato Tradition,” with a special educational display curated by Ray Singer and Joe Forcine highlighting important examples from one of the most influential traditions in Nihonto history. The dealer room is shaping up to be the strongest yet: 41 table holders spread across 60+ tables Dealers and exhibitors traveling from 12 states Seven first-time exhibitors, which means fresh inventory and new material that attendees likely haven’t seen before That combination of established dealers and new faces should make for an especially strong buying, selling, and networking weekend. In addition to swords, there will be: Tsuba roundtables Sword etiquette presentations Toyama-ryu demonstrations Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu demonstrations Bonsai and ikebana exhibitions And plenty of opportunities to talk swords with fellow collectors from around the country One of the things that makes Orlando particularly easy is logistics: the venue is just minutes from Orlando International Airport, with hotel shuttle service available. Event Details: June 26–28, 2026 DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando Airport Orlando, Florida The hotel room block closes in 11 days, so if you’re thinking about attending, now is the time to lock things in. More details here: Orlando Sword Show If you’ve never attended, this is an excellent year to start. If you’ve been before, expect a bigger room, fresh material, and one of the best educational displays the show has hosted. Hope to see many of you there.

I had this issue once with the Feds. The rayskin was not mentioned on the import paperwork and Wildlife officers in the CBP office threatened to destroy the whole package. I actually told them to keep the koshirae and send me just the shirasaya and the blade. They said they couldn't. The matter was resolved one the dealer supplied paperwork about the same wrap. But it was nerve-racking. Another potential area for big trouble are the little ivory adornments to the shirasaya. Those can end up getting the package impounded and ultimately destroyed. I have them removed by dealers in Japan before shipping and I have them replaced with black horn or fake ivory when they arrive. That said I have stopped ordering from Japan because of so many shipping headaches and the tariffs, which might be behind us soon. At least, I hope so!

Bummer you weren't in Chicago, there were some killer Gassan tanto, including one--double boxed--in amazing koshirae that a friend picked up for $5k. It was one of the best I had ever seen. We can keep our eyes peeled for you in Orlando in June.

It was and is always a great show, thanks to Mark and his family, who infuse it with the DNA of Midwestern welcoming kindness. And many do come just to see people as well as have look see and don't get anything. Not me. I bought four tsuba this time around but no blades. That said sales seemed to be great and there were many fine pieces to be had, from Juyo masterworks to some promising out of the woodwork pieces at prices even mere mortals could afford. Truly, a great time was had by all. Thanks, Mark!

I am envious. What a great exhibition! Thank you for sharing the photos. Being a Soshu nitwit I love the Norishige and the Tsunahiro!

Is there any evidence that there were forgeries of torokusho as well as everything else? Not sure what it would get you but to further the perception that all early registrations were from important collections. Like Lewis pointed out, if this blade were shoshin, why no modern papers? I can understand how some folks didn't paper their blades, but when you see the prices commanded by top makers like Samonji, the only reason why such a blade would show up in one of these online auctions sans kanteisho instead of a big name dealer would be is if it were not as advertised and the seller was in search of a new fool.