Mushin

Impressive. Invaluable. Important. Incredible. Thank you.

Not wanting to further stray off topic here, but regarding dealers and Jacques' "mantra," it's not always possible to see a sword in hand. In places with no shows or local dealers, the internet is the only place for many to see and purchase swords. But Jacques is correct that a photo is often not enough. So, please be sure that when you buy online you have a minimum three-day inspection period to make sure that what you saw is what you got, and that it is what you wanted. If you don't you should be able to get a full refund, minus the postage to get the piece back. Most reputable dealers will do this. Yahoo and Ebay auction site holders as a general rule do not. So, as in all things, caveat emptor!

Pierre, Thanks for sharing. Not a very Sue Soshu nakago shape for that period of time. Looking in Markus' A-Z of Japanese swordsmiths, there aren't many alternatives. There is one from Bizen from the same Tenbun time period, but again, that is not a Sue Bizen nakago either. The only other listed option is a Shinshinto smith, province unknown, from about 1818-1830. It's also possible that this is a smith that, in the words of Dr. Sato, fell out of the dictionary. Nice package though.

I would be very interested! Thank you for considering such a labor intensive offer of love!

Steve, you are 100% correct. My bad. Looking again, Bushu Kunimasa is apparently referring to the full signature of the Horikawa smith, "Bushu Edo Fujiwara Kunimasa." Work period would indeed be Kan'ei, and the paper does point to this being a Horikawa school blade. That said, I don't see it. While the photos are poor making it hard to see a definitive link to the school, the yasurimei of the Horikawa Kunimasa referred to here are supposed to be sujikai or o-sujikai. That's not what we see. Granted, the nakago could have been reworked, and it indeed looks to be have been repatinated by some chemical process, it all screams an extremely optimistic attribution to a smith with a small body of work. I stand by my advice to steer clear.

Jebediah, John is correct: the blade is papered to "den" Bushu Kunimasa. I see there is also a polisher listed on the origami who goes by the name Horikawa Akira. The blade is in decent condition, but as a general rule, stay away from unsigned Shinto works - even those by smiths from famous schools. They are easy to buy and extremely difficult to get rid of later. They also don't hold their value over time very well. I discovered this to my own detriment with (of all things!) a Horikawa Kunimasa katana I bought years ago. It was signed, and was a flawless masterwork, but it would never climb the ranks because it was slightly suriage. At the time, I brushed that aside. Why? In addition to being stunning, in amazing condition and 70 cm long, it also had great provenance that I could trace from the Lord of Himeji to one of his retainers in the late 1600s. But in the end, all that did not matter. The sword was not ubu and that made it mind blowingly difficult to sell when the time came to move on. I sold it at a significant loss. But like I said, that's a general rule. If you love the tanto, than that's a different story. Personally, I would pass.

Well, another show has come and gone, and planning has already started for the next one in 2026. The show was a huge success thanks to Mark Ceskavich, Susan Ceskavich, Ray Singer, Joe Forcine and a cast of others who planned, executed, curated and lectured throughout the weekend. Special thanks to Markus Sesko for his presentation on Yamashiro blades which included a bevy of beauties from the early Kamakura through the Muromachi. Highlights included an Awataguchi, a Shintogo Kunimitsu, a Rai Kunimitsu, a Rai Tomokuni, an Enju, a Nobukuni and a Hasebe Kunishige. Tsuba show and tell and mei verification with Markus were also really popular. Sales were decent and deals were had. We look forward to seeing everybody in San Francisco and preparing for the show next year. We have some really cool ideas. Watch this space. Best, Bobby

Exciting News! We’re thrilled to announce that Markus Sesko—one of the world’s leading Nihonto scholars and authors—will be offering mei assessments at the Orlando Japanese Sword Show on Saturday, June 21st! Got a sword or tsuba with a signature you're unsure about? Wondering if it’s worth submitting for shinsa? Don’t risk your hard-earned money—Markus will be on hand to help separate the genuine from the gimei. 📅 Show Dates: Friday, June 20 through Sunday, June 22 📍 Just minutes from Orlando International Airport, with easy access to Florida’s top theme parks. This year’s show features: 40+ vendors with swords, fittings, and antiques for sale Demonstrations and workshops, including an immersive session on Japanese calligraphy, oshigata-making, and tsuka-maki Bonsai and ikebana displays Tsuba show & tell And now, mei checks by Markus! Markus will also give a special talk during our Yamashiro sword exhibition and will be happy to sign exhibition catalogs and copies of his books. So, whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting your Nihonto journey, there’s something for everyone. For more information about attending, booking a room, or reserving a table, please contact organizer Mark Ceskavich at: 📧 orlandoswordshow@yahoo.com NO FOMO! Don’t miss this incredible weekend. We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!

Done, and thanks!

Specifically a catalogue from an NBTHK exhibition a decade or so ago called Iron Tsuba: The Works of the Exhibition “Kurogane no Hana”. If you have one and are willing to sell, please reach out here. Thanks! Bobby

Chafan, USPS tracking and delivery issues with Nihonto have been a persistent problem for years, and things have only gotten worse since the pandemic. Even before COVID, packages were regularly misdelivered, marked as “delivered” when they weren’t, or left out in the rain without notification—just like what happened in your case. In every incident I’ve dealt with—either personally or on behalf of other collectors—the Postal Service has shown little willingness to take responsibility or resolve the problem. It often takes relentless pressure and formal complaints, even involving members of Congress, to get any movement—and even then, outcomes are hit or miss. There have also been cases of outright theft and unexplained disappearances, sometimes involving swords worth tens of thousands of dollars. Shockingly, some packages labeled “undeliverable” were routed to government auctions less than 40 days after disappearing from the USPS tracking system. This is a clear violation of USPS’s own 90-day waiting period before such items can be declared unclaimed and sold. I personally had a sword vanish, only to later discover it at a Georgia store called “Found Treasures.” They’d purchased a bulk lot of unclaimed items for pennies, less than a month after my package disappeared. Despite this, the USPS Postal Inspectors refused to investigate—citing insurance coverage as a reason there was “no victim.” Unfortunately, complaints to officials and influencers have only led to sporadic improvements. I got my sword back but I had to pay the insurance money to get it. My strongest recommendation: ask the dealer in Japan in the future to ship via UPS. Yes, it’s more expensive. And yes, they charge for things like Fish and Wildlife clearance and duties. But the peace of mind is worth it—you’re far more likely to get your sword delivered intact and on time. And by the way, Nihonto collectors aren’t the only ones dealing with this. Customs brokers tell me this is affecting antiques and art shipments across the board. So, be cautious. If you're forced to use USPS, start raising hell the moment your tracking goes dark. —Bobby

Dear NMB friends, I wanted to personally invite you to this year’s Orlando Japanese Arts, Collectibles & Sword Show, happening June 21–23, 2025, just minutes from Orlando International Airport and not far from the theme parks if you're bringing family. Whether you're a seasoned collector or just beginning your journey into Nihonto, there will be something here for everyone. We have a few vendor tables still available, so if you’re thinking of displaying or selling, now’s the time to lock it in. Nothing to sell? Not to worry! We’re proud to be offering an experience that’s more than just tables—it’s a weekend steeped in Japanese art, tradition and craftsmanship. Here’s a quick look at what’s in store: Vendors and Displays - Some 40 vendors and collectors from around the country will be displaying and selling Nihonto, fittings and antiques on 60 tables full of treasures. Bijutsu Studio – A 90-minute hands-on workshop covering Shodo (calligraphy), Oshigata-making, and Tsuka-maki. You can learn, watch, and try your hand! Sword Etiquette Class – Essential for newcomers and a great refresher on how to handle and view authentic Samurai Swords. Tsuba Corner – Our show-and-tell for handguard lovers, from beginner to hardcore collector. Bring a favorite piece to share and learn from fellow collectors. Yamashiro Province Exhibit - .Markus Sesko will present an exhibit of important Japanese Swords from the Yamashiro (Kyoto) Tradition. A display and presentation will be followed by a “hands on” opportunity to study these treasured swords. A catalogue will also be available for purchase. Toyama Ryu & Kyudo demos, plus bonsai and ikebana displays with local club members available to chat. 📍Location: The host hotel is just 10 minutes from the Orlando airport, with easy access and great rates. It's also within driving distance of Disney, Universal, and other family-friendly destinations, so feel free to make it a sword-filled vacation! If you're interested in attending, booking a room or want a table, please comment here or reach out to organizer Mark Ceskavich at orlandoswordshow@yahoo.com. Would love to see lots of NMB members there in person. It's going to be a great weekend!

A katateuchi from the Muromachi generally refers to a sword with a nagasa between 53cm to 66cm. But the key feature was- like you said - a stubby nakago for one-handed fighting. That said, it’s not always easy to see at just a glance because the tangs were often reshaped (they were machi-okuri) in the Edo period to make the nakago longer and more secure for the two-handed fencing styles of the day. You have to look carefully to make sure it’s not a wakizashi or short katana. They were the iconic swords of the Sengoku period and are pretty cool, especially when you find them ubu with only one mekugiana. The one below has the marumune. (The oshigata shows an iori mune and is incorrect.)

I have a Sue Bizen katateuchi by Ukyo no Suke Katsumitsu that has a marumune. A good friend also has a Bizen blade by another smith from Meio that also has one. They seem to be the exception not the rule. The Katsumitsu is done in suguha with kanji for Kasuga Daimyojin on one side and Hachiman Daibosatsu on the other. Perhaps a special order that included a request for a marumune? I also believe that the Shinshinto smith Hayama Enshin always had a marumune.

Great work, Jussi. If I’m not mistaken, the past several Juyo shinsa pass rates have hovered well below 10%, with Session 70 ticking slightly higher than 69, but still yielding the fewest accepted swords in decades. That trend alone speaks volumes about how much more difficult the process seems now. But circling back to the Hirotsugu blade Rayhan so generously shared—while I fully agree that a polish can make or break a Shinsa decision, there’s another factor that deserves equal attention: the Shinsa teams themselves. Boards of judges rotate. Tastes shift. The standards—and even biases—of individual judges can vary from session to session. Add to that the overarching policies and guidance from the Honbu, and you have a landscape where the definition of “Juyo-worthy” is a seemingly ever movable feast. These dynamics can weigh just as heavily as polish on the final outcome. Politics, too—unfortunately the bane of all human endeavors—can sometimes color the process too. Case in point: I recently sent a mumei ko-wakizashi back to Japan for re-evaluation. It had received Tokubetsu Hozon papers, but the attribution was to a group that technically wasn’t even a formal school. Upon resubmission, the blade was again granted Tokubetsu Hozon—but this time with an attribution to one of the top-tier smiths in the history of Nihonto. It was an unbelievable dream result. At that point, I was happy to walk away with the win. I worried that submitting it to Juyo might risk a reversion to the weaker attribution. But I was told by a prominent Japanese dealer that once a Tokubetsu Hozon team makes a bold decision, the Juyo team that immediate follows will often support it because of the need to project consistency. I took the leap, and the sword passed Juyo with the improved attribution intact. I am still grinning over the result. But how much of that result was luck? How much was due to the quality of the new polish? How much was owed to the power and allure of the new attribution? Or to internal consistency within the NBTHK? I’ll never know. But I’m convinced that if I’d waited for a different session or team, the outcome could easily have changed. Timing, polish, attribution, and personnel—all of it matters. The sword has not changed. It's still the same piece. But I would lie if I said my perception of it hasn't.