Mushin

Great result! Congrats!

Please keep your eyes out on government auction sites as often the stolen swords will end up here. A trick that seems to be employed by criminal postal workers and their contractors is that the delivery label is intentionally destroyed and then the package is placed in a bin ready to go to auction. In reality, a package with a damaged label is supposed to go to a special office where it should be inspected to find information about the shipper and/or the recipient so the package can get back on its way. The USPS has 90-days to do this. After that period of time, the package is considered "lost" and becomes the property of the Post Office and can be auctioned. But what we are finding is that the packages end up in bins that are heading for auction in less than 30 days and are picked up by assumed accomplices for a song. You will find police and agencies like the FBI will not touch these cases because the only U.S. law enforcement agency with jurisdiction is the U.S. Postal Inspectors, and from my experience, I have found them to be absolutely not interested in these cases, especially if there is insurance coverage. The other place to keep an eye out for stolen swords is on the Reddit Katana pages as I have discovered that on several occasions the purchaser of the sword from the USPS auction will post stolen blades here, asking for information about the value of the swords for resale. From what I hear from custom brokers and Japanese dealers, these crimes are on the rise and as I said there is zero interest in combating them. When it comes to very very rare and valuable pieces, I urge you to ask the dealers to ship your swords from Japan by UPS. It is more expensive and will almost always involve extra charges for inspections by CBP and Fish and Wildlife inspectors, but in terms of peace of mind, it is money well spent. Hope this helps.

Add to this a growing number of U.S. postal thefts that American law enforcement has no interest in dealing with. Shipping swords by U.S. mail in or out of the country has become increasingly risky. I personally have been hit once and know some who've been hit two and three times. This is not only bad for dealers (all are aware of the problem) but also other artisans in Japan, from polishers to habaki makers. Many collectors I know want to upgrade some of their blades but aren't sending their blades to shinsa, not because of issues with the hombu, but because shipping swords to and from the U.S has become so stressful. This does no favors for the hobby.

Putting aside the side issue of Tanobe and "expert panels," (which, BTW, Tanobe oversaw for many, many years while at the NBTHK where he once was the head researcher, ie an "expert,") there is another factor that helps determine blade value: the condition of the nakago, or the tang. Nakago are often overlooked, especially by newbies, but I've seen the value of swords with great workmanship plummet when the nakago was badly deteriorated by water or fire damage, or if it were horribly disfigured by a clumsy shortening process. Likewise, a blade in which the nakago as been "lengthened" by moving the machi up the blade (machi-okuri,) will also impact value. In short, anything that alters the "original vision" of the smith -- reshaping kissaski (sword tip) , changing funbari (blade taper) or shortening the blade -- all can impact the price. That is why among Juyo blades and better, naginata nioshi (naginata that have been reshaped or "corrected" to be a sword) are always more affordable than unaltered Juyo blades by the same smith. Why? Because the changes altered the smith's original vision of the blade. Additionally, what's on the nakago can increase or decrease a blade's value. For example, a blade with the name of the original owner on the nakago can increase a sword's value, even moreso if it was an historical figure. I recall a blade listed on AOI Art a few years back that was a signed Hasebe with an inscription in gold inlay that it once belonged to Tokugawa Ieyasu's father. The blade wasn't on the AOI auction site for but a few hours before it was pulled, presumably by somebody willing to pay way more than the opening bid price because of this incredible information on the tang. In the case of Sue-Bizen smiths, full signatures, called Zokumyo Mei, that include a smith's full name and title, are deemed more desirable than generic smith inscriptions. Thus a blade signed Bizen no Kuni ju Osafune Jirozaemon no Jo Katsumitsu is going to cost you considerably more than a blade signed simply Bishu Osafune Katsumitsu, even if it is papered to Jirozaemon Katsumitsu. Blades with signatures and dates, or nengo, also tend to command higher prices than a blade with just a signature. In fact, the Japanese consider blades with inscriptions such as dates on the ura side of the blade to be "precious." Rarely, the nakago mune can also be inscribed with information, adding to it's allure and price tag. So, just to recap, if you have two katana of equal nagasa and quality by a famed smith such as Echigo Norishige, the one with the original unaltered tango will command a bigger asking price than the one that is suriage, as long as all other things are more or less equal. Likewise, if both are ubu and signed, but one is signed AND dated, that will command more money. The same is true if the signature on one is better than the other because of a water damage nakago. Often it's hard for new collectors to understand why the part of the blade hidden under a handle is so important, but it is. The more you get into the hobby, the more things you learn about why one sword might command a higher asking price than another that is similar. There are many things to think about before you plonk down you hard earned cash on a sword. That said, the reality is not all of us have the resources of Elon Musk, and often we mere mortals have to settle for a blade that is less than perfect because of what we can afford. But at least we can understandn the things that make the difference in the ask, and can even help us understand why one sword was awarded Juyo or Tokubetsu Juyo status and another did not. These things can also help us in negotiating better prices.

Can you share the paper, please? Can you also please share photos of the nakago? Thanks!

I was 24, living in London for my first corporate job. There was a little store near Camden Lock close to where I lived that sold Japanese prints and art. There was an o-suriage wakizashi on the shelf above the cash register. I was shocked to learn it was a real samurai sword and had to have it. The owner joked that I must be very savvy to buy a blade without a signature because it could be a treasure! It's wasn't, but I was thrilled. He sold it to me along with a copy of John Yamato's book. The infection set in almost immediately and it wasn't long before I was at Sotheby's for every Japanese sword auction they had. I was poor back then but I ended up buying my first signed piece with koshirae soon after: a ko-wakizashi by Hida no kami Ujifusa. Now, 40 years later, I still have that blade and many tens of thousands of dollars less because of this hobby. Don't regret a single minute. Thanks for making me walk down memory lane.

No doubt, this practice was done, as were fake orikaeshi mei or folded mei, where a signature from another sword was made to look like it was preserved from a shortened sword and folded over but in fact careful examination will reveal it is pinned in place to deceive a new owner. In short, just like now, when deception might pay off, you have to assume that some folks will try their luck, especially the needy and the unscrupulous. Various old texts mention the practice of all kinds of fakes going back to the Kamakura. How often did this happen? I am not sure anybody has stats on this or if it's even possible to say how common the practice was. The issue of orikaeshi mei and gaku mei are covered in Nobuhara's book, the Fundamentals of Japanese Swords. In the book, because of the possibility of deceit, Nobuhara seems to look down on swords with these signature preservation methods. That said, I think that a sword with a proper, well-executed gaku mei is a thing of beauty. When the work in a blade and a rescued signature match up, I view the effort as an act of respect for the blade to try to preserve the maker's information for the future. I own several swords with gakumei, including an old Sa-School blade, which is one of my favorites, as well as a Juyo Kanemitsu school naginata naioshi with a perfectly folded signature. They tell stories. I think it's slso important to know that the NBTHK regards properly executed gaku mei and orikeshi me as legitimate signatures, unlike a kinpinmei, a signature done in gold lacquer, which is regarded as an appraisal. But as in all things, caveat emptor. Do your homework. If everything checks out, I would never shy away from good sword with such a signature.

Show is sold out with 64 table holders with a few on standby. The Bensons are coming, as is Andy Quit, Moses Beccera, Tim Pippin, Bill Miller, Ed Marshall and others. It should be a great turnout! And then there is the NTHK shinsa! Look forward to seeing many friends!

George, What's your budget? Happy to look out for stuff at the Orlando Show this weekend for you. PM me if interested in an extra pair of eye on the hunt. Best, Bobby

Excellent theory, Jussi and very plausible! Very true that katana rarely get attributed to them. I have read that part of the problem may be that when working on longer pieces, Hiromitsu's and Akihiro's yakiire changed somewhat so that the hitusra is more moderate to benefit of resiliency of the bigger sword as a weapon. I wonder if this is why? Surely there must be an older record or mention of their daito? But I also wonder how much them staying behind in Kamakura after power and money left the area contributed to them becoming, in Kiril's words, "provincial smith(s) with meager demand and output." Still, their fame and mastery was widely held from early on so I am not sure how to reconcile these points. What is certain is that that everything about the Soshu School -- from its dramatic arrival on the scene, to the rapid and beautiful technological developments, to its relatively quick demise -- is an endless source of wonder and unanswerable questions. Fascinating. Thank you, Jussi!

You are correct: Bit of dyslexia with Norishige (112 not 211.) And since there are various ways to look up the way the smiths are recorded in the books it can take several passes to figure that and I wasn’t very vigilant with Go. The number 40 seems far more reasonable. That said I did caution that this was done quickly and not double checked. But I appreciate the vigilance and I will be refining the lists as mistakes are found and corrected. That said what I am looking at is trends. Yes, Kokuho and JuBi will offer further truths that are worth recording. But what I am wrestling with is the volume of top blades that survived from some schools vs others and wondering what factors people ascribe to explain this. I found Rivkin’s point about the absurdity of the idea that Masamune swords were considered utilitarian especially interesting. So how were Rai Kunimitsu’s blades seen at the time? Less utilitarian? Soshu blades only seem to me to get serious attention from tastemakers in the warrior class around the mid 1500s, it is also the same time the first lists of the Jitetsu were being drawn up. So before that, were they less treasured than Rai blades? More utilitarian than Yamato swords? What were the shifting factors going on that could explain these trends in terms of the volumes of top quality blades that survived? That was my only point in making this post.

Please consider the following which is the result of me mining the Juyo lists compiled by Jussi Ekholm. It is a very arbitrary list of Juyo numbers from top Koto smiths and schools where possible. Listed is the school or smith followed by the total number of Juyos. Not every school or smith were included, thus the artibrary designation. That said I think this does reveal some interesting trends. All in the decription means every smith and mumei attribution to either a smith or school is represented. Here is the list: Rai (All) - 680 Ichimonji (All) - 422 Shizu (All) - 399 Aoe (All) - 344 Taima (All) - 226 Norishige - 211 Rai Kunimitsu - 210 Bizen Kanemitsu -201 Bizen Nagamitsu - 180 Naoe Shizu (All) - 166 Rai Kunitoshi - 159 Senju’in (All) - 157 Nobukuni (All) - 146 Soshu Yukimitsu - 136 Hasebe (All) - 120 Bizen Sukesada (All) - 111 Sadamune - 106 Awataguchi (All) - 97 Tegai (All) - 97 Chōgi - 96 Kencho - 88 Bizen Masamitsu - 82 Tametsugu - 78 Masamune - 71 Shintogo (All) - 62 Soshu (Yukimitsu through Sue-Soshu) - 58 Rin Tomo - 58 Rai Kunitsugu - 51 Rai Kuninaga - 50 Sue Sa - 50 Sa Kunihiro - 48 Kinju - 45 Bizen Nagamori - 42 Bizen Katsumitsu (All) - 39 Sa Yasuyoshi - 39 Shintogo Kunimitsu - 36 Bizen Motomitsu - 35 Hiromitsu - 35 Sa Sadayoshi - 22 Akihiro - 17 Samonji - 12 Sa Yukihiro - 9 Soshu Masahiro (Zaimei) - 5 Go Yoshihiro - 5 Let me start out by saying that this little endeavor began as an exercise in mental self-gratification. I was intrigued by the theory espoused by the late Darcy Brockbank and others, holding that Soshu swords were the modern weapons of their day, used mostly to the point of failure so fewer remain around today, while blades by big sword names of the Kamakura period and earlier where stashed away as treasure pieces. I figured that Juyo numbers to some extent should bear this out as there would be many, many more blades from other schools. While the data -- which by no means is exhaustive, let alone double-checked, so user beware -- does show to a large degree that Soshu works do seem to be considerably fewer, it also raises some interesting facts. One is the large number of blades from a handful of Soshu smiths such as Norishige, Shizu and his students compared to others. And then there are these interesting big numbers of the SoDen-Bizen smiths like Kanemitsu and Chogi Schools (560 just counting Kanemitsu, Tomomotsu, Masamitsu, Motomitsu, Chogi, Kencho and Nagamori. This number grows considerably when when we expand the circle to include other students and family members,) So, why did so many of these works survive until today in decent condition while top mainline Soshu Smiths like Shintogo Kunimitsu, Masamune, Sadamune, Hiromitsu and Akihiro blades seemingly left behind so few top quality blades (203)? Could it be that their numbers are better reflected among Hozon and Tokubetsu Hozon blades because heavy use left them in a condition less than Juyo? (I can't think that this would be correct as I would imagine that the number of less than Juyo blades would also go up proportionally with the other smiths. Also because of their rarity, some condition issues are overlooked at the Juyo level.) Could this be because smiths like Hiromitsu and Akihiro stayed behind in Kamakura long after the town fell to Nitta Yoshisada in 1333, while their customers fled elsewhere? Could it be simply that the output of these smiths was low because their market share moved away? Did Norishige, Shizu and the Sa School fare far better because they found new markets in Echizen, Mino and Kyoto? Did they make technological breakthroughs that allowed them to produce more swords in the same period of time? And why did so many Rai blades survive in such great numbers, including from the Nanbokucho? Or was this whole mental exercise using incomplete or incompatible data sets to draw conclusions horribly flawed? I understand the heyday of the Soshu school lasted for a dramatically shorter period of time than all other schools, notwithstanding some smiths and schools of the day did way better in the same period than others. Would love to hear your thoughts about what you make of the trends that this information seems to indicate? Bobby

Please consider the following which is the result of me mining the Juyo lists compiled by Jussi Ekholm. It is a very arbitrary list of Juyonumbers from top Koto smiths and schools where possible. Listed is the school or smith followed by the total number of Juyos. Not every school or smith were included, thus the artibrary designation. That said I think this does reveal some interesting trends. All in the decription means every smith and mumei attribution to either a smith or school is represented. Here is the list: Rai (All) - 680 Ichimonji (All) - 422 Shizu (All) - 399 Aoe (All) - 344 Taima (All) - 226 Norishige - 211 Rai Kunimitsu - 210 Bizen Kanemitsu -201 Bizen Nagamitsu - 180 Naoe Shizu (All) - 166 Rai Kunitoshi - 159 Senju’in (All) - 157 Nobukuni (All) - 146 Soshu Yukimitsu - 136 Hasebe (All) - 120 Bizen Sukesada (All) - 111 Sadamune - 106 Awataguchi (All) - 97 Tegai (All) - 97 Chōgi - 96 Kencho - 88 Bizen Masamitsu - 82 Tametsugu - 78 Masamune - 71 Shintogo (All) - 62 Soshu (Yukimitsu through Sue-Soshu) - 58 Rin Tomo - 58 Rai Kunitsugu - 51 Rai Kuninaga - 50 Sue Sa - 50 Sa Kunihiro - 48 Kinju - 45 Bizen Nagamori - 42 Bizen Katsumitsu (All) - 39 Sa Yasuyoshi - 39 Shintogo Kunimitsu - 36 Bizen Motomitsu - 35 Hiromitsu - 35 Sa Sadayoshi - 22 Akihiro - 17 Samonji - 12 Sa Yukihiro - 9 Soshu Masahiro (Zaimei) - 5 Go Yoshihiro - 5 Let me start out by saying that this little endeavor began as an exercise in mental self-gratification. I was intrigued by the theory espoused by the late Darcy Brockbank and others, holding that Soshu swords were the modern weapons of their day, used mostly to the point of failure so fewer remain around today, while blades by big sword names of the Kamakura period and earlier where stashed away as treasure pieces. I figured that Juyo numbers to some extent should bear this out as there would be many, many more blades from other schools. While the data -- which by no means is exhaustive, let alone double-checked, so user beware -- does show to a large degree that Soshu works do seem to be considerably fewer, it also raises some interesting facts. One is the large number of blades from a handful of Soshu smiths such as Norishige, Shizu and his students compared to others. And then there are these interesting big numbers of the SoDen-Bizen smiths like Kanemitsu and Chogi Schools (560 just counting Kanemitsu, Tomomotsu, Masamitsu, Motomitsu, Chogi, Kencho and Nagamori. This number grows considerably when when we expand the circle to include other students and family members,) So, why did so many of these works survive until today in decent condition while top mainline Soshu Smiths like Shintogo Kunimitsu, Masamune, Sadamune, Hiromitsu and Akihiro blades seemingly left behind so few top quality blades (203)? Could it be that their numbers are better reflected among Hozon and Tokubetsu Hozon blades because heavy use left them in a condition less than Juyo? (I can't think that this would be correct as I would imagine that the number of less than Juyo blades would also go up proportionally with the other smiths. Also because of their rarity, some condition issues are overlooked at the Juyo level.) Could this be because smiths like Hiromitsu and Akihiro stayed behind in Kamakura long after the town fell to Nitta Yoshisada in 1333, while their customers fled elsewhere? Could it be simply that the output of these smiths was low because their market share moved away? Did Norishige, Shizu and the Sa School fare far better because they found new markets in Echizen, Mino and Kyoto? Did they make technological breakthroughs that allowed them to produce more swords in the same period of time? And why did so many Rai blades survive in such great numbers, including from the Nanbokucho? Or was this whole mental exercise using incomplete or incompatible data sets to draw conclusions horribly flawed? I understand the heyday of the Soshu school lasted for a dramatically shorter period of time than all other schools, notwithstanding some smiths and schools of the day did way better in the same period than others. Would love to hear your thoughts about what you make of the trends that this information seems to indicate? Bobby

I once shipped a tango from the U.S. to a collector in Poland and ran into the same problem. We ended up listing the blade on the customs form as an antique kitchen knife. I could imagine, though, that dealers and shippers in Japan might have an issue relabeling a sword because of export permits and requirements. Perhaps you have a friend in Germany or elsewhere that can be used as a transshipment point? Good luck and please let us know how you work out the issue.

May I ask how long has it been stuck there? In cases where we see swords hit Customs and stall, quick action is needed. Go to your local USPS office and enlist their help in tracking the package. Call the ICS facility in LA as well. Be prepared to make noise. The issue of thefts has been a growing problem and fast action is the only hope in getting your package. Also encourage you to get pictures out of the blade so fellow collectors can help. I have had two coming from Japan through Queens in NY stolen. They simply hit Customs and that was it. A keen-eyed friend spotted the last stolen sword on Reddit website and I ended up having to buy it back from the person who "bought it" in a USPS auction in Atlanta. This piece supposedly lost its labels and ended up on the auction block a mere three weeks after clearing customs. Problem is, USPS rules say the agency is supposed to investigate defaced packages and can only auction the goods after 90 days. In the end it was a happy story as the insurance from the stolen package covered the buy back. But the first package vanished. EMS is a crap shoot these days. If the piece is valuable it is worth paying more to send it by UPS, that is if the dealer in Japan has an arrangement with them. But the problem of thefts has gotten so bad, I have shied away from buying from Japanese dealers because of the stress. Good luck.

Hey folks! I am looking for a decent futokoromono -- menuki and kozuka -- with a tiger theme or better tiger and bamboo. should be suitable for a ko-wakizashi. Please feel free to contact me. Best, Bobby

Long before he was named Imperial Household Artist, Miyamoto Kanenori made this tanto on the eve of the first major battle of the Boshin War, namely the battle of Toba-Fushimi that occurred between pro-Imperial and the Tokugawa shogunate forces The battle started on 27 January 1868 when the forces loyal to the Tokugawa and the allied forces of Satsuma, Tosa and Choshu domains that supported Emperor Meiji. The battle lasted for four days, ending in a decisive defeat for the shogunate. It was one of the first battles which pitted samurai armed with swords and spears against samurai with modern weaponry. That fact and the date have been inscribed on the nakago for posterity. Truly a rare piece of samurai history.

Hey folks! We are trying to restart the Florida Token Kai down here in the Sunshine State but are looking to also cover the Southeastern U.S. We have been kicking around some new names, when a friend suggested staying away from using the word "sword" as it can cause problems if we were to try to organize an event at a community center or a hotel as this could create some liability issues for them. Has anybody had such an experience? Look forward to your thoughts and experiences. Thanks!

Sage words. Thanks Brian. Still working on those pix!

Bummer!

Funny mei? Is that the same as Gimei? If so why use the name of a smith that is completely unknown? Curious.

Hey Jacques, Any of your books reference this smith? Wonder what year that day in the seventh month was? I think the tanto is shinshinto but could be wrong. Still working on those pix.

Thanks James. I am trying to take pictures of the blade itself but I can't get them to come out right. I keep getting the reflection of camera in the polish and can't get the angle to bring out the hamon and ji-hada. Is there a secret to snapping pictures of swords? I would love to know how they get those long detailed shots on AOI Art. I will try to post some of the better of the bad pix up later today. Anyway, back on topic, does "shichi gatsu hi", mean a lucky day in July? Thanks

Greetings all, Here's a tanto that belonged to my grandfather and was left to me. I know very little about it. I just got it out of storage while on a trip to New York and am trying to translate the mei. Unfortunately, I'm not doing very well. I think one side says "a Lucky Day in July" and the mei is Katsu (???) something. I just can't figure out the other characters. Can any body help? I posted the pictures here. http://s476.photobucket.com/albums/rr130/Mushin_photos/?action=view&current=IMG_0371.jpg http://s476.photobucket.com/albums/rr130/Mushin_photos/?action=view&current=IMG_0368.jpg It's the first time I have used Photobucket and this camera so I got my fingers crossed that it works. I tried to post the pix here but the files were too big. All tips on the translation and the joys of technology are greatly appreciated. Thanks