Franco

Mustela itatsi ; the one in the image linked below appears to have spots, fish are on its menu. Bushy tail ? Yes, and no. Ears seem more correct than a squirrels ears for these menuki. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/64922182 Ko Kinko

What type of utsuri? Nioi utsuri? Nie utsuri? Hamon; primarily nioi? Nie? Ko Nie? Thank you.

Where does that designation come from?

Sorry, post deleted, just realized sword was already purchased. Good fortunes with the sword.

Thank you for comments and the additional image.

What a good reason to attend a sword show in search for answers, where almost assuredly (???) there will be trained artisans in attendance. Brian Tschernega and John Tirado are two to consult with, try contacting.

Is it still considered to be an O Kissaki even without the presence of a yokote line? Isn't the yokote line what defines the kissaki? Or am I just not seeing the yokote line in this image?

https://www.google.com/search?q=Noshu+Seki+Kanekami+Kanetaka&sxsrf=APq-WBulG3XlrmCe9vkWfn-o2yAgkwoMKQ%3A1648438245628&ei=5StBYuz7JYaa_QaC55agDA&ved=0ahUKEwisgsKA7-f2AhUGTd8KHYKzBcQQ4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=Noshu+Seki+Kanekami+Kanetaka&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAM6BwgjELADECdKBAhBGAFKBAhGGABQ9xJYix9gnCVoAXAAeACAAXWIAb4BkgEDMS4xmAEAoAECoAEByAEBwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz Hi Ron, Not much. Having seen a Watanabe Kanenaga, it would be welcomed to see images of this sword if possible? Is the hamon Sanbonsugi? Thank you.

Who will be on the panel of judges? Thank you.

" Hakkakugata " with special thanks to Brian Tschernega for providing this information. Regards, Franco

Wonderful, Ray and Chris, thanks for sharing.

Below is an image from a katana that I once owned. What you see here is the boshi, a hakikake boshi. This hakikake boshi is in essence a continuation of the sunagashi from the hamon into the kissaki, where of course it is called hakikake. This image should give at least some idea of what "swept sands" looks like in reference to nihonto.

Thank you for posting this link. A million thanks to Markus for the writing/translations he's done, this article in particular and especially. Kind Regards, Franco

1) When indoors in a private home or noble’s estate, one must surrender the katana. In an estate, castle, or even the home of anyone with rank, there is a servant whose job it is to receive these swords, and keep track of them. There is a closet or sword rack near the door where “checked” swords are kept until the owner of the weapon is preparing to leave. (note: it does not say surrender the wakizashi) https://sengokudaimyo.com/etiquette

One way to tell if a fuchi was intended/designed for a wakizashi is that it will be slightly indented (flattened) on one edge of the front rim to accommodate the use of a side fitting.

Yamanaka lists only two, Ko Nio and Sue Nio. There is a note at the top of page 378 (Volume I newsletters revised); Ko Nio - worked in Yamato Tradition ca. pre- Memmu Era The first listings are Kiyozane and Kiyotsuna Genkyo Era. Of all my references I'd say Yamanaka is the most used.

Hello Ian, When properly made the habaki attaches to the sword itself acting much like a spring clip contacting the sword on three surfaces. There will be instances when in fact the tang is markedly wider than the sword itself due to polishing over time. In such cases, if not most, the habaki will be felt scraping the sides of the nakago as it slides onto and passes over the nakago. A properly made habaki will pass over the sides of the nakago (even when wider than the sword) without scraping and yet fit tightly onto the sword, not the nakago. I should have been more direct, sincere apologies. One big reason for loose and damaged habaki is too often the tsuka when placed back onto the nakago is then seated with a firm tap or even a slap from the palm of the hand. The habaki not being "designed" to prevent the nakago from sliding back too far and splitting the tsuka (even though it acts as a stop) is then pushed/jammed too far forward driving the habaki onto the sword causing it to be damaged. Frequently, this results in a loose fitting habaki and/or a cut and split habaki. It can even result in a damaged hamachi. Since the habaki is not designed for this type of abuse during reassembly, very gentle tapping is required, in addition to using the forefinger and thumb of the non tapping hand to serve as a brake by firmly clasping the habaki, until seating takes place. And if one thinks about it, damage can come at both ends.

Pardon? The force acting on a blade as it strikes an object begins at the point of impact before traveling down the sword. Which places the habaki first inline as a point of possible resistance as the sword bends and this energy transfers down the sword. High speed film shows that when a sword strikes a kabuto the sword begins to distort backwards in an arc. If the habaki were not to flex the sword could quite possibly fail meeting that resistance. The next point of resistance as the sword arcs backwards would be the seppa - tsuba or the front of the tsuka in the case of a shirasaya. Which means that if there was play between the mounts, or the tsuka in the case of a shirasaya, and the habaki due to not being fitted correctly, the sword could very well fail as it continues to arc backwards and encounters resistance with those surfaces. Hmm, if that was so, then please explain why there are so many loose fitting habaki in unsplit tsuka? Please explain why it is that we see habaki that have been cut, split, or damaged where it contacts the hamachi in unsplit tsuka? No mekugi, sword slides forward in saya, broken kissaki. No mekugi, sword goes flying, becomes a projectile with cutting motion. edit: 2/23/22. Further, so the mekugi is not there to lock in the tsuka on the backside in relation to the habaki locking in the tsuka on the front (sword) side?

Food for thought, Nihonto through the early times were battle tested. That is the sword smiths would have received direct feedback as to how the sword performed or failed under stress. Perhaps a wooden mekugi was the result of this. When one watches the high speed film of a modern sword being tested on a kabuto, what one sees is that the sword undergoes incredible forces, distortions. As such if there wasn't some give somewhere designed into the system to absorb the transfer of energy, almost assuredly the sword itself would fail catastrophically. Both the mekugi and the habaki (the habaki would be the first in line in the transfer of energy) could be by design engineered to fail before the sword.

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/search/?q=green papers&quick=1&type=forums_topic , plenty to read on this topic. If memory serves green papers from the late 1970's through the very early 1980's, especially with significant names, should be treated as suspect. With the passage of time almost assuredly newbies will fall victim to old traps.

Hello, FYI, https://markussesko.com/2015/05/29/kantei-3-hamon-boshi-1/ Unless you are visually seeing the actual elements that make up and define the hamon, like nie and nioi, then perhaps what you're seeing is only the makeup, hadori, which is a polisher's interpretation that follows the hamon to some varying degree.

Hum... Sorry but you lost me there, what do you mean exactly? That the sword is worth more than only Hozon? Why is the subject sword only Hozon and not Tokubetsu Hozon? It could be that the submitter only wanted to verify the mei and stopped when it passed Hozon, not continuing on to challenge Tokubetsu Hozon. It's also the case that the NBTHK will let you know when an item will not be considered for higher papers. It could also be that TH was challenged and it didn't pass. If it was submitted, then why didn't it pass TH? It's signed and dated, no obvious visible problems of any kind really. Considering the price jump if did pass TH, at least in my mind raises suspicions that this sword just doesn't meet the quality requirements of TH. And that question needs to answered before buying. Mass production Koto period Bizen swords aside, it would be advisable to read what Yamanaka and Nihonto Koza has written about later Koto Bizen swords in general when considering buying one. Yes, buy what you like, but know what you're buying. NBTHK shinsa standards ... http://www.nihontocraft.com/Nihonto_Shinsa_Standards.html .

Why only hozon? According to Sato sensei, quality is the most overlooked step in kantei.

Shinshinto sword; should be both signed and dated, ubu (not even machiokuri), smith should be rated, preferably 27" or longer, no flaws. Preferably in excellent polish, or discounted if in need of. Koshirae should be evaluated separately.