YukouYukimura

So this blade was a special order for someone important? With the silver habachi and the inscription.. Thank you both for the added information

Why are you looking for a koto bizen sword? (just curious as I don't even know what koto bizen means) But, One of the swords I bought was advertised as a Koto bizen katana.

Well I am really glad you are all here sharing your knowledge with beginners

Oh wow! Thank you everyone for your help. I am glad you all raised these very good points about the blade. This is exactly what I was trying to ask. I will just look at buying books instead, and memberships with NBTHK in Japan when I arrive. I own a couple of swords already so I'll be content with studying them and trying to help here when I get some better reference books. It's sad really, that these works of art are getting damaged every day by people that don't know how to take care of them properly.. by smearing motor oil all over them.. or grinding an edge back on them and polishing cost so much that no one will polish them back to true beauty. That is a beautiful sword... How much is that priced at? I guess I need to look at more, better swords. The engraving looked funny to me, but I wasn't sure it wasn't right. Anyway, I really do appreciate all of your advice so really.. Thank you all. I hope in time when I learn more I'll be of use to this forum :lol:

I have found this sword online for sale, they claim the signature on it is "Echizen ju Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Kunitsuna" but they translate the name into Fugiwara Kunitsuna, There is only one blade I have found to have any reference to the "Fujiwara Kunitsuna" this: http://www.sanmei.com/shop_e/media/A71873_W8100_PUP_E.html The signatures match to my eyes, except for the first Kanji on the blade I posted under this. Of course the opposite side of the tang, the inscription I can't read. The engraving on the blade seems a bit off to me, but I have not seen enough to judge really.. I know you all say buy the blade, not the signature. But sometimes do signatures warrant a second look, even at blades that haven't been taken care of 100%? Blade: 31 1/4" and the overall: 41 3/4" ******************** ******************** I would like honest opinions about the blade, the engraving(if it belongs) and the point of this entire post in all honesty: Is a blade by this swordsmith worth it the additional money to get polished and possibly papered? Thank you all in advance

Well that is a crazy looking woodblock print! The "poem" is written in grass script, or soushou style I think its called. The equivalent to english "cursive" Do you have a picture of the entire woodblock? I believe its modern, and I've never seen a stamp like that before on woodblocks. But that is about all I can tell you about this piece.

How much does it cost to actually get a katana polished? And or papered by NBTHK or NTHK?

I was going to say something about the signature, but decided against it. I agree the signature does not look right, but those are just my 2 cents.

It looks good to me, the fittings are very nice. I believe the hamon is CHOJI, the sword appears to be missing seppa? (spacers between the tsuka and tsuba, and the tsuba and the habachi) ? As to period, I can't place it as my knowledge is limited.

that's a good idea :lol:

Ah that makes sense. I should have figured something of that sort! Also, one more question.. When I become a member of these certain prestigious sword groups, (pay the monthly/yearly fee) Can I bring my girlfriend/wife to the sword exhibitions and special sword viewings? Or would she have to pay the monthly fees as well? Thank you!

Ok, first of all I am sorry if this question has been answered in a different thread.. I was unable to find it. My question would be about Shinsa, and how this happens: To my knowledge, a sword with papers is guaranteed to be genuine? If so, who carries out Shinsa tests? I have been reading thread after thread and page after page, no one on this forum believes they know more than people that do Shinsa? How do the people that do Shinsa, acquire such knowledge.. how are they picked? who decides who has enough knowledge to carry out Shinsa? I know the NBTHK has meetings, programs, and workshops.. But what makes the teachers of the workshops, meetings and or programs more knowledgeable than the students? (I really don't know how the system works yet, I have tried to do some research on the NBTHK but I just dead-end at their monthly fees and workshops.. I can't find any information on a per-say "advanced NBTHK" or "advanced any other group") To be honest I only recently have done any studying about these groups, while watching swords sell on eBay trying to gain a lower end knowledge there, being unable to read Japanese and not understand the NBTHK and such kind of kept me out of the loop. But seeing as how I will be moving to Japan in a couple months and going to a school in Aichi to learn Japanese, I'd really like to learn more about the groups and swords in general. Any help/advice would be appreciated. (I meant no disrespect to anyone on the forums or in the sword groups, I merely raise innocent questions) Thank you all in advance, Tyler Cloutier

If these pictures aren't inspiring to new Nihonto enthusiasts I really don't know what is. Beautiful display.. beautiful swords. I don't know what else to say.

Muramasa from what I can tell... although don't take my word for that. Ah, John beat me to it! Also, heres the signature right side up

Yes, the hamon runs the full length of the blade, on both sides. It is a very odd hamon, from the blades I've seen and yes it is close to the HA. The boshi is nearly indistinguishable unfortunately, on one side of the blade I can almost make out KOMARU, or a OMARU. If anyone has any tips on taking better pictures of swords.. I'd appreciate it. I see some people take beautiful very large pictures of their entire swords like on Aoi Art.. I can't help but wonder how they do it! Thank you everyone!

These are the pictures of the blade you all helped me with! Thank you!! The rest of the pictures I took can be found in the same place: http://s443.photobucket.com/albums/qq154/sok3t/Wakizashi/

Thank you Jean! It's incredible how much I've learned from being on this forum already... It's addicting!

20 years old for me! 21 in November, I always thought samurai were fascinating.. then going to an antique show in Brimfield Mass, a buddy of my dads is/was a sword dealer named Chuck Cillo(great guy)! I found myself looking over the swords he had for sale every day, I didn't really even care to look around at the other dealers! I found out he co-authored a book, "Modern Japanese Swordsmiths 1868-1945" So I bought a copy from him and kindly asked him to autograph it for me and he did! His swords are amazing and I am sure the ones he is selling are nothing compared to the ones in his personal collection. Anyway, I purchased my first blade there from another friend of my fathers(this was about a year ago) and have been buying swords and trying to find the good reference books ever since. I love it! By the way, do any of you have advice for newly found Nihonto collectors and enthusiasts?

I must agree! That looks like it will be a very interesting sale.

Yes, I will take pictures of the whole sword tomorrow in the sunlight. I tried tonight, but I just couldn't get a good one. I have one question for the information you provided Mark Green, what does the "15 pt in Hawley's" mean? I don't understand how the points work with that set of reference books. Thank you all again!

Thank you everyone for the information! I'm glad I finally know the smiths name. I am glad I found these forums, this is a great community!

I hope someone can help me with this piece! I believe it is a very old blade.. But my knowledge is extremely limited as I am just getting into collecting these beautiful pieces of art. Any information you can give me on it would be of great help. I will take better pics tomorrow in the sunlight. I took 35 pictures of this blade and none of them do it justice.. I would wait and make this post tomorrow.. but I've had this sword for a couple months now and It's really bugging me that I can't read the signature. :| I have more pics uploaded on photobucket, heres the link: http://s443.photobucket.com/albums/qq154/sok3t/Wakizashi/