Mark

Matt I will be visiting Louisville in December. If that is close enough i would be happy to look at it if we can get together

looks like it was a red lacquer attribution maybe by one of the Honami

picture is not that clear but looks like Yoshihiro

I agree, larry, Chris, and everyone else who helped made the weekend great! I heard a lot of possitive comments about the shinsa.

Takemasa, i think

looks like Kanesada

BiShu Osafune Ju Katsumitsu

kuniyuki

Takada ju Yukihisa so a Bungo smthi

made by Hidetoshi. it is a standard production WWII blade. you can reserach hidetoshi and find some information about him

i will be attending, willl have a couple of tables. I will bring some swords, fittings, books etc. i hope we can put names with faces

seems the person was not really interested in learning about nihonto, just trying to use us to make money. too bad. i see the seller has NO RETURN and will charge $30 to mail a sword that should cost about $10

mei looks like Kanemoto to me.

I would refer to a Koto unsigned "blade" (over 24") as a Daito and then describe it "in koshirae" as a tachi or katana. If the blade was ubu and clearly could be ascribed to a certain time period (say Kamakura vs. sue-Koto) then i would go further and call it a tachi or katana blade, but where there is doubt Daito seems to cover it.

it looks like Kanetsugu to me, but other members will confirm or correct me

Morita-san Thank you! I thought so but it is good to know. I appreciate the picture with kanji.

I think the date is Kaei gan nen.... the Ka kanji is hard for me to read, can someone confirm i am reading the date properly. Thanks!

the polish looks good, if there are no flaws or problems, and the koshire fits well i would think $1200-1500 would be the right range, the unsual features and condition would probably help

Clive I have a 30" katana made by Koretoshi in 1862. in my notes i have Tsunatoshi's date of death as 1863 (Dec 5 i think), minor point, and i may have it wrong but thought i would mention it

that may be a possibility but i look to the Nihonto Meikan as the best source, there have been a number of revisions and i would think they would have corrected most major mistakes. Certainly is an interesting research project any other comments/opinions appreciated

it is genuine. they usually sell in the $350-600 range but sometimes bring more

I was thinking the same, that he was no one special, but then why does the Meikan give him a "superior" rating? and using the Kikumon was not that common

i agree, but the Nihonto Meikan and others show 2 generations, first (fujiwara) who was student of Kaneyasu and second (minamoto) who was student of the first along with Echigo Kami Kanesada. Yamanaka newsletters show 2 generations andso do several other books quick pictures added

I have a sword signed (kiku) Iga (no) kami Minamoto Kanemichi 包道 Reseaching this smith is interesting. There seems conflicting information. This is not the Mishina smith, he is Osaka Shinto. Many books show one generation, others show 2 (first used Fujiwara, second used Minamoto). So i think there were 2 generations and mine is the second. Hawley's and Toko Taikan rate him as mediocre, Fujishiro has him as chusaku (not sure if the reference is second of if Fujishiro thinks one generation). Shinto Taikan has the maker who used Minamoto listed but seems to say first gen. yet the Nihonto Meikan, lists 2 generations has him (2nd) as "superior" (has doubled triangle). He also had permission to use the Kikumon on his tang (page 75 Tomei Soran). Has anyone else researched this maker or know about him? It seems strange that the Nihonto Meikan rates him well and he uses a Kiku yet other references mix him and his father/teacher or seem to consider him mediocre. Thanks!

thanks, appreciate the help