KungFooey

You're welcome, Bruce! I think you are right - many Japanese soldiers probably felt honor bound to face the enemy with their sword if they had one. Dee

Thanks Piers! Below is a close up. The seller described it as showing 上海鎮江南京杭州寧波 which AI translated as "Shanghai, Zhenjiang, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo". I recognize Shanghai and Nanking but not the other places. Dee

I pick these little cups up sometimes if they have more interesting decoration than just the usual two flags. From what I can make out this one is celebrating the Imperial Japanese Army's initial successes in China. Dee

Hi everyone, I enjoyed watching this video as it's well researched and puts the Shin Gunto into a clear historical context. I thought others here might also like it. Dee Reclaiming the Sword - The Story of the Shin Gunto - YouTube

Hi Alex, I apologize as yes, I may have taken it the wrong way. Now I completely understand your meaning and appreciate your input. Dee

My question was whether shinsakuto by non-famous smiths were currently being forged (in the illegal sense). The two Johns and Brian answered this question thoughtfully and made some very good points. I was not asking whether the specific mei was judged genuine or not - so I'm not quite sure what you were trying to contribute by your comment, if anything.

Thank you John @Shugyosha! You always come to my aid and answer my questions thoughtfully and helpfully. I really appreciate it. Dee

I'm not talking Living National Treasures or even Mukansa - just average, jobbing swordsmiths who also make things like kitchen knives. I was thinking about a gendaito by Shirô Yasumitsu (real name Komiya Yasumitsu) from Fukuoka prefecture. However, comparing the mei on this 2002 blade (right) and one dated 1997 from a respected dealer (left), they look completely different. The chisel size, kanji shapes and even the depth of stroke look wrong. But why would anyone even bother to fake this tosho? Thanks, Dee

Left: Rikugun-Chui (Lieutenant) Right: Dai Hachi .....?

You are absolutely right Bruce and I do apologize. I shouldn't bite at all my critics - it's just not worth it (and anyhow, there's far too many on here to lose any sleep about). As you probably guessed, I was only trying to warn people off this particular dealer. Often newbies trust Japanese sellers more than others simply because they are Japanese (and no Matt, that isn't being racist). John @PNSSHOGUN that's a very productive idea and makes far more sense than what I've been doing. Thank you. Dee

Or maybe say sorry for accusing me of calling Japanese people "Tojo" without even checking facts first.

Perhaps take a peek around before climbing on your soapbox. Yasutoku - made for Hideki Tojo. 🤣 - Military Swords of Japan - Nihonto Message Board

Oh, am I meant to be offended by that put down Matt? Takes a lot more than snide remarks and downvotes, sweetheart. 😊 Despite the somewhat sarcastic title, the original intention of this post was to highlight a Japanese dealer who had already made a huge profit on an obvious forgery and was now attempting to sell a gunto with the very rare blackened fittings. These are very obviously also modern made and therefore my sole intention was to warn the many gunto collectors out there. If you took it as something more devious than that, well that's on you.

Wow! Rare blackened gunto fittings (with all matching 'numbers' made by a raccoon's claw) and the usual complementary/contemporary chain hanger thrown in. I imagine the blade - with only very minor kizu - is meant to tempt us as being a possible Muramasa. 🤔 Judge for yourselves. https://page.auction...tion?aID=m1172920706

Dear Jan, That is so very, very beautiful! As Eric @Tohagi says, you have the heart of a true poet. 😊 Thank you so much for your wonderful translation! Dee

Thanks Piers! That was both highly informative and an interesting read! Dee

Anyway...... back to this topic. Do broken/damaged weapons only appear in 'last stand' type ukiyoe or has anyone seen them depicted in other artistically depicted scenarios (polishers working, cutting tests, executions etc)? Probably unlikely but an interesting idea nonetheless. Dee

I thought that had to be SamuraiMonkey's work for sure! But it's another 'assembler' - guess we have to be grateful he's not also a 'polisher'. 🤣

Yep, that's because exaggeration always gets attention - whether for better or worse. That "previous post" (which was highly regrettable) has already garnered 707 views - and climbing daily. A serious thread about calligraphy got 48. Says an awful lot about human nature - both the OP's and the viewers. Nuff said. (Brian if you're going to delete this - as you've already done once today - then please also delete the comment which it replies to. Otherwise it is blatant discrimination and double standards - yet again.)

I'm not saying it's bad..... or wrong.....or unfashionable - it's just really thin. 🙄 As long as the kissaki is never, ever chipped again, everything is just fine and peachy.

Not at all. I'm sure that a fully tempered kissaki chips and breaks just as easily as one with hardly any boshi left. However I would much prefer to start off with the former than the latter if engaged in a battle so that the point can be reshaped if necessary.

Agreed Jacques. But would you say that the smith originally intended the boshi to be this close to the edge of the kissaki? Wouldn't that have been very impractical in such a time of warfare?

Beautiful wood block prints - but I think they may show the first documented record of a zombie apocalypse and the use of samurai swords to stop the walking dead! 😳