Lukrez

During the Edo period, with the end of major wars, the necessity for utsuiri declined, and it was no longer commonly produced. So Utsuri can only be found in older swords, crafted before this shift. As far as I know, Kunihira Kawachi managed to recreate this technique, which earned him the Masamune Prize. What are the specific challenges in recreating utsuri, and are there other swordsmiths who have mastered this process?

Thank you so much for the detailed and insightful analysis! Your expertise has really helped me gain a much clearer understanding of the differences between Kencho and Chogi, as well as the condition issues with the sword. I truly appreciate the time and effort you've put into providing such a thorough evaluation, and I will certainly take your advice into consideration moving forward.

So you can't open them?

I am reaching out to request your valued insight regarding a katana attributed to Kencho, one of Chogi’s most talented students, from the Nanbokucho period. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Gq4PjjbG2COquNmAn3zPD29yWcFiuTZN?usp=sharing Kencho’s work is often difficult to distinguish from that of his master, Chogi, due to the strong similarities in their styles. Indeed, many blades originally attributed to Chogi are believed to have been crafted by Kencho. Kencho’s swords typically exhibit certain features derived from the Soshu tradition, including a broad and powerful sugata, a shallow sori, and a thick kasane with minimal hira-niku. The steel is often soft, composed of an itame-hada mixed with mokume, and exhibits a dense, tight grain with nie forming chikei—a notable feature, particularly given Bizen’s soft steel. In some works, one may observe utsuri, though it is not common. The hamon is usually nioi deki, with pronounced nie, and the ha is often rich in ashi and yō, featuring sunagashi, inazuma, and kinsuji activities in blades with an abundant presence of nie. In light of these characteristics, I would be most grateful for your expert opinions on whether this katana in question can be confidently classified within the typical output of Kencho and Chogi. Does it align with the distinctive features associated with their works, or are there any notable discrepancies that would warrant reconsideration? Additionally, I would appreciate any feedback on the overall condition of the blade and its authenticity based on the details provided. I am eager to learn from the collective expertise of this esteemed community. Thank you very much for your time and insights.

Nomen est Omen😉

I would like to thank you for the many feedbacks and observations. In my research, I came across a katana by Masamitsu with very similar blade characteristics, unless any of you have an objection. Are there any plausible theories as to why in both cases the mei was partially removed, so that only the origin remains, but not the smith's name?" https://www.aoijapan...th-nbthk-juyo-token/

I like to thank you for the numerous feedback, great clarifications, and insights!

My research resulted in the following preliminary conclusion, please correct me if I'm wrong: If you ask experienced collectors, you can summarize that the Nihonto market has changed and has become more acute, especially in recent years: Especially the market for high-quality, fairly priced objects seems to be completely empty . Furthermore the interesting stuff always remain in Japanese hands and is traded only among long-standing collectors and networks (understandable). Even Tsuruta-san (AOI), which has a great selection in terms of quantity and is accessible to Europeans, is said to be in the 3/10 to 6/10 range in terms of quality. Basically, as a nobody, you always lose out in this niche area "nihonto", especially since the majority get their blades over the Internet without being able to take advantage of the chance to look at the blades in real life (and photos are of course placed in such a way that kizu and rust cannot be clearly seen, or are even covered up with a horimino). Of course it's not just about owning the great works, but when you read and hear that only "junk" is being exported to the West, then you start to question your passion, at least for your own possessions. Buying directly in Japan also doesn't seem very tempting when you add up to 35 percent more for transport and customs clearance (Germany and Switzerland). Thanks for your assessments of the current market situation and potential future developments.

Interesting.

I guess a key point about the Jigane seems to be the less good polish, which is why the look of the Jigane can vary a lot, right? Even if you compare two identically interpreted blades from the same forge side by side. Does anyone have practical tips on what should be noticeable regardless of the finish of the polish, how to adequately identify the density and pattern of the forging structure? It doesn't work with old policies anyway, right?

Hello everyone, I thought so, I was just surprised that so many supposedly authentic artifacts are offered on the Internet. Seems to be primarily a dream factory where people's wishful thinking is played with.

How reliable are they TOKUBETSU KICHO Judgement paper (of the Japanese armor society) in general?