Jim P

Hi paul, I have come to umderstand that they are very subtle, but what is a bit perplexing is at Juyo Token level I thought we would get a clearer attribution without the maybe 3 schools It reminds me how much of a hard road it sometimes is.Just have a look at http://www.nihontocraft.com/Mihara_Nihonto.html for Ko-mihara. Its hard to pin down as it has a bit of contradicting information and it seems its hard at the top so what chance do we a the bottom have to work out schools. Is Chu-Aoe, that close to Ko-mihara ?the Chu-Aoe, containing both Bizen and Yamashiro characteristics, is it different from the Yamato influence of Ko-mihara ? and then chirimen-hada is it common in both ? as you can see it gets hard to find your way. Which is the definitive definition of Ko-mihara ? or Aoe,? thanks

Hi all, I am looking at this ko-mihara (https://www.aoi-art.com/sword/sale/10480.html ) but am a bit perplexed why the blade if re polished may be judged to Aoe school.and also the blade might be Enju school so we have 3 possible attributions ? what would change it from ko-mihara as the polish is OK. Our ko-mihara is like this one if it was re polished is it possible the attribution would also change ?just trying to understand the attribution and why the maybe,s ?thanks

Hi John, We must have missed you will see you next time around. :D

Hi John, We x4 came to the fair on Sunday arvo to see you but missed you not much to keep you ?

Hi Clive and John, interesting discussion ,thanks

Hi John thanks for that I had it somewhere and was looking for the passage in a mountain files can you tell me if the nidai also had the Harima no Kami title in your reference ? no date given for the change to Ogi fief smith ? thanks for the help

Hi Clive, Is there some difference in the workmanship to differentiate the the two ? I find this most interesting, I don't have Hizen references to look at so can not be of much help. I wonder has someone else seen a shodai Tadakuni with the Harima no Kami title ? have you seen the nidais work ? and one last one was wondering if he was working in the same 3 types of hamon? thanks for the interesting conversation : PS Clive, You can always come to Australia we have a big rabbit problem and could use the help

Hi Clive, Clive My blade has a Tokubetsu Hozon paper and as I am going on the paper but do not read Japanese I thought Harima Kami was given later in Kanbun era this is the paper. Maybe some mix-up with the Nidai ? as I have not seen the Nidai with this title, also did you get some rabbits ? as always it is a pleasure conversing with you thanks

Hi Clive, I to thought someone stuffed up on the description. I think the Harima Daijyo Fujiwara Tadakuni is the right one. I know he changed to Harima Kami Fujiwara Tadakuni later, do you have an idea when that was ?as the date looks off ? thanks

Hi Clive, This is a interesting blade, the only thing is its hard with so so photos.and no closeup of the strange end to the hamon.and the patches.and no Paper, but looks good,its something to think about :? I also have a Katana by hizen Jyu Harima Kami Fujiwara Tadakuni AD1663 it has a Tight ko-tame-hada,and ji-nie in Gunome-choji (It seems that Tadakuni had many influences and a great talent, and studied in several places.) yes he has made me a convert, :D but I am seeing a lot more Suguha blades ?did he do others types than the large gunome,and Gunome-choji ? (and studied in several places) I remember one what was the other? thanks for the help much appreciated. Barry thanks for the info on the book it was one I did not get as I had it a long time ago but have ordered it now

Hi Clive,Barry, Sorry Clive looking again its not orikaishi-mei (should use my glasses ) but have not seen a Tadakuni with a hamon like that. Barry is your Tadakuni Suguha ? also what do think is on the blade some coating maybe ?

Hi all, I am looking at a wakazashi by Harima Daijyo Fujiwara Tadakuni with a cutting test. It has a Suguha hamon but on one side the hamon looks strange. The photos are from the Auction house its on March 22nd. Has someone seen a Tadakuni with a change like that on one side at the machi ? also it looks like Orikaeshi-mei from the photo ? thanks Jim

Hi, I think this is the same sword that was on sale about 12 months ago. I questioned the site that was selling it about the paper I checked on the board and and found that it came from a shop. The seller at the time said not to worry to much about the paper so I lost interest look at (http://www.bushiart.com/shop/default.as ... ame=Swords )

Hi Mariusz I think this site is something to do with sho-shin as I remember getting to them from sho-shin hope that helps .

Hi I looked at Nakahara sensei's Pdf. again, the sword has Bo-Hi all the way to the nakago-jiri amd no change in hi-saki and as some of the pointers in Nakahara sensei Pdf. did not clearly point the right way. (There is no question that it is not o-suriage it has 2 opinions saying so) but as I was asked the question by an most knowledgeable lady in Japan. I then tried to understand and was interested how the 2 got there. can someone point me to ( Good Examples of Suriage Nakago/Osuriage, or Ubu Nakago? by Nakahara sensei is it in his book as I don't have the book at the moment.(my son borrowed it) thanks

Hi all, Mariusz I have the book, Grey is that always the case, I know the sword is Nanbokucho period and know the school and is 70cm I was told that its possible that it is not O-suriage but original length and was told, " Yes, hamon disappears by heating. So the hamon has to run into the tang and vanishing around the file mark, on the O-suriage blade,. Please study the hamon around the machi. It is the important point to know if it is original length or shortened. Does the hamon start at the machi or vanishing there? " I know to look at the other things on the sword but am still finding it hard to find telltale Signs in the nakago that confirms this point am I chasing my tail on this ? and you can not get much from looking for the old hamon ? thanks

Hello all, in a recent conversation with a nice Japanese Dealer who was helping my quest for knowledge. We were speaking about a sword from the late Kamakura / Nanbokucho period. The papers say its O-suriage and I was saying for O-suriage it has an excellent shape. I was asked how do you Know its O-suriage if you did not have the paper to go on ? It was explained the hamon should continue till the file marks and not end at the ha-machi, now I know that the hamon is taken off with heat and lost in the nakago when the sword goes through O-suriage. What are the telltale Signs that this has been done when it has 2 or 3 hundred years of aged patina. As I could not say 100% that I could see traces of the hamon in the nakago. If its done very well will you still see something ? thanks

Hi, One more, One hundred monkeys Noda Mitsuhiro II for comparison ( http://art.thewalters.org/viewwoa.aspx?id=14744)

Hi David, Thanks for the scans and discussion.John Its been interesting following and trying to work out the Yagami and nanban. schools and the differences

Hi David, Thank you for the post it gives me better insight on Nanban and its subgroup's. Also thanks for taking the time to post your nanban . John. As I look at more tsuba I understand that a lot more understanding is needed, have a look at the 2 thousand-monkeys-designs not a lot to pick them as 2 different Schools http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/t ... sign-11323 http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/t ... sign-11321 but its opened my eyes to the excellent tsuba and the great diversity from this School But I know what you mean about the different Schools

Hi David, Thank you for your thoughts, I have gained a bit of an insight into nanban tsuba in the last few weeks. I liked the look/shape of that tsuba. I would love to see your Kanton (Nanban) tsuba that has a Skakudo fukurin, as I have not seen a lot Nanban with fukurin. In my quick look on the net nanban is a very broad group have a look at this Nanban tsuba (http://www.samuraishokai.jp/equipment/ts036.html ) I would not have picked it as nanban at first glance and this one (http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/t ... ouds-11309) so is it just the theme that makes it nanban ? Thanks

Thank you John for the info, When looking at nanban tsuba in the last few days some did have a Chinese"Pot Boiler" look (good description David) but if you get past them you do see some nice ones.( like Brian's) they do come from a big group and don't seem to get big $ like some of the others and they do grow on you

HI all, Thank you John for your comments do you think it can be classed as a nanban. or as you say, ( described as an openwork guard with a very strong Nanban influence,) when I looked at some of the Nanban tsuba it seemed just out a bit. Nanbanbijutsu yes but nanban ? can it be classified under some other group ? As a nanban it is not a common size out of 273 not bad numbers the seller in Japan said, seldom do you find them over 85mm in size. It has a more Japanese feel than a lot of the Chinese type nanban. Has someone seen the shakudō fukurin on others ? I looked on the net but did not find much . John if you have a moment can you send the detail numbers :D and Curran as you have some references to look at and if you have time do you see something like this in the books? Thank you for the help

Hi all I picked up this nanban tsuba last week, its Dimensions are, 【Length】 　 88mm 【Width 】 　 77mm 【Thickness】 4mm(center), most thick5.5mm Do nanban get much larger than 88mm ? thanks.

Hi guys Run across this the other day good photo of Tobiyaki, (http://www.sho-shin.com/hase.htm ) does Yubashiri look similar?do Yubashiri connect to the hamon like in this pic.(http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/sword14.html) is that the difference between them ? had a look at ( viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4791&p=38059&hilit=Yubashiri#p38059) in this looks like Tobiyaki, is light in color but in the shoshin its dark which one is correct ? thanks