What happened to this sword?

[Drago]

Hi,

 

I'd like to point you to this Aoi-Art auction: http://www.aoi-art.com/auction/en/aucti ... 1213703271

(I thought about uploading the picture but didn't know about rights and stuff. If one of the admins knows if it is okay to upload the picture...)

 

What happened to this sword?

 

The bo-hi runs on the shinogi for most of the blade and only runs above it at the tip. The tip of the bo-hi is very close to the kissaki. And at one point there seems to have been a second hi below the bo-hi that has been lost to polishing or perhaps it was just a short one.

 

Does it just look so odd because the blade is tired? Was the bo-hi cut later without caring for the shinogi? Or what?

 

I'd be happy if you could explain.

 

Thanks.

[Jean]

And you Tobias, what is your opinion or hypothesis, you must certainly have one?

[Drago]

:D Well, I'm a beginner. So I asked because I'm not sure.

 

My guess would be: The bo-hi was cut later and/or not that professionally, the second hi was only one of those short ones (don't know the term). And the blade is polished down so much that the tip of the bo-hi has gotten that close to the kissaki.

[Jean]

My guess: the small one is original to the blade.

 

The bo hi may have been added later to try to hide the shinogi ware. The kissaki has probably been reshaped. The blade has suffered from too many polishes.

[zatoichi]

jean,

some questions , only because I do not know. would they except a blade for tokubetsu hozon that was so badly damaged from polishing? This sword has the hi going through the nakago so it is probably a cut down tachi, do you think the hi proximity to the fukura of the kissaki is due to the tip braking and the kissaki being remade vs a cover up? Your saying the blade has been over polished is this due to the hi kissaki relationship or is there something else you are seeing in the blade? If so what are these things? Your help would be much appreciated. I am sure you have heard all these questions before.

J edwards

[nagamaki - Franco]

First, this sword is O suriage as stated in the description. The bo hi and soe bi look to be original and in fact the bo hi runs off the nakago on the ura side, and on the omote you can even see evidence of the soe bi having been longer once upon a time, too. The kissaki has obviously been reshaped most likely from a broken tip as evidenced by the boshi, plus the ending of the bo hi in relationship to the koshinogisaki. This sword has seen its share of polishes/repairs.

[chrstphr]

I thought mumei koto O suriage blades couldnt get Tokubetsu Hozen papers.

 

 

Chris

[Geraint]

Hi Tobias.

 

If you really want to get to grips with what can happen to a sword over a lengthy life can I suggest Nakahara, "Facts and Fundamentals of Japanese Swords". It has some very interesting observations about what happens to swords through repeated polishing and repairs.

 

Have fun.

[nagamaki - Franco]

d. Muromachi and Edo period mumei blades may not receive a Tokubetsu Hozon paper, as a rule. However, if a blade shows good workmanship, attributable to a famous smith, having ubu-nakago, and in good preservation, it may receive Tokubetsu Hozon paper. http://www.nihontocraft.com/Nihonto_Shinsa_Standards.html

[John A Stuart]

Chris, The sky is the limit with mumei osuriage koto. No restriction to level, toku juyo etc. John

[chrstphr]

d. Muromachi and Edo period mumei blades may not receive a Tokubetsu Hozon paper, as a rule. However, if a blade shows good workmanship, attributable to a famous smith, having ubu-nakago, and in good preservation, it may receive Tokubetsu Hozon paper. http://www.nihontocraft.com/Nihonto_Shinsa_Standards.html

 

 

Franco, yes, this was what i thought. So this blade is not Ubu, is not in good preservation from what i can see in the photos. It may show good workmanship, but is Kanenaga a famous smith? the Aoi posting says he is the student of Nagayoshi (who appears to be famous).

 

perhaps i should submit my koto mumei blade for Tokubetsu hozen. I was under the impression it would not be accepted unless it could be attributed to a famous smith (which it can not).

 

John, you give me hope.

 

Chris

[Jean]

Chris,

 

Try to find some info on Nagayoshi (his aka too) and Kanenaga and tell us about them (Province, period, style). It is the only way to learn and it will answer your question about TH.

 

http://www.sho-shin.com/smith.htm

http://www.sho-shin.com/chogi.htm

 

BTW, 2 years ago, in Japan, I had the opportunity to handle a TokuJu Nagayoshi O suriage with a kinpun mei

[nagamaki - Franco]

perhaps i should submit my koto mumei blade for Tokubetsu hozen. I was under the impression it would not be accepted unless it could be attributed to a famous smith (which it can not).

 

Normal proceedure is to submit for hozon, then if it's good enough to also pass tokubetsu hozon they will let you know. Here is where the quality of polish may play a role, but only if the sword is good enough to begin with.

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

BTW Sho-shin rates Kanenaga (Joji 1362) Sai-jo saku while Fujishiro rates him only Jo-saku....

[chrstphr]

 

Normal proceedure is to submit for hozon, then if it's good enough to also pass tokubetsu hozon they will let you know. Here is where the quality of polish may play a role, but only if the sword is good enough to begin with.

 

Hi my sword already has Hozon papers in the late 1980s. I have had a few people see it and say if it werent for one small ware and being mumei, that it was good enough to pass tokubetsu hozen. But i thought it would be a waste as it was mumei, and koto with no smith attribution, only a school attribution.

 

 

Chris

[Jean]

Chris,

 

When was it forged?

[micha]

Hi,

 

Some pictures of my Kencho (Kanenaga).

 

Micha