Yasutoku Gendai sword, strange shaped nakago

[gun addict]

I got these pictures send to me by a local person who wishes to sell me his father's bringback sword. From what I can tell the sword looks to be in great shape and Yasutoku is to my understanding a decent smith working out of Yasukuni. How is it then that the nakago is so.....unevenly shaped? Could this be a Gimei?

 

After some more research, is this nakago what they would call Kijimomo-gata? Sry, I'm just used to seeing almost all Ubu shaped nakago from lack of experience

[lonely panet]

Hi buddy,

there were to smiths working at the "nihonto tanren kai" that went by the smith name of YASUNORI, the first one , Kajiyama Yasunori and Katoni Yasunori.

 

the first, Kajiyama yasunori who became a member during 1933 actually was the teacher to Katoni yasunori who who was awarded the same name during 1935, once this occured kajiyama yasunori changed the shape of his nakago to prevent the two from being confused from that point onward.

 

its abit hard to judge, because of the amonut of chalk on the nakago, and there being no pics of the whole blade but the mei looks very close the kajiyama yasunori's mei and shape of nakago is correct too. try to read the date to see what is says

 

regards Hamish

[cabowen]

This is called kiji-momo (pheasant thigh) shape and is correct for later works by Kajiyama Yasunori.

[gun addict]

Showa year 12 , april lucky day, it does help being able to read Chinese :D

 

Thank you very much gents, that puts my mind at ease, I would appreciate it if you can give me more relevant information on this smith or the blade itself

[SwordGuyJoe]

Google kotani yasunori. You'll find plenty.

[w.y.chan]

Here is a Kajiyama Yasutoku 70cm josun length special order made for horse racing competition prize sold a few years ago at 750,000 yen

http://web.archive.org/web/20100725074101/http://www.e-sword.jp/sale/2010/1010_1093syousai.htm

[cabowen]

If you google, you'll have better luck with Kajiyama Yasunori 梶山靖徳....

[SwordGuyJoe]

Obviously Chris is right. Sorry for misspeaking.

[w.y.chan]

Here is another reference of a Kajiyama sword signed "Taketoku" or "Takenori" the mei he uses for blades he made outside of the Yasukuni shrine and much scarcer. Notice the nakago and the date Showa 9 before he adopted the "pheasant thigh". Early prewar Yasukuni blades are "usually" consider better made.

This sword was sold for the equivelent of $6k

http://www.tokka.biz/sword/takenori.html

 

From November 20th 1943 he start signing his mei 大東亜正宗 "Masamune of Greater East Asia" or just Masamune 正宗.

Kajiyama was born in February 16th 1881 and died in January 8th 1957. He did not appear to return to swordmaking after the ban was lifted in 1955.