Gendaito Ota Chikahide

[Daniel]

Hi

 

Yesterday I recieved my latest purchase. It's a Gendaito signed Toei Ju Ota Chikahide made in August 1940 with a nagasa of 27 3/8". The sword is beautiful in every way(Thanks Stu). It has a lovely hamon with masame and an equally nice hada. When researching the smith he's described as a highly rated smith or a top notch smith. However he's only rated at 1 million yen, isn't that quite an average ranking for a half decent/decent smith. Well either way I didn't buy the sword for the name nor because of the ranking of the smith. I attach a few photos if it could be of interest to anyone. The sword was sold at nihonantiques.com a few years ago and since Moses is a far better photographer than I'll ever be I borrow his.

 

Cheers

Daniel

[cabowen]

Ota was from Shizuoka prefecture, where I lived. He traveled around quite a bit, spending time with several smiths, but never catching on for long with a teacher. It is a tribute to his natural abilities and his persistence that he was able to develop into a skilled smith. He never really attained any of the fame that the big city smiths with a pedigree did, but he made very good swords. I looked for one for a long time and was finally able to buy a good example just before I left Japan. I talked to many people who knew him personally and all commented on how serious he was about his craft.

 

I have seen 6 or 7 of his blades and every one was nice. Congrats on finding a blade by one of the smiths I consider an unknown treasure.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Congratulations, even from pics this blade looks quite interesting, thanks for sharing.

[Gabriel L]

Masame in the yakiba, itame in the ji – very striking indeed. And those are a cut above normal gunto mounts.

 

Nice catch.

[Daniel]

Thank you Chris.

Your opinions means a lot to me. It feels with my recent purchases(the Akitaka and now this) I've taken another small step and am now able to at least sometimes to recognize quality within a blade.

 

Kind Regards

Daniel

[Brian]

Stunning blade. Stunning polish. Excellent and full length well crafted tsunagi. Nice mounts and shirasaya. Awesome hataraki and extra custom ordered? length.

What's not to love?

 

Brian

[Bruno]

Bravo Daniel!

 

I really love Ota Chikahide's work! he is one of my favourite.

[Stu W]

A beauty indeed Daniel and I'm pleased it's now in your hands. I miss it already but a guy can't keep them all.

 

Regards,

Stu

[Stephen]

A link to high res pix \ stunning work

 

http://www.nihontoantiques.com/fss392.htm

[cabowen]

Perhaps I should relate a story about my Ota Chikahide blade that may be of interest to those who appreciate his work....

 

About 12 years ago, the NTHK-NPO held a special meeting in which they had a large group of premium swords assembled for the enjoyment of the members. Everyone was encouraged to bring something to display. I had recently bought the Ota Chikahide blade I mentioned above, and being rather taken with it, decided to bring it for the exhibit. I knew it would probably raise a few eyebrows, being a WWII era blade, but I was confident that the quality would speak for itself and thought why not open some minds, as few of the Japanese members had any real experience with WWII era blades....

 

They organized the display according to period so of course the Ota blade was last in line. Just before it was a pair of Koyama Munetsugu blades, one with like a dozen different cutting tests inscribed on it. Before those, a few other nice Shinshinto by famous smiths like Tsunatoshi, Korekazu, and the like. As I went through the blades, I noticed that the person to my left was Miyano sensei, the head of the NTHK-NPO. When I finished looking at all the blades, I watched him as he viewed the Ota blade, expecting him to take a cursory glance and set it right down. Instead, he looked at it longer than all the other swords. After he put it down, he walked up to me, not knowing it was my sword, and said, laughing, "I was really surprised by that last blade. It looks every bit as good as the shinshinto blades, but I was shocked to see it was a WWII blade!" Of course I then told him how happy I was to hear that, since it was my blade. He said more people need to see that level of work from WWII era smiths as most haven't any idea that such fine work was being done during the war by "country smiths"....Made my day.....

 

Here is another nice example:

 

[SwordGuyJoe]

Very nice indeed! We'll done.

[sohei]

Neat story and nice blade. Thanks for sharing Chris.

 

Mike

[george trotter]

Nice sword...somewhere in my aged memory banks I am sure have seen his work somewhere also. I thought it was good too. Just a point Daniel "only a million yen" is not a low grading, it is the standard entry grading of any smith of the shinshinto-gendaito era (like Hawley's 8 points). It just means he is recognised...only time and experience will lift some above this rating to where their various talent shows they should be.

 

Like Chris I have had experience with the Japanese being "unaware" of the quality possible in WWII gendaito. It is a cultural thing...war sword - bad thing - don't consider it art etc. Just to illustrate the "surprise" they show when they get to see some...Just 2 weeks ago I had a knowledgeable NTHK member visit my house. he had a good leisurely look through about 6 of my gendaito...he made little noises and gasps as he went along....like 'Hmmm, this must be shinshinto..." and "wow absolutely excellent forging..." etc etc. In most cases these were RJT blades (some with star stamp and some their private work). The only one he just glanced over quickly with no apparent interest was Nakata Kanehide...he just said "ah, Seki..." (yes, but 2 mil yen)...he wasn't interested. But apart from that, all the others he found fascinating and good work...the "shinshinto" one was an unknown gendai smith Shigekuni (hako) and the two he really liked the forging and the hamon on were Niigata Yamgami Munetoshi and Kyoto Takashima Kunihide (both RJT and 1 mil, and the only two that have original WWII hadori polish :lol: )....so, the message is, as Chris said, they just need to have a good look and not see the nakago until after the initial kantei...it's (hopefully) only a matter of time til they wake up. In fact he tried to find out more about Kyoto Kunihide but little luck there (he's like Chikahide...not much known) and he's looking into another smith from Tokyo. So Daniel...keep buying good gendaito and IMHO you can't go wrong.

 

BTW Chris, what were the general comments from the other NTHK-APO members like about your Chikahide?

Regards,

[w.y.chan]

Amada Akitsugu was only rated 1.8 million yen so I would take the Toko Taikan rating with a pinch of salt.

Hope no one mind if I ask, who polished this sword in question? Maybe the owner should take some photos for us to see if he does'nt mind?

I remember about 12yrs ago when I heard Chris was looking for a Chikahide only days after Bill Tagg showed me an oshigata he made of a sword that came into his shop and sold, it was a big wide gendaito. Apparently Chikahide continue to make swords after the post war ban was lifted until 1965 not sure how well he did in competition. His swords can still be had for relatively cheap.

Many WW2 era swords were given low grade polish it is only when top level polish is applied that we get to see the quality. Occassionally this means a good smith stood out whose work was previously undone by low quality polish expected for them at the time.

It is true country smiths and those who are self trained need to be well connected in a big city environment and serve some kind of apprenticeship with a big name smith even in name only if they are to become better considered by the sword fraternity. This is still true today!

[Curgan]

Could you please Chris post this last picture at higher resolution? The blade seems fantastic

[w.y.chan]

Could you please Chris post this last picture at higher resolution? The blade seems fantastic

 

I believe Chris got it from here, hope he not mind me posting the dealer's listing for him

http://www.seiyudo.com/ka-050212.htm

[Daniel]

Thank you all for your kind words. About the request of me taking some photos. Well the only camera I own is the one in my Iphone and I don't think they should add anything that doesn't show in Moses wonderful photos.

 

Regards

Daniel

[cabowen]

BTW Chris, what were the general comments from the other NTHK-APO members like about your Chikahide?

Regards,

 

Other comments were in line with what Miyano san has said. Lots of shock and surprise that it was a WWII era blade....

 

I often brought these types of blades to kantei kai meetings to show people and they often had everyone fooled.

 

 

@Curran-

 

The link provided (thanks!) is indeed where I sourced the photos. To be clear, this isn't my sword...I actually prefer mine as it is a bigger, more dynamic blade....I don't have any photos of my sword but I plan to entertain some sword nuts next week at my new house and haven't yet decided which swords to show them. I might bring this one and if I do I will take some photos and post them.

[Curgan]

Thanks for the link!

[cabowen]

This one is very similar to mine:

 

[Daniel]

If you do take some pictures, I'd love to see them. I have studied my own Chikahide for a couple of evenings now and it looks better each time.

 

Regards

Daniel

[Daniel]

As requested some photos taken by me but because of an old unupdated IPhone and non existant photo skills they doesn't add much. Well at least I tried.

Have a nice weekend all.

Cheers

Daniel

[Daniel]

More

[cabowen]

Looks just like mine....I tried to take some pictures when I had it out the other day but they didn't turn out very well.....

 

Really nice jigane!

 

Thanks for sharing.

[SwordGuyJoe]

VERY pretty!

[runagmc]

I agree, beautiful! I'm envious of that one...

[CrazyforYou]

Hi Everyone, 

I have just come across this old thread regarding Ota Chikahide- I have a sword- unpolished- It has been in a wardrobe since the end of WWii - brought back home by an Uncle, and given to his sister to look after. Now she is getting on in life and would like to find a new home for Ota’s sword. I am her son in law-and I must admit, my son and I have become quite fond of the sword, and now of it’s maker, in Ota Chikahide. I am loving to find out more about his journey in life to be honest, and I thank you for the new pieces of his story. If there have been anymore details to his life that anyone else has to share, I would be very grateful indeed. Have a great day, and I wait with anticipation of any more information regarding this ‘Journey Man’. Cheers Shane 

[Bazza]

Shane,

 

If you google "Ota Chikahide" you will find lots of information, much of it on this Board.  You can find the latter by entering "Ota Chikahide" in the NMB Search window in the top rhs corner of your screen.

 

Best regards,

BaZZa.

[Stephen]

Youd think as much i dislike rereading the dead post id check the date before i start...didnt untill i read Chris's post.

New guys ol guys start your own post then link the old one. Save me from my growing senility thinking if I read this before. Or ill just try reading the freaking date....yad think!!!