mizukage on Naminohira?

[Marius]

Gents,

 

has any one of you found anything on mizukage in old Naminohira blades? The blade I am looking at (not in hand) is suriage, has yaki-otoshi. So far so good, but it has also mizukage, and that, together with a (finely) pitted nakago, smells of saiha... But is has NBTHK Hozon...

 

[paulb]

not specifically Naminohira but I have seen examples and heard of others made in that area by adjacent schools at that time

My concern is that you say it is suriage, I assume not O-suriage and the machi are in their original place? if not I would be concerned.

[Marius]

Thanks Paul

 

It is a long blade (nagasa 77 cm). Machi has been moved up, blade is (o)suriage by 10-13(?) cm (hard to say how much was cut off), and the hamon starts from the current machi. Nakago jiri is iri-yama-gata (a bit unorthodox for suriage). Two mekugi ana.

 

Cannot post pics, sorry.

[John A Stuart]

Mariusz, I would be very careful in assuming it has mizukage as a result of it being saiba. There is a tempering process used to make the steel easier to work in the machiokuri and suriage process that may leave mizukage as a result without distressing the original hamon. If you can see it, I am sure the shinsa panel did as well. Further what evidence in that it was yakiotoshi? Having a hamon on a suriage machiokuri blade that seems to start at the current hamachi may be parts of the tempering process, the cutting down of the nakago that had the original continuation of the hamon and / or the polishers artfulness. Anyhow, I wouldn't be totally dismayed until all other possibilties were eliminated. John

[Marius]

Thank you John

 

I will have another look at the pictures... Ah, the woe of trying to judge a sword online... :-)

[takakage]

Hi

may be your sword could looks like this one

http://www.aoijapan.com/katana-mumei-naminohira-school

The hada of this one seems little tired with a ha agari kurijiri but naminohira blades are not obvious to find..

Some good examples of suriage nakago in the book of Nobuo Nakahara translated by Paul Martin.

[Curran]

Concur with what John said. Seen mostly on koto swords. Often the appearance of this machiokuri 'mizukage' is stronger on one side than the other and bend away into the blade quickly fading without changing the jigane. Not the hard ruler line straight up both sides to the mune area. Most often described as a heated copper block tool with sword laid on it for transference- as localized trick to soften an area chemical structure and reduce risk of cracks while altering swords considered to be of a bit more valuable.

 

One of Cary Condell's old tricks was to go around sword shows and spot unpapered ones with this phantom mizukage, kick the owner down to nothing on price, and then have it polished and papered.

One of the listmembers had this experience first hand, resisted the Cary ploy, had it polished and Tokubetsu Hozon to Osafune Morimitsu. Lovely sword that I wish I knew who owned nowadays.

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

Yakiotoshi is a feature of ko-Naminohira. Shirake utsuri can be found too.

 

 

Hard to say something without seeing the sword.

[Marius]

Some good examples of suriage nakago in the book of Nobuo Nakahara translated by Paul Martin.

 

Patrick, according to Nakahara iri-yama-gata is a at least suspect in a suriage nakago. Love the book, BTW.

 

John, Curran, thanks for the elucidation of this "quasi-mizukage". Very interesting.