AN INTERESTING HORIMONO ON YAHOO JAPAN???

[Bazza]

A mate sent me this link with a very unusual horimono. I have a very slight memory that such a horimono has been discussed in the past. I've never seen anything like it in any book that I recall. At first I was going to call it a "Horrormono", but knowing the Japanese there could indeed be something deeply mystical in this:

http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/a ... m119422206

 

Bestests,

BaZZa.

[Brian]

Wow.

And cannot see clearly, but is that really kiriha zukuri on both sides of the blade??

Odd, and interesting. Horimono obviously had some significance to someone, but that profile is highly unusual.

 

Brian

[estcrh]

I like it.

 

[Kai-Gunto]

Like it too!

[Stephen]

no accounting for taste, looks like a bunch of rust pockets to me....pass!

[hxv]

Who is good at Morse code here? All kidding aside, it looks somewhat charming.

 

Hoanh

[obiwanknabbe]

If I had to guess, it looks as if something was removed. Perhaps a slogan against some enemy or the like that was ground away after the battle was lost and the other side was victorious? Was this not a tradition to do remove the emperors Mon if a weapon was surrendered? Just wild guess, but the removing theory seems more likely than it having been done "artistically" .

 

Kurt.K

[Grey Doffin]

I agree with Kurt. No way this looks like something a smith would have done to a sword unless he had to. Removing old horimono or even bad kizu (very bad) but not as intentional horimono. Once you got past the novelty it would become quite boring.

But what do I know? Grey

[Brian]

Grey,

I think that is entirely possibly...likely in fact. However, I have seen yari horimono with this kind of rustic "gouging" that was intentionally done, so I don't think it can be 100% excluded. But as I said..it is likely.

No-one think that kiriha zukurii both sides is wierd? Fukura must be very odd to allow for that.

 

Brian

[Gabriel L]

I agree with removal possibility (though obviously we don't know for sure). All I can think, having studied the G.I. system recently, is that it looks like bowels… or their contents. Cannot imagine anyone choosing this as a "design."

 

No-one think that kiriha zukurii both sides is wierd? Fukura must be very odd to allow for that.

 

I do think that kiriha-zukuri on both sides is unusual but not quite at the level of "weird." If anything, it's funny how popular kata-kiriha-zukuri is as an asymmetric design is not exactly optimal from a functional standpoint—it would theoretically make a long blade torque through a cut due to uneven drag. This actually makes more sense to me as a sword design (if not quite as interesting as an artistic choice).

 

I don't follow your comment about the fukura. To me fukura means the degree of roundness to the edge in the kissaki, but perhaps it more literally just means the kissaki edge? From the image the profile looks normal. And cross-sectionally, there is no reason I can think of that the edge wouldn't be fine… it worked for chokutō.

 

From Usagiya:

 

 

vs.

 

 

(or)

 

[ROKUJURO]

Gentlemen,

 

these impressions have been made by forging, I am sure. It looks like very heavy hammer blows, not like material having been removed. As machining was not possible, chiselling would then have been the method, but the marks clearly say TSUCHI ME (coarser than we are used to).

 

I like this 'BOHI' design a lot, it is unusual and bold. It probably could not be done on both sides.

[Loco Al]

I have to disagree. I don't think this was hammer blows. I suspect that it was done more recently with a grinding wheel on a power tool (like an angle grinder, or a round grinding stone chucked in a drill, or a burr) in an effort to remove something that was engraved on the sword or to deface it.

 

See arrows on photo. It's a low resolution photo, but I think that you can clearly see the grinding marks.

 

 

Alan

[Stephen]

just plain disgusting, don't understand any likes on these/

[cabowen]

just plain disgusting, don't understand any likes on these/

 

[benatthelake]

just plain disgusting, don't understand any likes on these/

Agree.....

 

I don't understand the appeal...looks grossly defaced.

 

Edited....perhaps interesting from a historical perspective however, and obviously a conversation piece.

 

Ben M.

[Brian]

Gariel,

Not sure what I was thinking when I said fukura. I meant niku/ niku oki of course.

 

Brian

[Dr Fox]

At first look, it appears that a series of engravings have been ground out, and not a continuous horimono. I say this, as there are a few places between the damage, that suggest there weren't any engravings present.

Could this blade have had a series of kanji that someone found offensive?

Personally I would not make room for this blade, no offence meant.

[DirkO]

Now here's a truly impressive piece of carving on Yahoo Japan!

Reminds me of a blade (I think it was a wakizashi) that Darcy posted about years ago. Here the whole rokasen is done on a o-kogatana (30.5cm). Quite impressive, but not surprising from this smith.

 

https://www.jauce.com/auction/n135619442

[Brian]

Wow. That is pretty incredible.

 

Brian

[Stephen]

Sorry to go OT but was looking at others on the Yahoo site, how does one or do you recive sword knifes or blades shipped out of Nippon? will kozuka blade not be able to ship as its a knife??