Nbthk Something To Think About

[paulb]

I am in danger of doing a little blatant advertising, but I believe it worthwhile and important. Let me say up front that I have been a member of the NBTHK EU for a good number of years and am very proud to be associated with it. Therefore you will have no doubt as to my personal alliances.

Last weekend I had the great pleasure of attending the most recent meeting in Bonn. I understand that other members who attended may write a brief report on the event itself and I will leave it to them to give their views on some of the work on display and the discussion around it. Having had a thoroughly enjoyable and educational time I started to think a little more about perceptions of such societies and what we may be missing. Not a week goes by on the board without reference somewhere to an NBTHK paper. Most people here when asked what the NBTHK did I think would refer to shinsa and authentication. It has become a major part of our approach to buying, especially over the web. What we tend to overlook is the incredible contribution this organisation makes to educating us.

I have said here before that I believe the best educational tool there is in this field is doing kantei.If you do not have access to high level swords, which few of us do on a regular basis, then doing the Shijo kantei in the NBTHK magazine is a worthwhile alternative. Whether you submit your answers, if you do whether you get it right is irrelevant what is important is the process. I spent the first 10 years of my collecting career being afraid of doing kantei in case I looked an idiot. I have spent the next 20 knowing I was an idiot for wasting the first 10 years.

Taking part in this activty has been greatly enhanced by the publication of Markus Seskos works on the subject and more European names are appearing on the lists of successful participants.

New members here often ask what books they should buy to learn. Thanks to people such as Grey there are far more Japanese works available to us than ever before and they represnt great value. However I would suggest one of the best investments in literature for anyone would be to join the NBTHK, whether European or US groups. This automatically offers you 12 copies annually of the NBTHK magazine with a comprehensive English translation available to download. These means that Oshigata of 5 or more blades and fittings are illustrated and described in great detail. I think for the magazine alone membership offers great value. In addition if you can attend the meetings  you have the opportunity to see incredble pieces generously offered for study by experienced collectors.

As said above this is a rather shameless plug for a  worthwhile organisation. becoming a member  was undoubtedly the best decision and investment I made. and I believe for those who are enthusiastic and want to learn from an excellent source it would prove the same.

 

[DirkO]

 I have spent the next 20 knowing I was an idiot for wasting the first 10 years.

 

 

I'm still in the first 10 years    - but your reasoning is sound and it does help a lot in the assessment of unknown swords. I actually plan to do the Shijo Kantei from now on. So at first I will be   , but after a lot of practise I hope to get   (for the old school gamers - and probably wishfull thinking!)

[YOJIMBO]

NBTHK europe is not very functional organization. Maybe for some people in Germany. nothing else.

[paulb]

Sorry Simon but I disagree. There are certainly more members in Germany than other parts of Europe but there are members throughout and meetings held in different parts. (Sweden, Denmark, UK).

However I accept that not everyone can go to meetings regardless of the country.  the point I was making is that the publications alone represent a great resource and the ability to network with other members offers access to considerable resource and material.

Please do not mistake your lack of contact with a lack of functionality of the organisation, which is extremely active and encouraging (my experience)

Please feel free to pm me with your email address and I will happily give you contacts who might improve your expereince.

Regards

Paul

[Jussi Ekholm]

As a fellow member of NBTHK-EB I can say that the organization is great as is the knowledge among the members. I agree that joining NBTHK (or any other sword group near you) is very important. You will get to see amazing items with people who can tell you more about the items on display.

 

Our Scandinavian NBTHK group is very healthy with great people & meetings. I haven't been able to visit the meetings in Germany yet but I met some of German members in the big European meeting in May.

 

I think the communication within NBTHK-EB is improving all the time. I remember when I joined several years ago, I didn't get any information about the Scandinavian branch or the German meetings by some email problem, I just got the membership card in mail and the magazine started coming. I was amazed to find out some years ago that there is a very active NBTHK group in Sweden, as for me it's possible to travel there fairly easily. I'm trying to attend the meetings when I can because they are great.

 

So as I was getting only magazines for the beginning of my membership, I can say at least for me they are enough reason to be a member, as I stayed as a member not knowing about the local meetings. There are some amazing articles published in Token Bijutsu over the years. I'll just have to improve my Japanese skills greatly to fully enjoy the magazines.

 

However I will say that for me the other NBTHK-EB members and the meetings are the things that really make the organization shine. Magazine is just a nice membership benefit.

[Pete Klein]

I believe it was three years ago at the San Francisco show that the NBTHK-AB had an exhibition of member's Mainline Goto works of all generations except for the last (technical glitch of some kind) which was incredible. The tables ran the entire length of the study room (~ 35/40'). The Japanese dealers/guests present were commenting that they hadn't seen this in Japan outside of a museum and even then it was rare. That was a great compliment to the organization and the members who made it happen. This August there will be an NBTHK-AB members conclave to discuss anything with the board and a meet and greet. It will be a lot of fun and educational also. I for one am looking forward to it greatly!

[jlawson]

Pete our lectures and displays are always informative but I also think we could do a better job of educating here in the USA. As you said this August will be the first time we have had a general membership meeting to discuss the club and its activities. In my opinion we have so many opportunities for education but we really don't capitalize on any of them outside of the shows and the monthly newsletter that comes from Japan. The internet could be used but today is not really at all. 

[Brian]

I've offered before, and the offer still stands, to set up private forum sections for specialist mainstream groups where only their members would see that section. So in effect, the NBTHK could have their own forum section, visible to only their paid up members, where they could discuss relevant topics. The rest of the members here wouldn't even see it, so no change for anyone else, and I believe it would be of benefit to the various organizations. But so far no takers. Obviously, online resources are still seen as too "new fangled"

 

Brian

[Ted Tenold]

Brian,

 

I must have missed this offer in the past. It's a nice offer and worth consideration. I'll pm you tomorrow about it. Might be a good rendezvous point for the interaction of all NBTHK members and branches.

 

Ted

[CSM101]

Here is just a short report for those who could´t be there:

 

At the meeting in Bonn two sword were shown. Both Tokubetsu Juyo. A Shinto katana by Echizen Yasutsugu.  And this is, what is like a unicorn. A Shinto sword with Tokubetso Juyo.

Some say it is his best sword ever made.

 

The other one was a Rai Kunitsugu tanto.

 

Here is a descrition from the English Token Bijutsu No. 56, "Selected fine Japanese Swords" and a little bit Yamanaka-Newsletter:

 

 

Nagasa: 27,40 cm, sori:very little, etc.

 

The tanto is hira-zukuri, with mitsu-mune, a broad mihaba, thick kasane, sunnobi and nearly no sori.

 

The kitae is a tight ko-itame-hada, rich in ji-nie with nie-utsuri tatsu. The wide shallow notare-cho hamon is mixed slightly with gunome, and there are ashi, deep nioi and tight ko-nie, with frequent sunagashi and nie-suji. The nioi-guchi is saeru. What really is interestiing is the fact, that the blade has "uruoi" in the steel. That makes the blade feel wet. It comes from the fine quality nie.

 

Rai Kunitsugu is said to be the son of Rai Kunitoshi and the younger brother of Rai Kunimitsu. Existing tachi are rare and most extant works are tanto and short wakizashi. He is considered one of the Masamune Juttetsu, and he is called Kamakura-Rai because of his visible influence of Soshu-den upon his work, for example in the strong nie, the thick ji-nie, and a jigane with jikei.

 

The sugata is typical for the end of the Kamakura-period. Both sugata and jiba typify the work of this smith, and with its excellent deki this totally sound tanto is certanly one of his masterpieces. The blade derives from the Okubo clan, the Lord of Odawara. According to the sales lists of the clan, it came with a origami by Honami Koon, dating from 1665 which evaluated this blade at one hundred gold pieces.

 

 

A few words to the photo:

 

First of all I have to say "Thank you!" to a certain collector for the opportunity to have a Tokubetso Juyo in front of my lens. :bowdown:

 

The sad news is: I had too much dust on the sensor. And so you can´t see every detail. Especally in the hamon. My fault and I apologize for that.

 

And to YOJIMBO: the NBTHK-EB is a very functional organisation. I was there and I am not even a member. But I want to  see the best Japanese swords.

And this is one of the best opportunities you ever get in Europe.

 

 

So, now I need a Glen Moray. And then I plan a trip to Newcastle. 

 

Uwe G.

 

[paulb]

Uwe

happy to welcome you to Newcastle any time you can make it

congratulations on the photos they show much of what was there to see.

[wakiboy]

All

I have read this post and would just like to say how pleased I am to see the exchange of information at such a high level of knowledge.

The information is so freely available from groups & individuals who are so passionate about the subject.

When I became interested in the subject in the early 70s there were only a couple of books available in English & the nearest person who was willing to teach me was 45mls away.

What I'm saying is, that it is not just technology that is making Ni-Honto available but the people who put the information there.

I have been a member of the NBTHK and found them to be my best source of information ( next to the wife ).

Knowledge is for sharing..that's why I find this group very educational.

 

Ian

[Lewis B]

No reason to start a new thread but after the Utrecht Expo last month I am attending my first NBTHK-EB meeting in Solingen this weekend. Really looking forward to learning more about the Soshu Den which is the focus of this months meet. I hope the experience will convince me to become a full member. There are so few venues to see the highest quality blades in Europe so this is a rare opportunity. 

[sabiji]

On 7/17/2024 at 6:51 PM, Lewis B said:

No reason to start a new thread but after the Utrecht Expo last month I am attending my first NBTHK-EB meeting in Solingen this weekend. Really looking forward to learning more about the Soshu Den which is the focus of this months meet. I hope the experience will convince me to become a full member. There are so few venues to see the highest quality blades in Europe so this is a rare opportunity. 

...and I don't think you will be disappointed! And don't be afraid to ask questions! There are very competent members here who are happy to share their knowledge with enthusiasm!

I wish you lots of fun on Saturday!

[Andi B.]

Very true, Paul.

I waited very long until I became a member of the NBTHK-EB this year.

Because I happily have already great contacts, I thought, being a member is not a big benefit...🤦🏻‍♂️

But now receiving the magazines and trying the Shijo kantei is great. It's in fact the first time I really study my sources - especially the Kantei Zenshu books from Markus! 🕵🏻‍♂️

I have to admit that the actual knowledge is still outside my brain and in the books but at least I could read my name in the Token Bijutsu already...🕺🏻

[Lewis B]

Well, I had a wonderful 5 hours examining over 20 blades in minute detail. Not only were the blades top examples of Soshu Den but they included a couple of TokuJu blades from Yukimitsu (with family paper archive dating back 400 years) and Norishige. There were also several Juyo blades from Kaneuji (2 long blades from different periods), Sanekage (a tanto and a katana) and Tametsugu (again an early tanto and a later katana after he relocated to Mino). It was a wonderful opportunity to note the differences in blades made years apart by the same swordsmith and the influences of their contemporaries and teachers.

The Norishige was also fascinating as it seemed to have a less structured/formulaic earlier style than the Matsukawa hada he is most famous for today. I actual prefer his more freestyle earlier jihada. 

The TJ Yukimitsu tanto was also a wonderful example showing the early Soshu DNA.

In the second half of the meeting we could compare the Soshu swords with later blades from Satsuma that emulated Soshu style. That was also fascinating to see the hits and near misses.

The level of accumulated knowledge gathered in one room was also humbling. I can think of no other opportunities in Europe where there is a chance to examine so many fine blades in one place and talk with such knowledgeable collectors and dealers. The assembled tsuba and koshirae fittings were also fascinating including many museum grade pieces.

Overall these events are well worth attending if you have the chance.

[Lewis B]

Correction, it was a Rai Kunitsugu and not Yukimitsu TJ tanto.