Kantei September 2015

[Gokaden]

This is another one from my collection.

 

It is one of my favourite swords.

 

Ha-watare : 72.4 cm or 28.50 inches.

 

Sori : 1.1 cm or 0.43 inches.

 

Width at the hamachi : 3.01 cm or 1.18 inches.

 

Width at the Kissaki : 2.31 cm or 0.9 inches.

 

Kasane : 0.75 cm or 0.29 inches.

 

Shinogi-tsukuri, Ihori-mune, strong sword and feels heavy in hand, little curve and O-kissaki.

 

Bo-hi runs through the whole nakago with soe-hi ending at the bottom Mekugi-ana
 
Hada is a mix of Mokume/itame, ji-nie can be seen and there are defined chikei.

 

Midare Utsuri becomes strong near the base of the blade.

 

Hamon is a variated Gunome- and Choji- midare of Ko-Nie and Nioi-Fukashi.

 

Midare-Komi and Sunagashi Boshi with a slightly insulated area of unhardened steel. Slight Kaeri.

 

O-Suriage Nakago has two Mekugi-ana.

 

[Greg F]

Hi Frederick,

Great looking blade! Beautiful hamon. Regards.

Greg

[Stephen]

Thank you Fredrick, we could use more of this show and tell. Very lovely blade.

[Jean]

Hi Frederick.

 

I'll say Nambokucho, Soden Bizen, perhaps Yoshikage ..

[Fuuten]

To be honest, i wouldn't be comfortable guessing at the maker or school. Just stopping by to say love the blade and i hope to see much input from more experienced kantei'ers.

[Kronos]

I'm on holiday so have no books and can't really see the photo on my phone but I'd go with soden bizen nanbokucho but no idea on a smith.

[Jean]

Small change: Omiya Morikage

[Markus]

I tend towards Osafune Kanenaga (aka Kencho)...

[Gokaden]

I will publish the sword smith on Saturday, September 12.

 

Keep up the good work

[Ken-Hawaii]

I'd agree with Stephen if I hadn't had the opportunity just yesterday to spend about 30 minutes studying a beautiful Juyo Morikage blade. Very close, but that one had a nice, long kaeri that this one obviously does not. I have no problem agreeing with Bizen & Nambokucho, though.

 

Ken

 

[DirkO]

Bizen Nambokucho at first sight - after some investigation, I'll go with Kanenaga.

[Jean]

Specifically Soden Bizen, has a flavour of Kanemitsu.

[Jean]

Three answers as so far, c'mon guys, it is time to step in. What is the use of initiating a kantei if it is for 3 members only?

[Jussi Ekholm]

Don't be so hasty Jean   I'm sure there will be more guesses coming in before the deadline.

 

After trying to look into it, I think I would go with Bizen - Omiya. As for the smith, too difficult but I think I'd have to say Morikage like Jean said. I would like to have said different smith for the fun of it but Morikage is the only Omiya smith I have good data on in my own library.

[b.hennick]

Early Omiya - good sword - it would be a pleasure to study.

[ROKUJURO]

I have almost no competence in blades, but for the pure fun of contradicting and creating fire to the discussion, I say SHIN-SHINTO. It might be an UTSUSHI of a BIZEN-style blade, but the SORI is quite shallow and what remains of the original NAKAGO seems to show only little corrosion. 

So now beat me up!

[Brian]

I already had my answer skewed by other answers, and don't want to sound like a parrot

[BIG]

Bizen Oei School , swordsmith Morimitsu

 

Best Regards

[AndyMcK]

Hard with my limited knowledge and library but Bizen Omiya Moriie?

 

These kantei are sorely in need..

 

Antti

[Curran]

Agree with Ken =>  not Omiya Morikage or Omiya Morokage. Not enough kaeri.

Still, good answer by Jean as the utsuri, hamon, strong waves of nie, and other points put it close to there.

 

Don't think Morimitsu either:  too much nie and wrong hamon for that.

Still, agree it is something close to Osafune with that well forged mokume itame decent jigane with an almost perma-oiled appearance to it.

 

I need to hit the books before casting my opinion. Since I am definitely on the fittings side of things, I hesitate to do so- but this is a very good kantei piece. Thank you Frederick.

[Mark]

Hojoji (kunimitsu)

[jason_mazzy]

The Boshi does not say Morimitsu to me if we go OEI period maybe nagayoshi.... shallow sori and hakikake appearance to the boshi along with sunagashi and shallow sori look more Echigo Kanro school..... ko nie fits that attribution also.... a little yamato flavor? 

 

I am new to kantei and do not have many of the benefits of holding known swords as others. Just throwing my hat into the ring.

[Jean]

That's good guys, as was saying my old flipper: it's more fun to compete.

[Isocyanide]

Sugata is mid-Nambokucho.  Bohi with soehi + Nanbohucko = Bizen.  Looks very similar to some works I've seen by Bizen Kanemitsu.

 

edit:  Flipped a couple pages in the Bizen Chapter of the Connoisseur's book and Omiya school also sounds probable as well, very similar to Kanemitsu.

[Ted Tenold]

A little bit of a toss up for me.  I think Kencho is a good call, but I'll say Bizen Nagamori.  

[Stephen]

Bizen Omiya Nobuhide...lovely sunagashi .....i want to go to the beach...")

[Kronos]

Just as I found my answer I think I may have found this actual sword or at least the spitting image of it. So I will use spoiler tags.

 

I hate to be boring but what can you do when you agree with others.

 

 

omiya morikage

 

[Stephen]

Agreed but didnt want to be the same...LOL. 

[Curran]

A list member discussed this with me privately.

Having thought on it more and hit the books, I still cannot 100% agree. Kissaki and kaeri throw me a bit.

 

I looked at works of the students of Kanemitsu, as it reminded me of an Enbun Kanemitsu I once studied- though a bit wilder. I looked towards his students.

I couldn't find a strong match with any examples of Kanemitsu students.

 

Jean and Barry are probably right in the Omiya Bizen call, but expect more kaeri from Morikage.

[Doug]

Gang,

 

Since we're just having fun ,I'm going to side with Jean C. and say Naotane Den utshushi. "Heavy in the hand"with a 7.5mm kasane pretty healthy for koto, and something about the sunagashi otherwise just a feeling :-)!

 

Doug