Oppinions

[AndreasU]

I am close to buy this one but need some push again if it worth the value:

http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/wakizashi/07330.html

 

Please some comments

 

Andreas

[Brian]

Andreas,

 

I hope it is you that has it on hold

I'm a sucker for well cut Bo-Hi and Soehi.

Add to that a good polish, great condition, nice hada and healthy hamon with nice hataraki, and all for JPY250K with papers?

Sounds like a good deal to me. Don't think you can go wrong with that one.

 

Brian

[AndreasU]

Yes it`s me who set it to hold. I did a search for that specific smidth but only thing I could find was that he worked at Edo time. I cannot find a ranking.

 

What I like on the blade is the very fine tight forging. I am not a friend of suguha but as you mentioned the Bohi and sohi combination is quite "sexy".

 

I is sad that the Japanese like to "make up" the hada with this white "Hadori". I am more a friend of sashikomi because it gives more contrast. But thats a question of taste.

 

It is a good fit to my Gendai Kanenaga which has a complete different hamon. So I will have enough to study the next few months

[pcfarrar]

It's a nice enough blade, but it has one of those "cheap" Aoi Art polishes. It would probably look 10x better in a good quality polish.

 

Personally I'd say the Sukesada is the best deal at Aoi Art at the moment:

 

http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/wakizashi/07340.html

 

Also here's some info on Tsuguhira

 

TSUGUHIRA ÔMI NO KAMI NIDAI [ENKYÔ 1744 MUSASHI] SHINTÔ CHÛJÔSAKU

He is called Fujita Yabei, and he lived in Bushû Kanda. His style continues that of the shodai, and his works are few. According to the authors of the Tsuguhira oshigata collections, it seems that many of his katana are suriage. (Wazamono)

Signatures: ÔMI NO KAMI TSUGUHIRA

ÔMI NO KAMI FUJIWARA TSUGUHIRA

Plate III: Cannot read small writing, but folded back portion says "FUJIWARA TSUGUHIRA.

Plate IV: ÔMI NO KAMI

Caption: ROKUDAIME TSUGUHIRA NO SURIAGE ORIKAESHI, Suriage and orikaeshi of sixth generation Tsuguhira.

[AndreasU]

Hmm,

 

I have seen the sukesada before but the blade is not nicely forged.

It`s very "rough" in my eyes. Just a "better" name.

The one I am interested in is much more tight.

Maybe beginners mistake but, hey, if I am totally wrong, give me a hint....

 

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder", as we say in germany.

[Brian]

I also think your choice has a nice tight hada, and all things being equal, it seems that well cut hi do increase resale value.

I think it's a good choice. Suguha is also supposed to be the "refined collector's choice" once we have gotten past the flashy wild Miono stuff.

Kind of like the old iron tsuba refinement over the flashy kinko items. I'm still a beginner though..so flashy and wild still intrigues me :D

 

Brian

[pcfarrar]

I also think your choice has a nice tight hada, and all things being equal, it seems that well cut hi do increase resale value.

 

Should balance out the price decrease from being suguha nicely :lol:

 

Also this Tadakuni at Aoi Art is very well priced. Nidai Tadakuni is very well respected:

 

http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/wakizashi/07205.html

[Guest reinhard]

Mr.Tsuruta is a very nice gentleman and I'm looking forward to meet him at this year's Token-Ichi. He is honest in what he does and I'm far from criticizing him. Nevertheless I remember how stunned I was, when I saw swords for the first time in reality, that I fancied before in the internet (Aoi-Art, e-sword and others). What I want to say is: You haven't really seen a blade unless you held it in your hands. Speculating over photographs is a little bit like......

[AndreasU]

Funny discussion... again.

 

I don`t ry to find out what the one or other wants to imply with it`s sentences.

 

The only thing I can say is the following.

I bought one sword from someone here in the board, it was a nail, not bad described but it did not match my expectations. Not only the sellers fault, more mine!

I bought one sword from AOI Art, had nothing in hand than the pictures he sended me in advance.

It was exactly as described ond showed all "mistakes" in the pictures that it had in real.

It was a 100% correct deal.

 

Now I see this sword, it looks superb for the price, and I am sure it will be!

 

So from my little experiences all I can say is that Tsuruta san trys to photograph a sword as best as possible and when I compare it with most other photographs in the I-net and the different sellers I have to say that he is the most professional.

 

Discussing about polishing qualities is far in advance of my capabilities to judge that, as it is for most of the others here in the board............

[Jean]

Andreas,

 

I have bought 3 swords on Aoi Art a few years ago.

 

I can tell you that the pictures quality have greatly increased since that time and that you won't be disappointed by your purchase.

 

Everything is shown in the high resolution pictures. It is a splendid purchase.

 

The Sukesada blade has a coarse hada which is unacceptable for a Shinto blade.

 

The Tadakuni is splendid but more expensive.

 

That 's the best deal (for the price) on the site. Probably the 4th Generation from the date (extract from Sho-Shin website)

 

TSUGUHIRA 4th MEI-WA 1764 MUSASHI TSU 176 CHU-JO

 

Congratulation

 

:D :D

[pcfarrar]

The Sukesada blade has a coarse hada which is unacceptable for a Shinto blade.

 

Is it Shinto though? I thought it looked Muromachi. I've never seen the Bishu Osafune Sukesada mei on a shinto blade (apart from gimei).

 

The Tadakuni is superb, I have come close to buying it for a while now. I think that's the best deal on a Hizen sword anywhere on the net...

[Jean]

Hi Pete,

 

It's a Shinto Genroku Sukesada Blade.

 

Agreed on the Tadakuni, it was a splendid sword but I am broken.

 

I am having my Naoe Shizu koshiraied (I love the neologism).

 

Shishi F/K with cascade : Nanako shakudo - shishi Gold/cascade silver

Tsuba : Shishi with cascade

Menuki : shishi

 

And a fantasy kogai/Kozuka : shishi

 

In a few years (when I get it back) I shall post some pictures :lol: :lol:

[Jacques]

The Sukesada blade has a coarse hada which is unacceptable for a Shinto blade.

 

Is it Shinto though? I thought it looked Muromachi. I've never seen the Bishu Osafune Sukesada mei on a shinto blade (apart from gimei).

 

The Tadakuni is superb, I have come close to buying it for a while now. I think that's the best deal on a Hizen sword anywhere on the net...

 

Sukesada (real name Shichibei) was a descendant of Yosozaemon no jo Sukesada (16th century) he worked in Manji era (1658); there are many Sukesada trough the shinto era until Shinshinto.

In shinshinto we found another descendant of Sukesada, Sukenaga who was a great smith.

[Jean]

Jacques,

 

Tsuruta san states

 

Wakizashi in n Shirasaya@@NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicyo Token.

Signature: Bishu Osafune Sukesada

 

This blade was made at Genroku era at Edo period like Kozuke Daijyo and Yamato Daijyo Sukesada.

 

Furthermore :

 

Hamon : Niedeki Gunome midare

 

late Muromachi Bizen swords are "usually" Nioideki

[Jean]

Jacques,

 

I was meaning that Pete has not read the blade description given by Tsuruta san.

 

The founder of Bisyu Osahune Sukesada started middle

Muromachi and continued to Gendai period.

[remzy]

I got me the tadakuni, it looked too nice to let it pass.

 

Edit: oh! and thanks for posting that great site!

[Jean]

Congratulation Remy :D :D

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

Jean,

 

late Muromachi Bizen swords are "usually" Nioideki

 

Sue-bizen swords are more in nie-deki and this fact will involve the disappearance of utsuri.

[Jean]

Hi Jacques,

 

About nieki blades, it tends to appear in late Muromachi blade, I shall say after Tenmon (1532) when nagasa became to increase again (Nagasa around 70cm).

 

But as everything in Nihonto is not a rule, I shall rather say that nie becomes to appear in the hamon at this era rather than nie deki blades. The same phenomena can be observed in Mino swords where nie begins to appear.

 

Here are 3 blades with Utsuri :

 

This blade is pre 1550 and there is clear utsuri (Tsuruta san dixit)

http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/katana/06222.html

 

 

The second one is post 1550 with utsuri and niedeki (Tsuruta san dixit):

 

http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/katana/07270.html

 

 

The third one is post 1550 with faint Utsuri :

 

http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/katana/07192.html

 

It seems that the lost of Gokkaden characteriscs developped in the second half of the 16th century

[Jacques]

Jean,

 

All that say Tsuruta san is not my cup of tea

 

concerning sue-bizen school, yes it is a late muromachi one (sue 末 means end).

 

you can also read this :

 

Utsuri is commonly associated with Bizen works, but by the late Muromachi utsuri had mostly disappeared, so we would not necessarily expect to see it in the work of Yosozaemon. He is well known for a fine mokume and itame kitae, and has produced works in an active gunome choji, gunome midare, suguha, notare, and hitatsura hamon all nioi deki. His work will appear bright and silvery. Ji nie are present, and can form hada hataraki such as chikei. Yosozaemon is famous for a hamon he invented, which is scarcely seen, called kani-no-sume or kani-no-hasami (crab claw, pictured in the following oshigata) as it looks like the pincers of a crab. The boshi will generally be a continuation of the hamon, most often with very deep kaeri.

 

 

that come from: http://www.nihonto.ca/yosozaemon-sukesada/index.html

[Jean]

Jacques has written :

 

Sue-bizen swords are more in nie-deki and this fact will involve the disappearance of utsuri.

 

In fact, Utsuri does not seem to be linked to niedeki or nioideki

 

Ten Tenold has written a very good article on Utsuri :

 

http://www2.una.edu/Takeuchi/DrT_Jpn_Cu ... ri_Ted.htm

 

 

The Utsuri can be Nioi based, or Nie based, but both have the concentration extending from the shinogi toward the yakiba, with an identifiable belt region between.

 

Usagiya web site has also an article on the subject :

 

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/utsuri.html

 

Utsuri is a natural appearance by relation between sensitive steel and good tempering

 

The article does not seem to link Utsuri to niedeki/nioideki

 

Sue Bizen : few books have been written on this period, the only reference I have is the 2 VOLUMES : SUE KOTO - Japonese swords of the 15th & 16 th centuries - JSSUS -

 

More than 75 Sue Bizen blades are analysed - all oustanding ones - more than 80% of the blades described are nioideki with different kind of utsuri.

 

In fact, these 2 volumes convinced me to become a JSSUS member

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

the 2 VOLUMES : SUE KOTO - Japonese swords of the 15th & 16 th centuries - JSSUS

 

A must-have....

[AndreasU]

Now,

 

sword is paid and now I am waiting for my new gem. Is it just me or are you also nervous ervery time you bought something new?

 

Andreas

[remzy]

Not really nervous over here

[AndreasU]

Not nervous in a bad meaning. I am in an "anticipation" mode :lol:

 

I think we both bought nice pieces!

 

Ok, mine is a little nicer than yours.

 

[remzy]

hehe I didnt have the time to save the info on the blade, they took it away too quickly

i might have to mail em and ask.. see what occurs.

 

ps. mine is nicer!

[pcfarrar]

Coincidently the Sukesada is now sold as well. A board lurker must have got it....

[Martin]

Peter,

what did Tsuruta-San offer you for you "agency services" ? :lol:

[Brian]

I think it's the forum that deserves the agency fee :D I wonder if I can convince them to buy a raffle ticket? :D :lol:

I sometimes wonder why some of the dealers don't take forums like this one more seriously. I am pretty sure quite a few good sales are initiated here, and seems like a good marketing venue that reaches a huge overseas audience.

Ah well....glad we are able to pick up some of the nice items because of good hints from members. I would love to see some dealers get more involved..say some free advertising on the forum occasionally in return for a slight discount for the members, or maybe free shipping.

Future plans to work on I guess

 

Brian

[AndreasU]

Finally after two weeks of waiting, I just received the message from Tsuruta san that the little knife is on the way to germany.

 

Hopefully it will survive the transport and customs as good than the first one did.

 

Now counting down the days and checking the trace and tracking twice a day :lol: