Sukesada?

[Lars]

Hi,

 

This sword has recently come into my wife's possession. I'm very much a novice when it comes to Nihonto and would like to learn as much as I can from the sword. However, I realize that the condition it is in makes it less than an ideal study object. If anyone cares to share any thoughts it would be very welcome. I have tried to build my own opinion, but might be completely on the wrong track and wouldn't mind being corrected.

 

The sword isn't in good polish, especially in the kissaki area, and I'm having trouble following the boshi all the way. I'm not sure, but perhaps the kissaki has been reshaped? (The kissaki actually looks worse in the photo than in reality...)

 

I have given mei translation a go and I read it as “Bizen Kuni Ju Osafune Sukesada Saku”, i.e. Sue-Bizen style. The rust inside the chisel marks seems consistent with the rust on the rest of the tang. I haven't been able find any references to signatures with exactly the same style of chisel strokes etc, but there seems to have been a large number of Sukesada smiths that signed in a similar way during a long time period. However, my feeling is that this probably is a 16^th century sword, but I have no idea as to the exact era.

 

Measurements:

Nagasa: 51.3 cm
Nakago: 13.9 cm
Kissaki: 3.2 cm
Sori: 1.0 cm
Motohaba: 2.9 cm
Sakihaba: 2.0 cm
Motokasane: 6.9 mm
Sakikasane: 5.3 mm
Weight: 535 g

 

I'm attaching a few photos. I was having trouble highlighting the details I wanted, but I hope that at least something can be seen. Again, any thoughts would be very welcome.

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

//Lars

 

 

[lonely panet]

morning Lars,

 

can you please post some crisper photos of the blade, the kissaki looks ok to me. maybe some one tried to burnish the shinogi-ji at home because theres some funny looking skuffs running onto the kissaki.

 

pitty about the drilled mekugi ana x2, they look like they were done by a white person due to the odd (crap)placement.

 

but on the hole, IMHO I agree with your opinion on sue-bizen, the sori is simular to the "so called bundle swords" of that time. is it dated

 

Kind regards H

[Darcy]

You are on the right track.

 

It's Sue-Bizen from between 1480 or so to about 1570. 

 

Hard to tell which Sukesada made it without going deep into the signature. There were top level smiths in this group and mostly bad. So you need to look at the work and try to do mei analysis. It's not easy. 

[Lars]

Thanks for the answers!

 

Unfortunately I'm not a good photographer and my camera is just a 'tourist style' compact. I'm having problems getting crisp images without strange reflections. I tried to take a few more pictures today in natural daylight and I think they turned out slightly better.

 

The sword is not dated. I seem to remember to have read somewhere that swords with this longer type of mei often were dated, but unfortunately this one isn't.

 

Regards,

Lars

 

 

[lonely panet]

it will sound funny, but at night, get your bedside lamp out and have a play around with that. the de-fusing shade will help bring out the activity, failing that try a LED tourch in a dark room, and with your 3rd hand snap a few pics of the jigane and stuff.

 

that aside, its looking nice so far. no major hada ware to be seen. I enjoy sue bizen blades. I think there abit over looked, because the "establishment" think sengoku swords lack artistic merit, (if that was the case, they would all be suguha) HAHAHA.

[Jean]

A lot were based on suguha, HIHIHI

[Alex A]

Hi Lars, ive read there were over 40 Sue-bizen Sukesada listed in old records, and more recently 80!. katateuchigatana 片手打刀 were the main swords being produced at that time.

 

Ive seen a similar mei, but that's were sometimes speculation/head scratching can begin.

 

Any chance of a picture with the habaki off, were the hamon ends?

[DGARBUTT]

Everything looks right to me; I see some nice activity in the hamon and a boshi.  It may well be a real sukesada although that signature was copied a lot by mino smiths; Hard work to determine if it is one the more important Sukesada's. At 51cm I would call this a wakizashi.

[Alex A]

Yes, its the fact that the sword is 51cm that has me a wondering, that and the middle mekugi-ana, I'm wondering if maybe it was a longer sword, then suriage, but then nakago would need re-finish and the mei would have to be added afterwards, just a wondering

 

It is a wakizashi, another term for compact katateuchigatana.

[Lars]

I tried taking a few more photos though my wife gave me some very strange looks when I started fiddling around with her sword and a lamp in our bedroom...

 

Most of the pictures didn't turn out well, but i think it's possible to see at least something of the hada in one of them. Unfortunately someone seems to have thought it a good idea to crimp the habaki in place with a pair of pliers, so I only managed to slide it back a few millimeters without making too much of a mess. I'm attaching a picture of that as well.

 

It's obvious that someone (or someones) made a bodge job of 'restoring' the sword. The scratches/poor polish, the poorly placed mekugi ana, the crimped habaki... In addition to that the shirasaya has been crudely adapted to fit the sword. That being said I'm still happy the sword has found its way into our family.

 

Regards,

Lars

 

 

[Alex A]

Lars, cant see were the hamon ends from that picture, habaki needs to be off.

 

Just read you cant move back habaki, no worries, was just being thorough

[Lars]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts on this sword! Very helpful and much appreciated!

 

With the help of some non-abrasive tools I managed to loosen the habaki enough that I could tease it off. I'm attaching a few photos and hope it's possible to discern anything useful in them. I guess I don't know what I should be looking for here so this was literally a shot in the dark...

 

Regards,

Lars

 

 

[Alex A]

Cheers Lars, curiosity is satisfied . Seems some folk in the Sengoku preferred short Sukesada, an example here at 51cm (slight suriage)http://new.uniquejapan.com/a-bizen-1514-sukesada-wakizashi/