recent purchase from AOI Fujita oumi Kami Fujiwara Tsuguhira

[AndreasU]

Hello NMB Members,

 

you may have noticed that Remzy and me had a little "run" at AOI and he was a bit faster in receiving his beauty. I received my sword on monday and had to "overhaul" my old camera to take some macro shots of the blade. My first impression of this sword was "Hey man, this wasn't forged for fun, it was made for "serious business". It is such a masive blade that it looks like a "machete", these jungle knifes to cut away little trees. The kasane is 0,85mm or 0.335 inches. Compared with my Katana the Katana looks like a tiny toy! But lets pictures speak!

Description:

 

Signature: Fujita Oumi Kami Fujiwara Tsuguhira. Horeki 11 Nen 2 Gatsuhi.

 

Blade length : 45.7cm or 18.0nches.


Sori : 0.9cm or 0.354@inches.


Width at the hamachi : 2.985cm or 1.175inches.


Width at the Kissaki: 2.31cm or 0.91 inches


Kasane : 0.85cm or 0.335 inches.

Era : late Edo period (1740 – 1760).

Shape : The blade is wide and very thick healthy blade. Both sides of the blade has Bo-Hi and

Soehi.

Jitetsu : Itame hada well grained with much Jinie attach.

Hamon : Niedeki Suguha hamon and in Ha, there are

many sunagashi and Kinsuji

work.

The sword has Uramei and is healthy in sosyuden

style.

Special feature : Tsuguhira was working at Musashi

province.

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)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Strider]

Wow that guy could really shape iron. A most impressive piece and I am sure the pictures do not do it justice. Did the sword come mounted or just the blade ? (as if that isn't enough) Congratulation on a great find. Regards Scott

[AndreasU]

Thanks a lot,

 

no the sword came "just" in shirasaya. The problem with full mountings is, once you decided you will make some for a sword, you can be sure you will never get the money back once you will sell a blade.

 

But I am quite sure that this blade will stay with me as my personal "protector" as long I will stay on this planet. So, let's see :D

 

Different to my first buy, a nice Gendaito in full polish from Kanenaga, that I am sure I will sell as soon somebody has interest in it.

 

It was my first buy to get some experience. It is a true japanes hand forged sword mae from tamahagane, made as one of the last in the bushido tradition, but, it still stays a gendaito and so there is no history with this... :|

 

And compared with this hefty waki, if you have both close to another, uhhh, it looks like a toothpick :lol:

[AndreasU]

Hmm,

 

is this sword so ugly that nobody will comment on it ?

 

I had o view on it nearly every evening for two hours and I am really impressed about the sunagashi and kinsuji. Campred to with my gendai kanenaga Sword it is much more interesting to look at.

[Tokaido]

Hi Andreas,

the sword is NOT ugly! Enjoy it!

Your pictures show very well the features of the sword. Looks like pure ondulating masame hada.

I'm surprised about the quality of the sword, which was made during a time in Japanese history when very few swords of quality were made, except in Satsuma province.

So this guy from Musashi obviously DID knew what he was doing.

 

 

Greetings

Andreas B

[AndreasU]

THX for the nice words.

 

I also think that! I am wondering that it only has "hozon" as I have seen already "tokubetsu hozon" with less quality. But I don't care. The only thing that I am struggeling with is the boshi. It is really hard to see. I think the Kissaki was re-polished and the proper stones were not used. The bit I can see looks like Jizo with a bit of hakikake combined. Strange combination.......

 

I will try to picture it a bit better using a polarized filter on the cam.

 

I am in love......... :lol:

[remzy]

Nice itame hada and bohi! I like the activity with the nie waves... one question tho, is the hada always this bright or is this because of the camera that is a bit too hard?

[AndreasU]

Hi Remy,

 

the Hada is very active but it is because of the light I used in the chamber to get as much details as possible. I will do a picture in daylight tomorrow with a comparison to my katana.

 

Andreas

[Tokaido]

Hi Andreas,

do not bother with the question why the sword has "only" Hozon Kanteisho.

It might be a simple answer: To confirm the validity of the signature, the Hozon Kanteisho is sufficient enough.

Why spending more money on Tokubetsu Hozon Kanteisho?

If the sword has good quality you should be able to see this, as you did

 

Kombination of hakikake and jizo: Well the jizo is a "trademark" of Mino and their followers.

The hakikake is a tradmark of Yamato.

The use of masame hada bases on Yamato tradition, too.

Mino's origins ly in Yamato. So nothing which will exclude each other.

Please remember that the sword was made 1761, so you will not expect some "pure" tradition of old times.

 

Greetings

[AndreasU]

OK! I did not know that because this smidth was working at Musashi area (Mino?)

 

Here are daylight pix for comparison:

[Tokaido]

Hi Andreas,

sorry for the "short cut" explanation: Of course Musashi province is not Mino province.

But lot of swordsmiths from Musashi province in Shinto times are expected to work in/around Edo, mostly.

The capital would have attracted the smiths.

So if Tsuguhira is not a rural smith, he will most likely have worked in the outskirts of Edo. Are there any other information about him?

Well, and most of the Edo-Shinto Smiths have their roots in the Mino tradition. ;-) So you should expect some Mino traits in Edo-Shinto work although if the smith may adapt some Soshu influence, too.

Greetings