Thoughts About My Tsuguhira Swords

[AndreasU]

Hi guys,

 

the one or other had seen that I purchased just recently a Katana to finish my Daisho with the Tsuguhira wakizashie I own already several years.

 

I was always in love with this Wakizashi as it is a beauty to look at.

Now I do have the Katana in my hands, it is difficult to reach the same point with this.

While the Wakizashi is "just" Hozon the Katana is Tokubetsu Hozon with some Sayagaki of Tanobe Michihiro.

 

How to express my feelings?

 

First I was so triggered to find a matching Katana I did not realize that it is quite short for a Katana with being just 62cm. This is just slightly above being a Ko Wakizashi.

While the blade itself is very healthy meaty and in excellent polish, it does not show the same activities in the Jigane and Hamon than the Wakizashi, for my eyes it is hard to find anything than a flashy whitish wavy polish.

There is no big activity visible, the masama HAda is the only thing prominent for me, while the Hamon is alsmost flatish 

The Wakizashi shows plenty of Nie and Nioi and ara nie where the Katana is done in Ko Nie which is much more difficult to see and is a bit "boring" in my eyes.

 

So, what do you think about my observations? Am I wrong? Is the length typical for a katana. I have read that beginning 1650 it was not unusual to have Katana that short to make them useable with just one hand. On the other hand it is a quite heavy one for just one hand :-)

 

Am I not trained enough to see the beauty of this blade?

 

To make it clear, it is no complain to the reseller. the communication and description from his side was 100&% correct. It is just that this sword is not "igniting" my feelings.

 

Katana

 

Wakizashi

[Jean]

"This is just slightly above being a Ko Wakizashi."

 

No, O wakizashi

[Alex A]

Hi Andreas, as for length, you worry too much, its a katana

 

 

As for the activity, you want a daisho, ask yourself how long before you find a perfect match?.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hi Andreas,

 

 

Hi guys,

 

Am I not trained enough to see the beauty of this blade?

 

 

 

 

That is quite possible. Think about this, if these two swords were unknown to you and you were asked to kantei them would you be able to answer correctly? That is a question we should all be asking ourselves as collectors.

 

Have you read Yamanka's Newsletters revised? The reason for asking is that what we like does not necessarily translate into appreciation of the finer 'qualities' of nihonto in terms of kantei. It took reading and rereading Yamanaka's Newsletters (as well as many other kantei books), along with studying a good number of swords before beginning to understand this. 

 

 

 Is the length typical for a katana. I have read that beginning 1650 it was not unusual to have Katana that short to make them useable with just one hand. On the other hand it is a quite heavy one for just one hand :-)

 

 

 

Here, study the history of nihonto which talks about the transitions of lengths and shapes and correlates them to fighting styles of the times, one hand, quick draw, etc.. In a sense this will be a simplification, an overview, so much to learn and know.  

 

Also, suggest, there are a good number of conversations about daisho on this board and elsewhere on the internet to read, if you haven't already. 

[Geraint]

Hi Andreas,

 

Your wakizashi is a  bit of a feast of sunagashi and nie, isn't it?  I love it!  Your photos of the katana are not as good but I suggest you live with it for some time.  You might come to think of it rather like having a  Mexican dish next to a rather more subtle Italian one, they are different but who knows which one you might come to prefer?  (And before anyone starts I am sure that Mexican cuisine is subtle too, I was just making a point!)

 

All the best.

[Fuuten]

I think i understand what you mean Andreas,

 

sometimes it can be tricky to love a piece equally if you have both, however i think its important you realize what it is. Love it for what it is, a katana is just not the same as a wakizashi.

 

PS: the habaki and provenance of the blade are great! -especially love the habaki.

PSS: maybe try to improve your lighting, so you can perhaps see what you cannot see now.

[AndreasU]

"This is just slightly above being a Ko Wakizashi."

 

No, O wakizashi

 

Right, just made a mistake in writing

[AndreasU]

Hi Andreas,

 

 

 

 

That is quite possible. Think about this, if these two swords were unknown to you and you were asked to kantei them would you be able to answer correctly? That is a question we should all be asking ourselves as collectors.

 

Have you read Yamanka's Newsletters revised? The reason for asking is that what we like does not necessarily translate into appreciation of the finer 'qualities' of nihonto in terms of kantei. It took reading and rereading Yamanaka's Newsletters (as well as many other kantei books), along with studying a good number of swords before beginning to understand this. 

 

 

 

 

Here, study the history of nihonto which talks about the transitions of lengths and shapes and correlates them to fighting styles of the times, one hand, quick draw, etc.. In a sense this will be a simplification, an overview, so much to learn and know.  

 

Also, suggest, there are a good number of conversations about daisho on this board and elsewhere on the internet to read, if you haven't already. 

Thanks Franco, no I would not be able to do a correct kantei of these swords. This is beyond my capabilities. The main issue is that there ar no collectors nearby I would be able to share my thought's, at least none I know of. I do not know Yamanaka's Newsletter. Where can I find it?

Andreas

[AndreasU]

Hi Andreas,

 

Your wakizashi is a  bit of a feast of sunagashi and nie, isn't it?  I love it!  Your photos of the katana are not as good but I suggest you live with it for some time.  You might come to think of it rather like having a  Mexican dish next to a rather more subtle Italian one, they are different but who knows which one you might come to prefer?  (And before anyone starts I am sure that Mexican cuisine is subtle too, I was just making a point!)

 

All the best.

Hi Geraint, even I would do better photos of the Katana, you would not see much more than the whitened Gunome Midare and the polishes line between Hamon and Ji. There is not big activity than with the Wakizashi. Total different polishing and forging style, obviously. I can see some Inazuma  and some Tobiyaki , but thats all.

I mean, maybe this shows the quality? It is a very dense forged sword, with obviously more layers than the Wakizashi.

[AndreasU]

I think i understand what you mean Andreas,

 

sometimes it can be tricky to love a piece equally if you have both, however i think its important you realize what it is. Love it for what it is, a katana is just not the same as a wakizashi.

 

PS: the habaki and provenance of the blade are great! -especially love the habaki.

PSS: maybe try to improve your lighting, so you can perhaps see what you cannot see now.

Hi Axel,

 

thanks for your reply. I am wondering which Habaki you mean as I did not post any in this thread. you mean the Habaki of the wakizashi or the one of the Katana? The Wakizashi one is a cheap modern age made silver Habaki without copper core, so quite a crappy one, the one on the Katana is traditional made copper core one with thick silver foil. Where I am not really sure it is 100% silver as it is a bit goldish. I tried to find this out by trying to clean one of the edges (Stooop no I will not remove the patina, it is on the Tsuba part which is not visible!!) to find out if it is silver but could not remove any oft the slight blakish Patine. Either it is a mixture of Gold and silver or ist is an very unusual silber. The rain fence pattern (Bamboo Forest??)  on this Habaki is very very nicely done.

 

Katana Habaki

 

Wakizashi Habaki

 

Katana Hamon

[nagamaki - Franco]

Thanks Franco, no I would not be able to do a correct kantei of these swords. This is beyond my capabilities. The main issue is that there ar no collectors nearby I would be able to share my thought's, at least none I know of. I do not know Yamanaka's Newsletter. Where can I find it?

Andreas

 

Hello Andreas,

 

http://www.ncjsc.org/ncjsc_publications.htm

[AndreasU]

Hello Andreas,

 

http://www.ncjsc.org/ncjsc_publications.htm

 

Thanks for the link but this is a bit to pricey for me. I do have the Conossours book of Japanese swords and I am sure that this will do it first hand?

[nagamaki - Franco]

Connoisseurs will have to do until the opportunity arises to buy Yamanaka.

 

Not sure why you're saying the wakizashi habaki is crappy, from the image it is either silver foil or solid silver. Suspect the former, could you post an image of the inside?

 

Thanks.

[AndreasU]

It will have to do for now until the opportunity arises to buy Yamanaka.

 

Not sure why you're saying the wakizashi habaki is crappy, from the image it is either silver foil or solid silver. Suspect the former, could you post an image of the inside?

 

Thanks.

 

Sure I can do some photos. What I mean with crappy was a bit harsh maybe. It is a solid silver one and it is a solid work, but in my eyes it does not show special skills (being aware that even I could not do such) It is for sure not an old one as it has no corrosion inside.

I had seen some silver foiled or gold foil or even solid gold ones wich were much more impressive by make. 

 

[Manfred56]

Hello Andreas,

I can feel with you. I have a blade with very tight homogeneous ko itame hada without any flaws and less hataraki. The hada is hard to see but maybe the polish is not the best. Then I have a blade with rougher more visible hada and a lot of nie and hataraki. I still does not know what blade has a higher quality but I prefer the second one. Does anybody know if a very tight homogeneous hada is indication of higher quality? It seems for tight hada you need more folded layers and this could be more difficult to achieve.

 

Regards

Manfred (still learning)

[nagamaki - Franco]

Yes, solid silver. As for crappy the fit and performance are what is critical. The finish and pattern on the outside shows skill.

[Stephen]

Close to match if you want to trade

[Fuuten]

Hi Axel,

 

thanks for your reply. I am wondering which Habaki you mean as I did not post any in this thread. you mean the Habaki of the wakizashi or the one of the Katana? The Wakizashi one is a cheap modern age made silver Habaki without copper core, so quite a crappy one, the one on the Katana is traditional made copper core one with thick silver foil. Where I am not really sure it is 100% silver as it is a bit goldish. I tried to find this out by trying to clean one of the edges (Stooop no I will not remove the patina, it is on the Tsuba part which is not visible!!) to find out if it is silver but could not remove any oft the slight blakish Patine. Either it is a mixture of Gold and silver or ist is an very unusual silber. The rain fence pattern (Bamboo Forest??)  on this Habaki is very very nicely done.

 

Katana Habaki

Tsuguhira_0253.jpg

 

Hi Andreas, yeah i meant the katana habaki.

 

I recognized the way of the full sugata photo was taken, so i tracked it down:) As said, the blade, habaki and provenance all look worthy of appreciation to me.

[Jamie]

It looks like there is plenty of activity to me. Can you name what you're seeing? Maybe start there.

 

I think it's a good idea to attend shows and look at lots of swords.