Jacques Posted December 17, 2007 Report Posted December 17, 2007 Hi, Look at this It seems to me that Gassan Sadakatsu died in 1943. Quote
huntershooter Posted December 17, 2007 Report Posted December 17, 2007 Jacques; Guess I fail to see the problem. Blade is alegedly dated Nov. 1943. Please enlighten me with the issue. Quote
Brian Posted December 17, 2007 Report Posted December 17, 2007 He appears to have passed away on December 24th, 1943 at the age of 74. Some pages say 1942, but this later date seems the most accurate. If so, then this might be one of the last blades he forged. I don't see any reason for this to be anything less than represented? http://moderntosho.com/biographies/Sada ... anBio.html Brian Quote
IanB Posted December 17, 2007 Report Posted December 17, 2007 Jaques, The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds has a blade by Sadakatsu dated 193? (memory going here) to honour the birth of the Crown Prince. The details are exactly like the sword you refer too. Ian Bottomley Quote
Jacques Posted December 17, 2007 Author Report Posted December 17, 2007 Hi, Just a month before passing away i just find that a little strange. but why not? Also, according the "Gassan Tradition" book, suguha hamon does not match with itame hada, we should find ayasugi. Quote
Bob M. Posted December 17, 2007 Report Posted December 17, 2007 Hi Jacques, A large number of Sadakatsu swords were produced without Ayasugi hada and whilst this in no way makes them inferior to swords showing the renowned 'Gassan Pattern' , the fact is that most collectors will pay a higher price for blades featuring ayasugi. From what I have seen of this blade , it looks fine ,if a bit over-priced for the current market . A figure of around $8000.00 would be more realistic - a sword showing good Ayasugi could be +50% or more depending on papers etc. Quote
Jacques Posted December 17, 2007 Author Report Posted December 17, 2007 Hi, I know that, but Sadakatsu worked essentially for the imperial family and the imperial house ministry. I think that these blades were preciously conserved by the owner's families. Concerning his work, he worked in Bizen style and Soshu one with their respective features Ayasugi hada + suguha hamon is the "trade" mark of the Gassan tradition, there is an exception with a blade from Gassan Sadayoshi which was in the Yamato Hosho style (dated from 1867); these blade was done in masame hada with the suguha hamon. Also i really find strange to see a Gassan Sadakastu on E-bay I've only one exemple to check the mei it is not sufficient. Quote
bdgrange Posted December 18, 2007 Report Posted December 18, 2007 For what it is worth. I have owned three Gassan Sadakatsu katana. He was capable of working in all styles, I am told. None of mine were done with Ayasugi hada, although that is much desired. He produced blades with the Minatogawa mon and included patriotic kanji on the blade as well. Mine read "felial piety". Or honor your family. These were offered and sold through a major department store in Tokyo before the beginning of WW2, or the greater Pacific War. This made them available to the general public for reasonable price and to be patriotic. They were dated 1933. The last I owned was done Soshu style and very beautifull. I had it restored in Japan and sold it at the S.F. Taikai in 2005 for $15,000.00 I had invested that much of my own money in it but could not refuse the cash offer. I do miss it. bdgrange Quote
bdgrange Posted December 18, 2007 Report Posted December 18, 2007 The one on e bay looks very nice and is probably worth the beginning offer of 10k but I think they expect more. bdgrange Quote
Jacques Posted December 18, 2007 Author Report Posted December 18, 2007 Hi, Thanks Stephen (the tanto is from Sadakazu) this blade seems gimei. Note the yasurime which are not well done (specially kesho), note the difference in the way of handling and applying the tagane. Quote
Nobody Posted December 18, 2007 Report Posted December 18, 2007 Look at this The description on the page says that the Sadakatsu tachi is located in Japan. The same Sadakatsu tachi appears on bidders auction in Japan. They say that the tachi is located outside of Japan and import process is necessary. That is strange. http://www.bidders.co.jp/dap/sv/nor1?id ... _item_open Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted December 18, 2007 Report Posted December 18, 2007 "This is a consignment from a Japanese dealer, and he does not accept returns. Therefore the sale is final." Stranger still... Quote
Stephen Posted December 18, 2007 Report Posted December 18, 2007 that was from a Sadakatsu i had on file...its not to say its shoshin for sure. Quote
Jacques Posted December 18, 2007 Author Report Posted December 18, 2007 hi, Don't worry Stephen "your's" is shoshin Ive found one on Darcy's site you can compare. Quote
Tokaido Posted December 18, 2007 Report Posted December 18, 2007 Hi, here is another Sadakatsu, dated Showa 18th year, 5th month http://www.esnips.com/web/sadakatsu No ayasugi hada. Unusual shape (Kiriha-tsukuri) Stupid to punch the mekugi-ana through the SAN-Kanji, isn't it? Any comments about the placement of the mekugi-ana? Kind regards Andreas B. Quote
w.y.chan Posted December 19, 2007 Report Posted December 19, 2007 Hi, Look at this It seems to me that Gassan Sadakatsu died in 1943. Jacques, That Gassan look like a gimei. Contrary to the hype while he is highly respected as a senior smith Sadakatsu does make swords for the military many made by his students and quite possibly signed by them too. While it is possible that this sword in question is one of those student's work I somehow doubt it because smiths of the Gassan mon are all equally capable of the same finishing of the nakago and signing of mei like those of Sadakatsu and hard to distinguish if they are signing their teacher's mei. Quote
Jacques Posted December 19, 2007 Author Report Posted December 19, 2007 Hi, Tokaido, Your Gassan is a badly gimei Quote
Tokaido Posted December 19, 2007 Report Posted December 19, 2007 Hi Jacques, this board is for education, so please tell us why you think it is gimei. (Let aside the NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho Kanteisho, dated 1976) Greetings Andreas B. Quote
Jacques Posted December 19, 2007 Author Report Posted December 19, 2007 Hi, Easy, mei with kanji too large with different engraving, very bad yasurime All the Gassan were great horimono carvers, It is not the case on your blade. About papers, they can be faked too. (specially old papers). On Darcy site you have a tanto from Sadakatsu you can compare http://www.nihonto.ca/sadakatsu/ss.html Quote
Nobody Posted December 20, 2007 Report Posted December 20, 2007 Hi,here is another Sadakatsu, dated Showa 18th year, 5th month http://www.esnips.com/web/sadakatsu No ayasugi hada. Unusual shape (Kiriha-tsukuri) Stupid to punch the mekugi-ana through the SAN-Kanji, isn't it? Any comments about the placement of the mekugi-ana? Kind regards Andreas B. Hi, I do not say that the mei is not genuine. However, the Ryu (龍: dragon) horimono looks rather strange to me. Even if the blade is genuine, the horimono might be added later. AFAIK, a Ryu is usually facing Kissaki (but I know at least one exception for this rule). Then its back faces Mune-side and its belly faces Ha-side. I think that is a general rule of horimono. However, Ryu on your blade is upside-down. It looks very unstable to me. The attached photo shows a comparison between your horimono and that of Kurihara Nobuhide (栗原信秀). Quote
Jacques Posted December 20, 2007 Author Report Posted December 20, 2007 Hi, Here some exemples of Gassan school's horimono: Quote
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