Help With New Katana Plz :)

[Kung Karl]

Hi!
My name is Stefan Nybergh, from Stockholm Sweden. 

I´m new to the forum, and to collecting Japanese sword, allthough I´ve had a life long interest in Nihonto and in Japanese martial arts.

I would very much appreciate some input about my recently purchased Katana,

 

All I know is that it is supposed be from Koto Shinto period 16-17th century,

Can this be correct?

 

The blade is 63 cm (24,8 inches)

 

The blade is signed. 

Can someone see by which smith from the pic´s attached? (I can tru to make better ones)

 

Any info about anything would be great. 

 

Regards to You all! 

Stefan

 

 

[Geraint]

Dear Stefan.

 

Welcome!  We could really do with better pictures if you can.  The sword appears to be signed Kanenori, very hard to pin down which one of the many this could be.  The tsuka looks to be a bit scruffy and the tsuba is missing one or two elements but could be nice.  Koto/Shinto doesn't help much as it covers almost all of sword history, perhaps the seller meant to suggest that it was made around 1600 at the end of the Koto period and beginning of Shinto.  Personally I would say Shinto

 

I would look carefully at the kissaki, hard to tell from your photograph but the shape looks odd.

 

Hope that helps.

 

All the best.

[Kung Karl]

Thanks!

I´ll try to get some more pic´s this evning. 

[Kung Karl]

Koto/Shinto doesn't help much as it covers almost all of sword history, perhaps the seller meant to suggest that it was made around 1600 at the end of the Koto period and beginning of Shinto.  Personally I would say Shinto

 

Yes, that was also my idea. If not, as You said, not very precise..

[Jussi Ekholm]

Hello Stefan and welcome to the forum. Nice to hear you are living in Stockholm as NBTHK Scandinavia has many members in Stockholm and it is the place for our meetings. I will send you better private message when I get home from work. You will get excellent hands on help in Stockholm.

[Kung Karl]

Hi Jussi!

 

Great Stuff, Thanks!

[raaay]

Hi Stefan

 

I think Geraint has correctly identified the smith and I would also agree with a Shinto period blade.

 

I think I see hawk feather file marks on the tang ! which would be a good indicator as per the signature for a Mino-Den blade

[Kung Karl]

Thanks!

I posted some more pic´s in another thread (I did´n find out howe to do it in a reply in this one..). 

 

About the smith Kanenori, I looked in the Nihonto Club swordsmith index, and and for the era in question (16th - 17th century) there were about 60 guys with a similar signature in Kanji.

If we can narrow it down to the Mino province, and if it is a smith active in the 17th century (Shinto?) there are just 4 guys (at a quick glance). 

If this is correct, is it in any way possible to tell who the smith may have been?

 

For me, this is very fascinating, that I in front of me have a sword that was made so long ago  

I´d like to know more exact when it was made though. 

[Kung Karl]

By the way, when You see it is a Shinto blade rather  than Koto, what parameters are pointing in this direction?

[Bazza]

Hi Stefan

 

I think Geraint has correctly identified the smith and I would also agree with a Shinto period blade.

 

I think I see hawk feather file marks on the tang ! which would be a good indicator as per the signature for a Mino-Den blade

I think the filemarks are a variant of taka-no-ha known as shinogi sujikai/hira kiri

 

 

See:  http://meiboku.info/guide/form/yasurime/index.htm

 

BaZZa.

[Kung Karl]

Thanks Bazza!

 

What can this tell us about the balde?

[Kung Karl]

So, the blade is made by a smith called Kanenori, Mino-Den, early (?) Shinto. 

Is it possible to say something more?