Opinions On Signature

[PhoenixDude]

I just picked up this kogatana signed banshu tegarayama fumoto fujiwara ujishige, im curious as to what generation it is, im thinking 2nd maybe 3rd. Whats yalls opinion?

[Ray Singer]

Apologies, jumped the gun and offered a translation rather than a guess at the generation. Post edited.

[Bugyotsuji]

Is it not true that these are usually expressions of respect, that the blade was made in homage to the smith?

[PhoenixDude]

I believe thats probably the case with 99 percent of kogatana you find, there are a few that were made by actual smiths though. This one has all the hallmarks of ujishige, and has very close attention to detail on the signature, tang, etc. It all leads me to believe this is actually made by him.

[Jean]

Jay,

 

I think that all kogatana were forged by actual/real smiths who not necessarily signed by their name but by famous smiths names. Now the % of kogatana signed by their makers name instead of fancy names is unknown and I very much doubt your 99%. A lot of kogatana were not signed. There were smiths in Mino Province around 1680 who were specialized in kogatana forging and who signed them by their real names. There are no rules concerning them, except that, for the greatest majority, they were expendable.

 

Kogatana are curious little things which appear at the end of Nambokucho and which tend to disappear in Edo period according to existing koshirae from this period. They are named utility knives because no one knows for certainty what was their use (same for kogai). There are no documentation dtd from Muromachi of the why of their birth.

 

Came a period (probably near their end) when they were forged mainly as a tribute for great smiths.

[PhoenixDude]

The 99% stat im stating is what was told to me by bob benson, ive seen plenty of kogatana as well with no hamon or poor hamon, no jihada, poor construction or hastily cut mei. I highly doubt these were made by legitimate smiths. Imho i dont think a legitimate smith would half ass a kogatana just because it was considered expendable.

[PhoenixDude]

Also (speculation ahead) as kogatana not being things that were regulated by the bakufu in the same vein as swords, i personally believe there were probably alot of people that worked in iron that would make kogatana, because as you said they were expendable, so who cares if you get yours cheap from a horseshoe maker/ tepot maker/ whatever guy as its gonna get abused and thrown away anyways right?

[Jean]

Jay

 

One must not mistake kogatana for dummy blades made just to hold a kozuka in a saya pocket, these are the ones you discribde above. Utility and expendable does not mean that (the real ones) they don’t have to do the job as kazu uchi mono.

 

Now, who made them? Some smiths were specialized and had a noted reputation in making them, others were hastily made by other smiths but they were made to be used from the beginning in Koto times. Starting Edo they slowly decreased and the last ones to be made were probably forged traditionally as an homage but of good quality (otherwise they won’t be an homage).

 

We had two weeks ago at the French Token, a very interesting lecture on kogatana by Franz Baldauff (he is our French « Markus Sessko »).

 

BTW, do you know how people were able to date the appearance of kogatana?

[PhoenixDude]

No, and we are digressing off topic. The real question is 1. Is this mei from the smith named, and 2. What generation is it?

[Stephen]

BTW, do you know how people were able to date the appearance of kogatana? 

 

 

I would like to know Jean

[Jean]

Stephen,

 

By the first subsisting koshirae, dtd early Muromachi, with a side pocket for a kogatana.

[nagamaki - Franco]

No, and we are digressing off topic. The real question is 1. Is this mei from the smith named, and 2. What generation is it?

 

 

Hello,

 

Without looking up this mei it appears to my eye cut as the equivalent of printing not hand writing.  So, I would be surprised if it passed shinsa, plus, the fact that it is not in a polished condition is unhelpful. As it is it looks to be another (decent) kogatana. 

[PhoenixDude]

its in decent polish, i just suck at taking pictures.