Polisher Marks Under The Habaki

[Hoshi]

Why are these made? Is there any particular reasons? It is particularly hard to make that it is used as a display of general ability? 

[christianmalterre]

nonsense-

[Jean]

It is a signature

[Stephen]

ITS barcode scan......lol....not!.... and not nonsense. 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Take it to the local store and scan it, gives you all the details

[Stephen]

there's a app for that   

[Guido]

They are there to ease the transition from polished blade to unpolished tang, to make it less abrupt. There might be differences between polishing schools; the Honami use 7 lines IIRC.

[Ian B3HR2UH]

This was a sensible question that deserved a sensible answer . Good on you Guido for treating it seriously . I have seen a number of swords where the lines are really sloppy which doesn't give you much confidence in the rest of the polish .

Ian Brooks

[DirkO]

Also see this previous topic on nagashi:

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/15124-polishers-signature/?hl=nagashi&do=findComment&comment=158892

[seattle1]

Hello:

 Fair question and eventually a serious reply. Gabriel's reference was really useful. Besides lines you will also sometimes find rather cursive kanji superimposed by the togi-shi.

 Arnold F.

[John A Stuart]

Mishina Kenji has 7 lines in his nagashi. I had thought Honami were 9  although I have no sword polished by that family I am sure of. John

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hello John,

 

9 was a number floating around in my memory too for Honami. But also the numbers 7, 8,11 depending upon the tradition and just who. One time while showing a sword to a polisher, he looked at the marks and commented that he knew/recognized who had polished this sword. 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Here's some on a wakizashi I have. I used to think they were just run off lines from the shinogi burnishing.

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

  On 12/8/2017 at 4:58 AM, Guido Schiller said:

They are there to ease the transition from polished blade to unpolished tang, to make it less abrupt. There might be differences between polishing schools; the Honami use 7 lines IIRC.

 

Am I wrong or they are also (rarely) present in the Mune above the kissaki ? , 

[John A Stuart]

You see that from time to time. I rather like it. John

[Zaksteve]

  On 12/8/2017 at 4:37 PM, Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini said:

Am I wrong or they are also (rarely) present in the Mune above the kissaki ? ,

 

Mune polisher signature.