Kogatana With Kizu

[PhoenixDude]

So I have a kogatana signed Shizu Saburo Minamoto Kaneuji [ https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/KAN2863 ] That I am having polished by Ted Tenold. He recently informed me there is a small crack on the mune about 1 cm from the tip, well inside of the yakiba and not near the boshi.
I am not sure if I should continue with having it polished, or if I should have him quit there. What is yalls concensus?

 

[TheGermanBastard]

Why would you want to get a Kogatana by this dude polished anyway? It is not economical. So if I were you I wouldn't have done that in the first place.

 

Continuing being you I would now not be mean and let the polisher finish his work as this is just peanuts and having a hafly finished polish is no good either anyway.

 

if you keep it you can then enjoy the work ... if you wish to sell it will be better, too. Nobody wants halfy done stuff.

[Guido]

... this dude ...

 

I hope this is just a language problem ...

[TheGermanBastard]

Well, it infact seems like sort of a language problem. Sorry for any possible confusion arising from this.

 

Hence I want to clarify it:

 

I said:

 

> Kogatana by this dude => Kaneuji

 

I did not say:

 

> Kogatana polished by this dude => Ted Tenold

 

I was not refering to Ted Tenold in any way. What I have seen of him just looks fine to me and he does nice work. Infact I was refering to the very medicore Ko-Gatana Maker.

 

I do like Mino school BUT unfortunately most other people do not hold in high regard at all. Now that is two different cup of teas but it is also being reflected in the number of Mino School Juyo blades that are clsoe to zero. I think there are a couple by Kanemoto and maybe the next best guy ranked to him ... I do not recall it on to of my head.

 

It is my personal oppinion that getting a Kogatana polished makes no sense in probably 95 out of 100 cases unless it is made by a very important maker or you just have too much money to spend, your fireplace is allready loaded with dollar bills and Amnesty International or Greenpeace is no longer in need of some donations.

 

Furthermore I believe that just wanting to verify the validity of Kogatanas signature is rather challenging.

 

Now I do not want to be cynical but in this very case it is just a text book example why you would not have wanted to get this Kogatana polished - due to having a bad Kizu.

 

When we look at sword we must see that the majority of swords is NOT Art but a weapon of warfare - hence a TOOL. This is argueable to some degree of course. However what once got sold in Osafune in late Muromachi in huge bundles on the market is not ART hence nothing you would want to invest money into. In this case you could also buy some bottles of cheap red vide with the advanatge it will turn into vinegar one day or make you happy on a bad day ... unfortunately I can not. I don't drink. S I have to stay the grumpy jerk I am.

 

No for the Kogatana. Something that was used to clean a Samurais kinky dirty toe nails or worse is NOT something to be considered ART in in most cases for sure. Again it is like wanting to go to the super market buy their best bottle of vine at 2.00 dollars and hoping for a benefit. Good luck though.

 

I am prepared to get stoned or stabbed to death NOW but the ignorant dude I am, I would polish a Kogataan just myself. I would never encourage anybody to work on a Nihonto ... BUT on a Kogatana it is pretty easy to get reasonable result in your DIY Kitchen Table studio.

[vajo]

Many kogatana found with broken tip.

You see many high quality swords with old unpolished kogatana. It is part of the koshirae. In your case the work seems near finish. Let him do ending the job. Nobody wants a half polished kogatana with a cracked kissaki. Better to polish it now to fine.

 

The price for polishing the blade is not so high i think.

 

Best

 

Chris

[PNSSHOGUN]

I have to agree with the previous statements. I do not understand why you are polishing this piece beyond sentimental reasons. I would see the polish through, but it makes little sense to me in the first place. Then again I think quite a few of us have had blades polished that we know will never recoup money on, it's for our own satisfaction and pleasure sometimes

 

 

To me, Kizu only seem serious or relevant if you plan on reselling or papering, considering in most cases a blade with kizu will never be used again strenuously (I would hope). 

[Guido]

I did not say:

 

> Kogatana polished by this dude => Ted Tenold

 

O.k., got it.

 

Ted is a personal friend of mine, so I was getting a little defensive ...

[TheGermanBastard]

O.k., got it.

 

Ted is a personal friend of mine, so I was getting a little defensive ...

 

No problem Guido! I have not heared a single negaive remark about Ted and know he has been around for a very long time.

 

best regards

[Stephen]

Just finish it, really its no big deal, jeeesh

[Brian]

Agree...finish it.
And I also hold Ted in extremely high regard, so also did a double take when I read it, but then saw how you intended it (actually..how it was written is fine) so no harm
Yeah, finish the job. Utilitarian or not, some have lovely hamon and hada..worth having to look at.

[TheGermanBastard]

Again sorry  for my big mouth. I will try to sperate THE DUDE from some dude next time

[Curran]

This is an O-kogatana?

Or regular kogatana?

 

Either way- probably finish it.

If a rarer O-kogatana, I definitely vote for finish it. For whatever reason, most of the nicer ones I've seen in USA all have a small kizu or grain opening somewhere.

 

While you are at it, good luck finding a O-kozuka.

I've tried to find a higher end one for years, with no luck. Then a most respectable joker with an excellent collection puts a few on display in Tampa the other year.

http://www.nihonto.com/ko-kinko-o-kozuka/

I guess I know why I've never found a ko-Goto or ko-kinko one.

[PhoenixDude]

Its a regular kogatana. I inherited it from a friend.

On a side note i do have a dai kogatana, and im looking for an o kozuka for it too.

[Okiiimo]

Again sorry  for my big mouth. I will try to sperate THE DUDE from some dude next time

 

THE DUDE!

[Stephen]

i was waiting for that one!!!! 

[TheGermanBastard]

Exactly! THE DUDE!

[Jamie]

I think yes finish the polish. It can't be that much and you'll enjoy it a lot more. It will also be resealable which it probably isn't now.

Even if you don't recoup your money you will in getting to look at a nicely polished piece.

Ted does a good job. I saw a really old blade he polished and for what he had to work with he did a most outstanding job.

[Surfson]

Firstly, The Dude Abides!

Secondly, finish the polish.

Thirdly, I actually think that I have an O-kozuka on a blade, which is en suite with the rest of the mounts.  I always thought that it was an oddball thing and never realized that it might be rare and valuable because of its stature (aside from the maker and quality of the work, which is Umetada as I recall).