A Thing Of Beauty....

[Surfson]

Mishina San just sent me some photos of a sword he has polished for me.  Can't resist to pop one up!

[Alex A]

Very nice, which Gassan ?

[Surfson]

Haven't sent it to shinsa yet.  We had a bit of a debate at the show before I sent it.  Most thought it was a kamakura period sword and many thought it was Yamato.  But this mokume is really prominent, so I'm not at all sure - maybe late kamakura Yamashiro?  This could be wishful thinking.  There is lots of hataraki in the hamon.  Would love to hear what the NMB board experts think.  We shall see!

[Alex A]

I kinda jumped in there with both feet with the Gassan, when I saw the Hada that was my first thought, although first thoughts are often wrong.

 

Looks good, I bet you cant wait to see it in hand.  

[Ray Singer]

Uda can look like that from Nambokucho (Ko-Uda) into Muromachi...

[PNSSHOGUN]

My immediate thought was Uda as well.

[paulb]

Robert

What leads you towards Yamashiro? 

I would go with Ray on Uda but not Ko-Uda. There are a number of other possibilities such as Namnohira or Kongo-Byoe which I would look at as well

All of these have Yamnato influence but the strong differences seen in the colour of the steel looks something  more rural or northern province.

[Alex A]

Have you got any more pictures Robert?, full blade, nakago?

[BIG]

Beauty it is... what is Mishina-sensei's opinion?

 

Best

[Surfson]

I have asked Mishina San's opinion and am waiting to hear.  I will put up a couple more photos when I get home, but most are like this one.  

[seattle1]

Hello:

 Shitahara?

 Arnold F.

[Peter Bleed]

Hada is wonderful, but lotta masame in the shinogi. I'd really like to see that nakago. As a guess, I wonder about Uda.

Peter

[Vermithrax16]

Uda Kunimitsu? Shitahara was a good idea as well. No idea, but making a guess.

[Jean]

It seems that there is a consensus. My modest opinion is that the sword is strongly influenced by Norishige, so I will go to Nambokucho, either Uda or Tametsugu, Shitahara is also a good call due to its origin, difficult to say without other pictures. Nice sword.

[Surfson]

Mishina San agrees with you Jean (though I don't think he reads the NMB!).  His opinion was Etchu Norishige from Nanbokucho or early Muromachi.  

[Surfson]

Sorry, related to Etchu Norishige.

[Surfson]

A few more.  

[tokashikibob]

  My first thought popping the picture open was a mixed metal art blade from Meiji/Taisho.   Forgot what the proper term for those are in Nihongo.   I reckon I thought that due to the contrast of the picture.   Anyway,  I love it and those eye popping hada blades are my favorite to collect.

 

Best regards,

  Bob

[Surfson]

I is a smallish sword and has a very small kissaki, which led me to think possibly kamakura, but hey, I have focused on only signed shinto and shinshinto swords up until recently.....

[Vermithrax16]

You have a lot of nice swords Robert! 

[tokashikibob]

Now with the new pics I like to change to a  Shitahara guesstimate 

[Vermithrax16]

  My first thought popping the picture open was a mixed metal art blade from Meiji/Taisho.   Forgot what the proper term for those are in Nihongo.   I reckon I thought that due to the contrast of the picture.   Anyway,  I love it and those eye popping hada blades are my favorite to collect.

 

Best regards,

  Bob

Yessir!

[Alex A]

 I have focused on only signed shinto and shinshinto swords up until recently.....

 

I think this is the reason I jumped to the conclusion, I was looking into late shinshinto Gassan the other day and noticed your name in one of the threads, so ASSUMED you was buying along those later lines. ASSUMPTION being the mother of all.

 

Nice blade. 

[Surfson]

From the examples I have seen, the Norishige den call seems better than shitahara, based on the hamon.  I have a blade that has been kantei'd as shitahara and the hamon is very different than this one, which is wild like the examples that are available of Norishige school hamon.  An example is one in the link below, very similar to what is on my blade.  Hamon on mine is like that on the fourth blade down, which simply says Etchu Norishige.

http://www.sho-shin.com/hoku12.htm

[Surfson]

Thanks Jeremiah.  This has been a busy year for me for Japanese swords.  I realized that I have sold 40-50 swords this year!  Trying to turnover and improve the collection.... Cheers, Bob

[seattle1]

Hi:

 I hope you are right in your expectations Bob, however I would be cautious about inferring too much from the hamon, which is after all a secondary kantei consideration after jihada. The illustrated jihada you refer to seems quite different, with a less flowing nagare pattern and with the mokune or itame smaller.

 Arnold F.

[Jussi Ekholm]

I like Jeans guess above. Mumei swords are to me extremely difficult to judge. Here are 3 examples and Norishige - Tametsugu - Ko-Uda are different tiers

 

Here is a tanto that got TH to den Tametsugu: http://www.aoijapan.com/img/sword/2015/15856-2.jpg

 

And for comparison jūyō Norishige: http://www.aoijapan.com/img/sword/2016/16443-2.jpg

 

Here is Ko-Uda blade which is polished in style that seems to bring out jihada: http://www.aoijapan.com/img/sword/2012/12552-2.jpg

[Surfson]

Arnold, I am always prepared for the worst and hopeful for better if not best!  Jussi, those are great examples and the Norishige is the closest to my eye.  Since Jean and Mishina San both point that way, I think that it's a good guess!  I'm uncertain about the era call.  Other than some masame in the shinogi ji (which I'm not sure that it is masame or continuation of mokume), what other attributes point to later in nanbokucho or early muromachi?  Cheers, Bob

[w.y.chan]

Hi Robert,

I also thought Norishige but probably later generation. I trust Mishina san's opinion since he has polished many national treasures.

The hada of your sword also looks very similar to a WW2 gendaito that I have, one of my better sword

 

BTW did you ever have your Kazuyuki polished?

 

 

 

Wah

[paulb]

I think one consistency in the majority of opinions is that it is northern province work as demonstrated by the great variation in the steel colour and definition(by colour I am referring to the variation rather than absolute.)

with regard to age the presence of masame in the shinogi ji  Is a critical factor. Putting that to one side I don't think this blade is as early as kamakura, I cant tell you why it just doesn't look that old. My guess would be Nambokucho at the earliest but likely to be later.

however I have been wrong many times before and could well be on this!

(ps the only way I could post this was to go back over it and enter all the spaces separately, good old windows10!!!)