Levels Of Quality For Showato

[Nihontocollector19]

Good afternoon gents I have a question for the fellows that collect showato. We all know that gendaito are the preferred blades to collect for in this time period and can measure there quality throughly. But my question is a different take I have seen people classify showato as high quaility medium quaility and low quality... my question like any good blade how dose one spot one that belongs to each of the following category I know their a records of what smiths made but besides that to the eye canany if you for certain just by looking at a blade if it is indeed low quaility. I know for some that can do it an older swords and it’s alot easier but for something like this I’m pretty curious. Also if anyone of you guys want fill free to post pictures of your showato you would like to share.

[Dave R]

 Showato vary from very well made swords using the best mid 20th century technology, all the way down to poor quality "pokers" carried as an item of uniform rather than a weapon. In other words, much like Western officers swords of the 19th and 20th centuries. You have a lot of reading in front of you. Enjoy!

[vajo]

Hello Andrew.

 

Showa-to could be very fine swords. The most important thing is in my opionen the state of polish. Because a polish is expensive and it is mostly not worth to polish a showa-to because the worth is limited.

So if you find a showa-to with a good looking blade, nice hamon and hada with a eyecandy signature in a good koshirae for around 1.000 Dollar or a little more, why not?

 

These are some examples of my collection i had studied and sold further for the price i said above. The last two are shinto swords.

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Andrew,

 

For Showato, I think mostly it boils down to the beauty of the blade. If it's beautiful, someone spend a good deal of time on it. Of course there are some factories that had a reputation for quality like Mantetsu and Shrine swords.

[Nihontocollector19]

Hey Bruce I do completely agree with you with the reputation. But my focus is just seeing how much showato vary as many pass on them because they are not made traditionally. So I’m mainly looking st no name smiths whose blades are uncommon we all seen a few big examples of big name smiths but you don’t really hear about the little guys. With that being said I loved to see showato made by gendaito smiths aswell to see how they compare

[DanielGJ]

hello to all in my humble opinion since I am a beginner, for me to value a showato is above all the original polished in good condition, the original polish is its magic, recent polish would take away its essence and second point that is signed by blacksmith because it means that he has had the approval of a blacksmith and has passed through his hands, regarding military koshirae for me is the least valuable on a showato, a greeting to all.Daniel

[Jean]

Corrected the title

[IJASWORDS]

Andrew, your question confuses me a little. You could study a thousand showa-to and to the eye will all be different. The post of Dave R is the definitive answer to your question, and as Bruce explains, the level of the polish would show the the characteristics of that blade. And sword smiths made blades of varying quality. One smith could make "knock outs" for the war, and could equally make a great blade as a special order. If you read SLOUGH's book, he grades the smiths, and these smiths could make a range in quality. 

[David Flynn]

Andrew, if you meanby by  Showato, those that have been oil quenched,  Then it mostly just depends on the style of Hamon.   As for Bruce's' comment on Beauty, of course this is matter of taste.   Nihonto collectors generally shun Oilies.  This is because, when one learns to appreciate Nihonto,  Showato just don't compare.  Also, Bruce's comment on Shrine Factories.   The only two forges I know of at Shrines, were, Yasukuni and Minotagawa.   Both these were forges and not factories.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Mantetsu would be the highest quality in my books in terms of metallurgy, construction and design of use.

[David Flynn]

Mantetsu  V  Koa Isshin  Mantetsu.   Two different qualities of sword.   In my mind, Koa Isshan are, the equal of  Nihonto.  Where as Mantestu,  are just higher class Showato...

[PNSSHOGUN]

Definitely, I meant the latter.