Kantei Section For The Raffle "who Wants To Win A Nihonto"

[Stephen]

Good luck one and ALL!

[Brian]

By my count, we have about 32 paid entries. Bit of a mission linking the PP payments to all the names, as PP doesn't give the email address anymore and most didn't leave a username in the notes. But I have verified that everyone entered here has contributed. Obviously there are some that haven't entered yet. If Ray agrees, I would extend till Sunday night, to give people the weekend to do last minute entries. But that is his call.
Good luck all. Wish I was eligible. Someone is going to get an unprecedented prize in the history of online Nihonto matters.

[Guest Rayhan]

Let's extend till everyone is in, but Sunday is the final day ladies and gentlemen

[Blazeaglory]

Dwain, I hope that you are right.

No I think you were right????

[Martin P]

HI All,

 

I know very little about Japanese swords. I did get to watch a master sword smith from Japan put the hamon on one of his swords at the 2006 ABANA conference. Anyway I recently began my trip down this rabbit hole looking at Navel 1883 sword and found this website. I have been reading it and there is an overwhelming amount of info. I really think what you all are doing is worth putting in $30 even without the raffle.

 

I am sorry that I don't have more knowledge to make an educate guess.

 

Best Regards

Martin

[SmoothNinja]

Hey all, I don't have much knowledge about swords, but I'm going to give my best educated guesses.

It was tough researching the fine details, but the bits and pieces of history i've looked at are hopefully accurate.  


1)  Looks to me like an Early Muromachi period blade. From the Kanemoto school  by the smith Mei-o. 

          just judging from the size of the shinogi-ji, ji, and hamon being equal sizes. the Ha seems like a wavy pattern found from this school and era. 

 

2)  This looks like a Nambo kucho period blade. sometime in the late 1300's at the soshu school by the smith Koan.

 

      The Shinogi-ji, ji, and hamon are about equal widths, and the subtle fine Ha markings make me think its using this style.

 

3)  This one looks like a Kamakura period blade. maybe from Masamune  using the soshu school technique. Early 1300s

 

       It really reminds me of a masamune blade with the Shinoji-ji  much thinner than the ji. The fine Mune behind the Shinoji-ji, and the Hamon with its wider waves. 

      

        

[Greg F]

Well this has been a mission and then some. Stayed up till 2.30am last night with this and then went to work this morning and boxed ten rounds with a young lady that is getting ready to fight that makes the saying hits like a girl a compliment and ive come home to finish doing my best at this. I have no confidence at this at all but doing this kantie has been enjoyable and gets the brain ticking over for sure. So here goes.

 

1. Shape and length says maybe shinshinto 1850 ish

Nice ko-itame hada with nice choji hamon that at 1st glance said bizen to me.

Koyama Munetsugu.

 

2. Nice tightly forged hada and on first look I thought Tadayoshi so the best match I came up with was

Hizen no kuni omi no kami Tadayoshi 1790 to 1815.

 

3. This one looks very old nice ko-itame hada, seguha with gunome hamon. Very old looking nakago.

Ive gone out on a bit of a limb with late kamakura 1326 ish

Aoe Sadatsugu.

 

Rayhan and Brian thank you for this very generous and productive opportunity.

 

Greg

[KanaPanda]

Hi, these are my guesses. 

 

#1. Made by 友成作（Yuuseisaku?). Bizen School / Heian Era

#2. Made by 延吉 ( Enkichi?). Yamato School / Kamakura Era

#3. Made by 則国 (Sokkoku? Sontoku?). Yamashiro School / Kamakura Era

 

I hope I got them right. Thank you so much - KanaPanda

[Guest Rayhan]

Awesome efforts guys!

[Brian]

3 More entries today..thanks guys!

[Stephen]

More the merrier!

[Surfson]

Four more days to play everybody.  Do it now!  Incredible chance to win a very valuable sword and support NMB at the same time.  No worries if you have no experience in kantei.  Just read some of the ones that are already offered to get some ideas.  

[Martin P]

OK I feel real ignorant about these. I think I could spend a ton of time just looking at one and learning from that let alone three. From the reference links this is what I noticed and tried to compare to a like item. I also can tell I need to study the name of the different parts of the sword and that I need more books. LOL.

 

1. A choji-Midare Hamon

    Mino style gunome midare

    Itame Hada

 

2. A Hoso Suguha Hamon

    Yamato / Yamashiro style

    Mokume Hada

 

3. Soshu Style

   Notare hamon

   masame Hada

 

Just want to say thanks again for the opportunity to learn and possible have my first nihonto.

 

Martin

[Stephen]

Martin

Please edit to each which smith and era.

[Martin P]

Martin

Please edit to each which smith and era.

Hey Devildog, I have no clue. Sorry I hope to learn this as I go.

 

Were you an FO? I was an 0811

[Stephen]

Just guess like i did...lol it dont hurt long. Ones old another not so old and one even later...not in that order...lol.

My mos? I shot expert..which has nothing to do with i did. Ha ha

 

Edit good work on swords actively

[paulb]

Having originally decided I wouldn't take part (similar reasons to Barry H.) I have weakened and couldn't resist trying. I have preached on for so long about the benefit of doing kantei it would seem hypocritical not to have ago.

 

1. Shin-Shinto blade Koyama Munetsugu.  based on Bizen influence and beautiful jigane.

 

2. I honestly don't have a clue. Dismissed Hizen because of Yasurimei. I initially thought Shin-shinto again but have opted for shinto Kunesada but with little confidence

 

3. Looks late kamakura Yamashiro influenced. rough hada looks to be wear rather than as a result of forging. Rai derivative school Echizen Rai

 

Thank you Rayhan for the initiative. I think it has started a lot of people on the road to what is a great way to learn.

[Shugyosha]

1. Shinshinto: Taikai Naotane

2. Shinto: Omi Kami Hojoji Tachibana Masahiro (1st Generation, around Kanbun)

3. Koto: Rai Kunitsugu

[Bazza]

Ahhhhhh...  dither, dither, dither...  My years of camping on NMB has taught me how little I know, over time recognising that we have some super kanteika here but most of the experts are in Japan!!  Sadly I can't find time for a marathon research adventure, but first up I downloaded the hi-res images and studied them trying to conjure up period, school and the elusive name.  Well, it is all elusive.  Then I had a good look over the field of bids (everyone did, right??) seeing how they gelled with my thoughts.  I chuckled at the OCD question of a spreadsheet, having thought of that myself, but not to be unkind that could be the blind leading the blind...  So, here's my try.

 

KANTEI #1

Undoubtedly Shinshinto by one of the greats. The powerful sugata and choji midare suggest to me Koyama Munetsugu.  Dunno about the yasurime as I don't have time to hit the books, even though I have the Munetsugu book (somewhere), so this is "an impression".  Sokan/Munehiro is a possibility, but having seen a katana by him I don't recall the nie evident in this sword.  Shame about the broken hamachi.

 

KANTEI #2

A Shinto blade.  Again, OTTOMH  - first impression is Hizento due to the presence of kuichigaiba in the hamon.  Not possible to see how the hamon ends because the blade is machi okuri - there is a "tell-tale" in this for Hizento.  BUT, the keshoyasurime says definitely not Hizento.  Hmmm, who else displays Hizen-like qualities in their hamon??  I plug for Echizen no Kami Minamoto Nobuyoshi.

 

KANTEI #3

O-suriage mumei, Koto, Muromachi period.  The workmanship is variable, better on one side than the other.  I'm truly all at sea here, but I'll plug for Heianjo Nagayoshi on a "gut feel".

 

A most marvelous exercise even if it has caused a knot in my stomach for weeks and revealed the parlous state of my kantei skills...  Thanks to Rayhan and Brian for riding shotgun over this.

 

Best regards,

BaZZa

aka Barry Thomas

Melbourne, AUSTRALIA.

[Vermithrax16]

LOVE kantei puzzles (even though I am really bad at them) and I have had a wonderful experience with this whole thing. Hoping for more entries by Sunday.

[Guest Rayhan]

These are great! I'm hoping it has stirred some to learn from Kantei

[Shugyosha]

Indeed. Thanks for setting this up Ray, it has been fun playing.

[Brian]

Here is the list I have made of current entrants. Looks like 30 entrants so far with one day to go.
My suggestion (subject to Ray's approval) is for me to sort those names randomly into a list and mix them up (Easily done in Excel) and then I send that list to a neutral party who has not entered..perhaps Barry Hennick or someone?
Then Ray can use an online random number generator and post the winning number, and myself and the neutral party will confirm the name according to the list we both have.
Or something to that effect?
 

Kantei_Entries.xlsx

[Guest Rayhan]

Any solution is good for me, even the old fashioned pull a name out of the Kabuto

[b.hennick]

I would be happy to do it. 

[Brian]

Would be nice and transparent, that way Ray posts the number, and then whoever is awake closest to his posting (myself or Barry or even a third person) can post the corresponding name...and the other one/two have the list to be able to verify all is done randomly. All ok with this method? If so...I'll mail the sorted list to Barry and someone else if decided.
What time GMT are we closing entries Ray?

[Stephen]

like the idea out of a cookie jar, hat. kabuto what ever,, dont like machines doing what humans can do, trust Barry 100%

 

should have been sorted out from get go IMHO

[Guest Rayhan]

Hi guys

 

As i said before i am open to any method of winner selection, i would say Brians is a good one and without seeing the sheet i could pick a number that corresponds to a name, it would amount to pulling one out of a hat. However, can the entrants kindly decide what they would be comfortable with?

[Guest Rayhan]

I will close the competition tomorrow at 6pm UK time

[Lance]

1, Hamon and sugata  make me think Shin Shinto Bizen Yokoyama school, maybe Munetsugu. 

2. Looks like Kambun Shinto, Hizen Tadahiro?

3,  Appears to be Muromachi ,Shimada group(?)  

 

Best of luck to everybody

Regards,

Lance