zetozeto99 Posted July 25, 2008 Report Posted July 25, 2008 Greetings, Forumites! New member here! I've been an on again and off again collector of Japanese swords and related items. After regretfully selling the majority of my collection over the years I am starting to get back into replenishing my collection. I have always had a fascination with the lesser known (lesser popular at that) samurai weapons and have been on the look out for a hachiwara (or kabutowari) for a few years and finally came across a piece that was perfect for me: I acquired it from a gentleman who in turn acquired it on a trade in Okinawa a few years back... not much history to this piece other than that. I plan to mount it some how... not sure if I will go the traditional hachiwara mounts or possibly mounting it as a wakizashi (which was rare but still historically correct BTW). I'm now looking for yari projects until I'm ready to graduate back into a nihonto. Just waiting for that perfect one! Quote
zetozeto99 Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Posted July 25, 2008 BTW: I am pretty sure this is an Edo period piece. You don't see many older than that.... Quote
Lorenzo Posted July 28, 2008 Report Posted July 28, 2008 I have seen few kabutowari but this looks longer than usual.. lenght? A question about kabutowari, do they where forged folding steel or not? the one i have seen seems to have no hada Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted July 28, 2008 Report Posted July 28, 2008 Very nice. It does look surprisingly long. At first I thought it was my computer screen which does that to everything. I had a lovely one in full koshirae with a gold and silver Kikusui mon on the 'blade' but foolishly sold it to a friend. He still refuses to sell it back... Quote
DirkO Posted July 28, 2008 Report Posted July 28, 2008 I have seen few kabutowari but this looks longer than usual.. lenght? A question about kabutowari, do they where forged folding steel or not? the one i have seen seems to have no hada I think they were made from simple steel and not tamahagane. Basically because it was more utilitarian than real nihonto. Quote
zetozeto99 Posted July 29, 2008 Author Report Posted July 29, 2008 I have seen few kabutowari but this looks longer than usual.. lenght? A question about kabutowari, do they where forged folding steel or not? the one i have seen seems to have no hada Yes. Definitely longer than the one's I have seen personally and in books. I measured the blade at just over 36 cm with the nakago at just under 11.5 cm. For reference: This one doesn't appear this particular hachiwari was folded and I see no hada through my very amateur eyes. Not sure if any other pieces out there were ever folded. Very nice. It does look surprisingly long. At first I thought it was my computer screen which does that to everything. I had a lovely one in full koshirae with a gold and silver Kikusui mon on the 'blade' but foolishly sold it to a friend. He still refuses to sell it back... I would love to see some pix if you have any! I've been trying to collect any and all pix on the net for reference. I have seen few kabutowari but this looks longer than usual.. lenght? A question about kabutowari, do they where forged folding steel or not? the one i have seen seems to have no hada I think they were made from simple steel and not tamahagane. Basically because it was more utilitarian than real nihonto. I think your right... One question that has risen. I had originally thought maybe this particular hachiwari could be Edo period... however, as I researched more about hachiwari the ones I see that are supposedly Edo-period are the "one-piece of iron" tekkan style. All the hachiwari I see that have koshirae/mounts seem to be older... any input/insight? Thanks in advance. Quote
Jean Posted July 29, 2008 Report Posted July 29, 2008 http://www.aoi-art.com/auction/en/aucti ... 1213703271 Quote
zetozeto99 Posted August 1, 2008 Author Report Posted August 1, 2008 http://www.aoi-art.com/auction/en/auction.cgi?acc=disp&no=1217298786&t=1213703271 Interesting... Is that koshirae for a kabutowari ? Or is that some kind of tekkan? Quote
Jean Posted August 1, 2008 Report Posted August 1, 2008 IMHO, it is not a koshirae or it would have been precises in the auction Quote
IanB Posted August 1, 2008 Report Posted August 1, 2008 Most of the hachiwara I've seen have had spurious Masamune signatures and dates on them and then, rather incongruously, the real signature of the smith who made it. If memory serves, I seem to recall that the couple I have owned over the years have been by Mino smiths. I also seem to remember that the tangs were filed up in a rather decorative way at the end. What does puzzle me is the odd decoration of the mounts of many of these things - rather indifferent carved and then covered in garish red or gold lacquer. Not at all the quality you would expect. Could it be that a lot of these (mounts at least) were made in the Meiji era? Ian Bottomley Quote
zetozeto99 Posted August 22, 2008 Author Report Posted August 22, 2008 Most of the hachiwara I've seen have had spurious Masamune signatures and dates on them and then, rather incongruously, the real signature of the smith who made it. If memory serves, I seem to recall that the couple I have owned over the years have been by Mino smiths. I also seem to remember that the tangs were filed up in a rather decorative way at the end. What does puzzle me is the odd decoration of the mounts of many of these things - rather indifferent carved and then covered in garish red or gold lacquer. Not at all the quality you would expect. Could it be that a lot of these (mounts at least) were made in the Meiji era? Ian Bottomley Would you happen to have any pix of your old collection? Sorry to revive this thread. :| Does anyone have any more insight they would like to offer? Thanks in advance... Quote
IanB Posted August 23, 2008 Report Posted August 23, 2008 No sorry. I wish I had photographed many of the items I have owned and traded over the years. Ian Bottomley Quote
kusunokimasahige Posted September 24, 2008 Report Posted September 24, 2008 Very nice looking kabutowari! KM Quote
Renato Posted September 28, 2008 Report Posted September 28, 2008 Hi Chu saku Look at this beautiful hachiwara mountings in an italian collection Renato Quote
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