Emura

[Denis V]

So I own a blade by Emura. Upon looking him up on the board, I noticed he has generally some reserved or even negative comments regarding his work. 

Me, I love my blade. It’s slightly bigger than the other blades I own, but stil elegant  in design. The story of the man is also fascinating; a prison warden who makes blades with the help of his inmates... that’s proper patriotism. Handcrafting a national symbol to serve the greater good. 

What I notice about my blade, is that it has a certain robustness and sense of power over it. It was forged with a single purpose: a tool for war. It was not made for interior decorating, but for carrying on the battlefield. It was not made to be admired by fine critics, but to stab, cut and slash... well, maybe I’m getting a bit carried away here. Nevertheless, it’s not an award winning masterpiece but it deserves respect for what it stands for.

 

So I imagine this topic isn’t for everyone, but for those who own an Emura blade and/or share the same admiration for it, maybe you can help me out. Apart from the Richard Stein site, i haven’t found that much info on Emura but have some questions nevertheless:

1. Does anyone have more info on the man (apart from what is to be found on Richard Stein’s page) or maybe even pictures?

2. My blade is signed with just “emura”. Nothing else to be found on the tang apart from a painted number on the other side. This signature does not appear on Richard Stein’s page. Can it be authenticated? Does any of you have the same, or others that are not on Richard Stein’s page?

3. Apparently he forged blade himself as well as his inmates. Sometimes he made them all by himself, sometimes he just quenched them. Does anyone know if there is a way to know which one is what ?  Is it possible to tell them apart?

 

thanks a lot for all info that can be shared on this fascinating topic.

I also included some pictures of my blade and the mei.

 

Denis

[Stephen]

One of my most favorite swords was a Emura. Naysayers just never owned a good one by this smith. Quality vary do to all his students.

I cant see any activity due to the woolbright scrub. If you can catch any in different light please show. Wish i could find my old pix but that was back in floppy disc days.

[Stephen]

Due some searching Emura hada and you'll see what your sword may look like after polish.

http://www.jp-sword.com/files/blade/emura2.html

[IJASWORDS]

Denis, I have a few Emura swords, one of which is polished and papered. Your two character signature, and Emura Saku are usually seen. Rumor has it that the two character signature is made by him personally and of good quality. When you see a polished example of his work, it looks stunning. 

[IJASWORDS]

Stephen, thanks for the link, that is what my polished Emura looks like. 

[Stephen]

Mine was very close to this more swirl

Like koto bizen smiths.

This from a members post when sword guy joe ask which way to go. Emura or Nagamitsu

 

Thanks to Peter F for that.

Always always search NMB its a treasure trove. Thank Brian for keeping them all.

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/4305-emura-vs-nagamitsu-ichihara/?hl=%2Bemura+%2Bphotos&do=findComment&comment=38326

[Shamsy]

Emura is my favorite smith, for many of the reasons you have already outlined. I regret selling my sword. It was papered, polished and had a lovely shirasaya.

 

I Don't have much more information than what you have provided though I'm afraid. I would very much like to own another, preferably one made in the prison itself.

[Shamsy]

Sorry, I should have mentioned this earlier. I spoke to a gentleman a few weeks back about one of his swords which was also signed Emura. Nothing else. So there's at least two examples I've seem with just Emura on the nakago. Does anyone else have or know of examples like this?

[SteveM]

Here's another one

https://www.seiyudo.com/ka-098121.htm

[Bruce Pennington]

That one I saw in Narita had the bigger mei: 長運斎江村作 - Chounsai Emura saku

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/29741-help-with-mei-please/

[celt72]

I'm a big fan of Emura also. Here are some pix of mine that I bought from Aoi. Their pix are much better than mine, so I'm attaching those.

[vajo]

Great one Martin!!

[Denis V]

Thank you all for the info. Some real nice examples here. Good to hear the basic emura signature has been spotted before and might even be his. 

I’ve been tying to make a more clear pic of the hamon, but unfortunately , based on the state of the blade, i haven’t been able to produce better pics. The hamon looks suguha, but hard to tell. 
 

Since those blades aren’t dated, is there a way to tell when they were forged and wether they were produced in jail? 

[Shamsy]

Here's another one

https://www.seiyudo.com/ka-098121.htm

Thanks, Steve. That makes 3 I've seen now with just Emura as the mei

[mdiddy]

Emura and his shop worked in a number of styles. They are underrated in my opinion.

 

Here are pictures of one that I will not have for much longer, but has a big choji gunome hamon. 

[David Flynn]

All are variations of Bizen Den.

[Stephen]

Nice of you Matt to be sending me that wonderful Emura!!!

[Nickat49]

Curious question as I am new to this smiths’ work but I noticed in one of the pics of the Mei, one of the characters looks different than the one on the sword I have. I am not familiar the language so I’ll just use “character” and hopefully not offend anyone but the bottom word or “character” differs by the two separate tick marks (best I could describe it and someone please correct me as to what they are) to the outside right of the “backwards hook” at the beginning of the stroke whereas in the other pics I see those two ticks placed more above the character. Hope my description makes sense?

I know when I sign my name it is different each time the way it looks so I’m assuming it’s the same for Japanese signatures? Just depends on who signs the name their own unique way and no two way is going to be the same?

I read somewhere that smiths will use stamps or chisel their Mei themselves and curious if this smith stamped or chiseled - thank you

[John C]

The bottom kanji looks like "saku" to me = "made this". I believe there are examples where he does sign like this.

 

John C.

 

[Brian]

Pretty much always carved/signed. Signatures weren't stamped.
That symbol for "made" does differ, plus there is uncertainty over which he signed himself and which his deshi/assistants signed for him.
Doesn't really make a difference, the sword is legit.