Kanes(z)ane hot stamped blades differing quality, materials, mei and everything inbetween.

[waljamada]

I've been researching Kanesane hot stamp swords as one does. Its an interesting field because the differences in the blades seems to run the gambit. Some tamagahane, mostly mill steel, some water and oil quenched, many different hamons, some with hada some without and a bunch of different mei. Its nihonto condensed in showato form as I haven't seen photos of a gendaito Kanezane hot stamp.

 

So I found one that doesn't really have much info on it but I was told is hand forged tamagahane. All I have to go on is the attached photos so it was a chance for me to try and kantei it.

 

So here is my attempt at understanding the attached Kanesane.

 

This one has a showa stamp.

 

This sword truly appears to have hada from the photos but I think its mill still and maybe just a choji oil illusion. Can't tell for sure from the photos, but that could be hada

 

The dark aspects of the hamon appear to lend towards it being oil quenched. It also lacks a bit of the water quenched glow. The hamon is very interesting to me though with the lines that it has throughout. This had to have been done with some clay technique on purpose and required some hands on extra care.

 

The mei annoyingly doesn't match any of the examples here: http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/kanezane.htm

 

If I had to guess from that sites mei examples it seems closest to a variation of C. Noshu ju Asano Kanesane saku kore (kokuin, Showa stamp).

 

Saya I haven't seen before but looks like possibly a gunto saya that is usually leather covered? The type 98 tsuba would lend to that as it has the hole for the leather strap that buttons onto leather saya covers.

 

So what do you guys think? Any personal opinions on Kanezane hot stamp swords? Anyone own a tamagahane example just to confirm here they do exist? Were any hot stamp Kanesane ever considered gendaito? Also which mei are considered 100% to have been done by Kanesane himself? The 2 kanji versions?

 

Lastly, which parts did I get wrong? Kantei away!

[PNSSHOGUN]

Looks like it's being offered by samuraimonkeys, I wouldn't advise buying anything from this seller as he invariably ruins swords with amateur polishes and mismatched Koshirae.

 

As for the blade 100% it is an oil quenched example, I don't see Hada either.

[IJASWORDS]

For what its worth, here's one of mine, no hada oil quenched, hot stamp and stamp.

[waljamada]

John, I won't be purchasing this sword, just find Kanesane interesting and I do love that little turtle hot stamp. I first had the impression that hot stamps usually mean "quality" and if not traditionally made than very close to. So its been a fun ball of twine to unravel with Kanesane. I've read conflicting reviews of Kanezane blades but the man does have lots of historical documentation and notices.

 

Neil, whats the hamon look like on yours? That's one of the things I've found fun to compare.

[Bruce Pennington]

Adam,

I think it's cool, and valuable, that you have taken a wartime smith to study his work! I hope you can attract the corporate knowledge of the community and compile it for reference.

 

I know nothing of nihonto. I would have looked at that beautiful hamon and assumed it was traditionally made, but for the stamp (Showa?). If you had enough examples collected, you could see if there was a quality change over time. The Showa-stamped blade is 1941 or earlier, and Neil's Seki-stamped blade is 1941 or later.

 

Any claims made by The Monkey can be dimissed outright (he may be correct, but he tampers and lies so much that his word is worthless). You are right about the saya. It would have originally had a leather cover. Many of them were damaged and lost.

[IJASWORDS]

Adam, here is the Hamon, very typical of oil quenching. I would also add that for budding Gunto collectors, a Kanezane in the 1000-2000 dollar range, is a great study piece, they are not true nihonto, but have enough features to start researching showa and seki swords.

[BANGBANGSAN]

Adam

Those  photos of tang that you post  from 2 Kanezane, one is 淺野兼真  Asano Kanezane ,the other one is 藤原兼真 Fujiwara Kanezane.

[waljamada]

Trystan, yeah from the website it mentions two students of Kanesane and included their mei as well whom also got to use the turtle hotstamp. Part of the Kanesane umbrella I suppose.

 

From what I have been able to find I can't discern any techniques other than sometimes using yasuki steel that differentiates the Kanesane swords forging from other showato. Im guessing they had stronger internal specifications and standards within their foundry but I can't find evidence of any specifics. Obviously Kanesane had individually won awards/accolades so perhaps his knowledge alone guided to higher quality showato.

 

I still want to see if any full gendaito or at least tamagahane/water quenced even if machine assisted Kanesane hot stamp swords exist.

 

I have yet to see another hamon similar to the Kanesane example sword. Also haven't seen a sugu style and most are gunome variations.

[John C]

A little revival of this topic. Here is a Kanesane with hot stamp that Samuraimonkey42 is selling on ebay. Is this the same one described by Adam? The hamon looks very much the same.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115142144354

 

John C.

[Bruce Pennington]

I think it is, John.  I went from one to the other looking for variations in the mei, but couldn't find any. 

[Rich S]

There are several Kanesane mei on my website.

 

http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/kanezane.htm

 

[waljamada]

John,

 

That is the same blade which has magically had a surrender tag and either an entirely different saya or new leather saya cover appear to the package=|:^)

 

Adam

[PNSSHOGUN]

No surprises with that charlatan seller, a complete plague on the hobby.

[RWM]

Quote

Here's one for you to decide.