Your commission order experience

[Nicholas Fu]

Hey Everyone, 

I just wanted to start up a thread to ask.  

Has anyone ever have a sword commissioned by a Smith in Japan?  
If so

- Which smith did you order your blade from?
-What Kind of blade did you get?
-Were you ever happy with your order? or Has the blade ever turned out not the way you wanted?

- How long did it take? 

And anything else you'd like to share about your experience of ordering a commissioned order.

I have placed a commission order for a blade, but am still in the waiting process for it to be finished.  I used an intermediary through Paul Martin, who is great by the way. 
 

[Oshy]

Interested to hear the details for your commission thats currently in process and the final results.

 

I haven't but do have a recent Enomoto Sadayoshi(Mukansa) katana commissioned in 1986. It was special ordered for the prior owner Iaido master Mr. Sekiguchi to commemorate the passing of his 6th Dan (later became 10th Dan).

 

http://www.sword-auction.jp/en/content/as18465-刀：昭和丙寅秋湧水心貞吉作無鑑査-katanashowa-hinoe-tora-yusuishin-sadayoshi-sakumukansa

 

https://youtu.be/UvW6gXWgmQk

[Babu]

If Paul has orchestrated this for you your likely to be extremely happy but remember that what's in your mind may not be exactly what turns out of the forge.

Is your commission high end or more affordable?

Subjectively speaking of course.

[Kawa]

I have done the same through Paul Martin and asked him to help me with a Gassan Sadatoshi https://yumecollection.com/collection/69 

The process was perfect and Paul is excellent. He will take care of everything, I also suggest getting the sword certified which he can do for you through the NBSK. I am also getting traditional Koshirae done for the sword and will post here when finished, but these take time. 

 

Congratulations on your choice with Paul Martin, safe as it goes. 

[Nicholas Fu]

I am having a blade made by Kunimatsa Matsuba, I went through Paul to order the commission I shall update and post pics etc once it is done.

[Babu]

Nicholas think about what Ray has suggested it make sound sense.

[Surfson]

That's a handsome blade Mike.  I especially like the sunagashi and kinsuji in the hamon and the nakago is finished wonderfully well.

[16k]

Lovely blade Mike, congrats! Proof of one was needed that modern smiths are capable of the greatest.

[chi fan wong]

hello,

i have had the fortune of befriending a very nice individual who is the smith at usagiya.  for the last five years, every summer i would travel to Japan with my students and we would visit mr. hiroshi kojima at his home/forge.  he has been very kind to us and spend a lot of time showing us his work, the forge and let everyone try their hands at forging and quenching.  that is also part of his experiment called the gotoba project.  the experience was quite fun, incredible, enlightening and educational.

 

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/US1.html

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/CF.html

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/ns2.html

 

his smith name is keiun naohiro.  his title is naohiro the 5th.

 

on one of these trips i saw a new blade that is unpolished and immediately liked the shape.  turns out its a fun project that he was working on.  he lived in the town of honjo and so decided to try to make the honjo masamune.  

 

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/Masamune.html

 

and so i purchased it from him.  the smith had in recent years started to participate in the nbthk sword competitions and this sword is his second one that received nyusen award.  that was in 2019.  this is not a commission but its as close as i got to it.  its a very fine tachi and beautifully polished in older style without the burnished shinogi.

 

mr kojima speaks english quite well and was able to coach everyone through the process of making the blades.  and while he has been more inclined to make bizen style blades, he also takes commissions with what the clients wants and other fun experiments that tends to irk the higher ups in nbthk, which he does take some joy in.

[Oshy]

2 hours ago, Surfson said:

That's a handsome blade Mike.  I especially like the sunagashi and kinsuji in the hamon and the nakago is finished wonderfully well.

 

1 hour ago, 16k said:

Lovely blade Mike, congrats! Proof of one was needed that modern smiths are capable of the greatest.

Many thanks Robert and Jean, Enomoto Sadayoshi who passed in 2000, like most of the Gassan family was very talented even among other Mukansa smiths and one of the most active Smith's of the century. I was out to find a quality modern example of soshu and couldn't be happier. Also have to give credit to Ray for guiding me to this beauty. Currently in Japan recieving shirasaya before going off to Tanobe.

[mywei]

I have commissioned work through Paul as well - you can't go wrong.

Agree with getting cert through NBSK when complete

[piryohae3]

This is awesome to hear that people still commission swords as I feel that shinsakuto are greatly underappreciated by collectors due to overwhelming bias for koto swords.

[Nicholas Fu]

It is so nice to hear you say that Piryohae3,  I personally love Shinsakuto and mainly collect them.  I know I'm against the majority, and but I do still admire and appreciate older Jidai blades.

[terminus]

One thing I have noticed is commissioning a katana from a modern Mukansa smith is usually more expensive than buying one already made on the market. 

[Oshy]

3 hours ago, terminus said:

One thing I have noticed is commissioning a katana from a modern Mukansa smith is usually more expensive than buying one already made on the market. 

Yes, very much so

[DoTanuki yokai]

11 hours ago, terminus said:

One thing I have noticed is commissioning a katana from a modern Mukansa smith is usually more expensive than buying one already made on the market. 

I never saw cheaper old blades of fujiyasu Masahira then new ordered.

[16k]

19 hours ago, piryohae3 said:

This is awesome to hear that people still commission swords as I feel that shinsakuto are greatly underappreciated by collectors due to overwhelming bias for koto swords.

 

13 hours ago, samuraiteddy96 said:

It is so nice to hear you say that Piryohae3,  I personally love Shinsakuto and mainly collect them.  I know I'm against the majority, and but I do still admire and appreciate older Jidai blades.

I haven’t commissioned the sword but have bought my first Shinsakuto recently and have to say it’s one of the Crown Jewels of my collection. It’s not by a Mukansa, but by the Kimura family (Akamatsu Taro) but what a beauty, what a marvelous sugata. And it’s so beautiful to see a nakago with a fresh carving. I’m in love!

[Oshy]

8 minutes ago, 16k said:

 

I haven’t commissioned the sword but have bought my first Shinsakuto recently and have to say it’s one of the Crown Jewels of my collection. It’s not by a Mukansa, but by the Kimura family (Akamatsu Taro) but what a beauty, what a marvelous sugata. And it’s so beautiful to see a nakago with a fresh carving. I’m in love!

 

I too was looking at Akamatsu blades a few months back but went with the Sadayoshi above. Someone just sold theirs here not too long ago as well. Sometimes pop up on AOI but more often here, currently 3 for sale,: https://www.Japanese-sword-katana.jp/500000-999999/

 

[16k]

6 minutes ago, Oshy said:

 

Someone just sold theirs here not too long ago as well. 

Yup! That’s the one I bought! 

 

A lovely blade and an awesome seller. I keep looking at it several times a day!
 

By the way, that Sadayoshi is gorgeous! 

[Oshy]

Ah yes, I remember that being a good example, congrats!

[Nicholas Fu]

I also just recently put through an order about almost 2 weeks ago through Paul Martin, for a blade to be made by Akamatsu Taro Kanetsugu, the head of the family.  Yes their blades are lovely.  Many of their blades are very wide and thick with O-kissaki.  

Heres a website that showcases alot of their work.  

 

https://www.higotora.com/

So yeah, I have a Matsuba Kunimasa Commission order that should be done within the next few months,  And I guess I have to wait from anywhere of 6months up to a year or even more sometimes, for my Akamatsu Taro order.

 

@16k  Would you happen to be able to share any photos of your Akamatsu Taro blade? If you would like to :D.  

[Ken-Hawaii]

Modern tosho have to make a living, with modern expenses. Older tosho are deceased, & no longer have to worry about those niggling details.

 

Like JP, I'm caretaker for only one shinsakuto, which cost as much as two mid-quality Kamakura blades.

[16k]

Sure Nicholas,

 

Here they are(not my pics 'cause I suck at that:) 😞
 

and one site and two vids about Akamatsu Taro:

 

http://www.users.on.net/~coxm/?page=Kimura&fbclid=IwAR2t3d7nmbEBP8A2u0Tv_C5ALtUfFFMcDpqKxBAwzzdNFgXmoGsSZjveLB4

 

 

 

 

[Greg F]

Its great to see people commissioning blades and keeping the tradition alive. Not only do I admire the commitment and the beautiful blades shown above but really hope to be in a position to do the same in the future. I look forward to seeing all the commissioned swords in their finished state.

 

JP I would look at it very regularly too. 

Nicholas thanks for the link, some excellent blades showcased.