A question about Hamon

[Insider]

Hi everybody, new member and just beginning to learn about nihonto. I was wondering if any of you could clear up some things about the hamon for me. My question is, is the hamon unique to the swordsmith or the schools way that he was taught? or maybe it's a hybrid of the two?

Is there a book that explains the difference in hamon by smith or would I need to compare all the smiths by myself from their current work? I've seen some different types of hamon but wish to understand who does each different type. Thank you all for your time.

 

-Matt

[Grey Doffin]

Matt,

If the smith is closely associated with a school or den, then you would expect him to follow the tradition. This is especially so in Koto, when the 5 den were important/influential. Come late Koto and into Shinto the strict adherance to tradition starts to break down. Also, exceptional smiths of this period often made a break with their teachings and started doing their own things, hamon-wise. Hybrid of the 2, I guess.

A good book that discusses kantei by hamon (and other aspects of kantei) is The connoisseur's book of Japanese Swords by Konkan Nagayama.

Grey

[Insider]

Thank you very much Grey! Thanks for clarifying it by the periods of smithing also. I've seen a couple recommendations for that book but i'll take your word for it. As for the hamon, does the smith nowadays have a single style they use or will they change depending on the order?

 

-Matt

[Ted Tenold]

Matt,

 

Today smiths have the luxury to work in many different styles if they so choose, but they still maintain a loyalty (to a greater extent) to the particular tradition they are emmulating, and won't embellish the hamon within the tradition they are reaching to recreate. Certainly, they have a particular style they most commonly work in as well. The instances that I've seen them "color outside the lines" is when they are experimenting with certain materials or techniques in an effort to rediscover some kind of style, for which the techniques of its creation are not completely known. As an example; the Ichimonji styles (particularly the Fukuoka group) acheived a vibrant and highly active style of yakiba and utsuri that some speculate was done without the application of clay as we know it. So there have been attempts by Japanese smiths to work by this method to recreate an accurate copy of that groups work. The attempts I've seen have been close and quite admirable, but still look somewhat "avant garde" eventhough that wasn't the original goal. So in this respect, they have the ability to work outside the box and in different styles due to the exchange of information that can take place, and the relative freedom of movement in their work. Many smiths today will accept an order for various stylistic traditions.

 

Expanding upon what Grey mentioned also. As you begin your studies, you will also note that in rare instances in the Koto period, there are examples of rather abrupt changes in style by particular smiths. Of notable example would be that of Rai Kunitoshi and Niji Kunitoshi, who are speculated to be the same smith, but because of the drastic change in style so abruptly lends debate to one smith actually being two different ones as it is highly unsual in the Koto period to see such an abrupt change. Changes are most often measured by generations in small increments. Without conclusive written documentation, or a large body of dated works in both styles to establish clear lines, the speculation for two different smiths is logical. There are also examples of stylistic changes in a single smiths working life, such as in that of Bizen Nagamitsu, who began with rather robust flamboyant works that with his maturity evolved into more subtly elegant works. From this, we can look at one of his works in particular and define a fairly close approximation of when it was made even if it is not a dated work.

 

Just some more bits for you to bite. Enjoy your studies!

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

  Ted Tenold said:

So there have been attempts by Japanese smiths to work by this method to recreate an accurate copy of that groups work. The attempts I've seen have been close and quite admirable, but still look somewhat "avant garde" eventhough that wasn't the original goal.

 

Hi Ted.

 

I'm still interested in YY experiments as per my post

 

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4124

 

Anything for me from you ?