Utsushi?

[Bryce]

G'day guys,

 

Would you call this an utsushi of an older blade? It is by the Nidai Tango (no) Kami Kanemichi  and is ubu, but the bohi runs all the way along the nakago.

The dimensions are:

Nagasa: 69.5cm

Sori: 2.0cm

Motohaba: 2.9cm

Sakihaba: 2.0cm

Kissaki: 3.0cm

Kasane 0.7cm

 

The hada is a very tight koitame.

Cheers,

Bryce

[Shugyosha]

Hi Bryce,

My feeling is that it’s not an utsushi as there isn’t enough about the sugata to suggest that. To me it looks like a typical sugata from the mid to late 17th century. The workmanship is also more Shinto than koto for me: the ko itame hada and the hamon reaching fairly high up towards the shinogi. 
 

The issue is the tang being overly long and with the groove continuing through and the second mekugi ana. I think this makes it a custom order either from someone who wanted to wear it as a tachi on formal occasions and/ or, I think more likely, someone who took his swordsmanship seriously.

 

The longer tang would alter the feel of the sword and by shifting the hands downwards on the tsuka some extra reach could be gained without flouting the laws regarding sword lengths. The continuation of the hi could be for aesthetic reasons or to adjust the balance of the blade to compensate for the longer tang. The second peg would give security in case the other broke or would fit the tachi koshirae idea. 
 

All speculation obviously...a really nice sword though. 

 

[Yasaka Azuma]

Hello Bryce.
The first generation of Kanemichi is in the style of Kanbun-shinto, and the second generation is in the style of Genroku-shinto. None of them are the revival of old-fashioned Katana.
I picked up several types of Kanemichi's signatures online. With the sword of your topic in between, the left side is the first generation and the right side is the second generation. I couldn't determine which topic sword belonged to. Do you know the answer?
 

[Jacques]

  On 1/28/2021 at 11:14 AM, Yasaka Azuma said:

Hello Bryce.
The first generation of Kanemichi is in the style of Kanbun-shinto, and the second generation is in the style of Genroku-shinto. None of them are the revival of old-fashioned Katana.
I picked up several types of Kanemichi's signatures online. With the sword of your topic in between, the left side is the first generation and the right side is the second generation. I couldn't determine which topic sword belonged to. Do you know the answer?
 

Expand  

 

All are from the nidai  except the one suriage

 

I let you search and find which difference allows to identify the shodai (right oshigata) of the nidai (left oshigata) 

 

 

[Yasaka Azuma]

Oh! s**t, I made a mistake. The source says it's second generation, and I should have put the image in the right place. I couldn't find a satisfying image of the first generation of Kanemichi.

 

https://www.touken-world.jp/search/22191/

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

Thank you for your replies. OK, not an utsushi, just an unusual nakago for this smith. When it comes to differentiating the shodai from the nidai all of the kanji are done differently, but to me the easiest to pick are the first, last and second last kanji.

Cheers,

Bryce

[Jacques]

Differences between first and second generation :

 

 

[Yasaka Azuma]

(I secretly fix it) Fujishiro's signature pictorial book is a good guidepost , but since it was edited 80 years ago, the actual thing that doesn't apply will come out afterwards. The publisher has revised it, but the current situation is that it cannot catch up.
Bryce. There's a reason I've lined up the photos instead of Oshigata Kanemichi on topic / 34613 will talk assuming your katana.
You may have noticed by looking at the image that your katana is peculiar compared to other tangs. It's rusting progresses, I can't see the traces of filing that should be there at the resolution of the image already uploaded.
It may be fine while you own it, but I'm a little worried about the bad signs.

 

https://www.touken-sato.com/event/katana/2012/08/K-kanemichi_2nd-01.html

[Bryce]

G'day Yas,

With the blade in hand you can see the file marks on the nakago. The particular mei you have circled is subtly different from the others you have illustrated including mine. My sword has NBTHK tokubetsu hozon papers. I didn't realize that this smith had swords that had papered Juyo.

Cheers,

Bryce