Gassan Sadakatsu and Masamune's secret process

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

In the 1930's T Nagahara & Co advertised Gassan Sadakatsu's blades for sale. They could be ordered in Ayasugi or Masamune's secret process. I was never quite sure what Masamune's secret process looked like. I have tracked down about 50 of Sadakatsu's long blades on the internet and about 50% of them are ayasugi and 25% masame. My blade has tight masame hada with a gunome midare hamon. Recently AOIJapan have put up a Sadakazu blade on their site which has Motte Soshu Kamakura Masamune Den on the nakago. This blade looks very similar to my Sadakatsu blade.

 

Is my blade an example of Sadakatsu's Masamune's secret process?

 

T Nagahara & Co produced a booklet called "Nippon Toh" to sell these swords. I have never seen a copy, but assume it included illustrations to show what the swords look like. Does anyone have a copy they can post some pictures of?

 

Below is a shot of T Nagahara's advertisement, AOIJapan's Sadakazu katana and hada and my blade and hada.

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Hi Bryce, this would likely be referring to Soshu Den. Yours looks very much like their Soshu-Den works.

[Bryce]

G'day John,

In the description of the Sadakazu katana on the AOIJapan website Mr Tsuruta mentions that Sadakatsu had mastered "Soshuden, Masame kitae, Gassan Ayasugi hada, and Soshu Kamakura Masamune den" as if they are all different things?

Cheers,

Bryce

[David Flynn]

From what I've noticed,  Sadakatsu, used Ayasugi, Itame and Masame.    I believe the use of Masamune den, just means Soshu, and just an advertising ploy.  Also, Masame, is usually used with Yamato den.

[Bugyotsuji]

Gassan
Although Sadakazu and Sadakatsu are two different smiths, (spelled and pronounced differently) this is just a quick reminder for anyone who is not aware not to mix up the two. 

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

I would say the jigane of my blade is pure Yamato Hosho, while the hamon is more Soshu. Below is an example of a Sadakatsu blade which I have been calling "Soshu" style up until now. It is sort of a mix of masame with sections of ayasugi...ish. They seem to be much rarer than then masame blades with a gunome midare hamon. It is interesting to me that Mr Tsuruta seems to differentiate between Soshu and Kamakura Masamune Den in relation to Gassan works. The blade by Sadakazu (Sadakatsu's father and teacher) which I posted above seems much closer to my blade, than the example below. Admittedly the photo posted on the AOIJapan website isn't of the highest detail, so perhaps it does have more of the ayasugi...ish hada than the photo shows. Maybe I am reading too much into this.

Cheers,

Bryce

[Stephen]

Something in rambling around in my fog of a brain I think it's seven plate forging is a secret recipe I might be wrong.

[lonely panet]

could this be a utushi of shizu kaneuji??

 

 

[Bryce]

Thanks Guys,

Nobody has a copy of Nippon Toh?

Cheers,

Bryce

[O koumori]

Stephen,

Interesting chart! What's the source?

Thanks

Dan K

[Toryu2020]

This is a reprint, I'm thinking it was a chatski given out at a sword shop but I cannot remember where...

[Bryce]

Fantastic Thomas!

I guess there weren't any illustrations of this?

I think I will go back to my original stance that this is what the Gassan's called Masamune's secret process, rather than my blade, even though it shares some of these characteristics.

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[Surfson]

I own this blade, which was intentionally made and signed by Sadakazu as an utsushi of Masamune.  It's an interesting blade, and may be a "practice" piece for a work that he presented to the emperor in the same style.  

 

https://www.aoijapan.net/katana-teisitu-gigei-in-gassan-sadakazu-78-years-made-by-politely/

 

[Bryce]

G'day Robert,

Thanks very much for posting this. This shows the itame hada I would expect much better than the original Sadakazu I posted. I guess the original photo wasn't detailed enough to show the jihada like yours does. Definitely confirms my blade isn't an example of Soshu Masamune Den.

Cheers,

Bryce

 

 

[Bryce]

Here is the nakago.

 

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[Surfson]

Yes, it has the Teishitsu Gigein designation mentioned as well (which is the first version of what would later be called "living national treasure").  Happy to help Bryce.  

[PNSSHOGUN]

Hi Bryce, here is an example from the Shin Shinto Nihonto Koza:

 

 

[Jacques]

Masamune's alleged secret forging technique makes me laugh a lot. What did he teach his many apprentices ? Knitting ? 

 

ps the Soshu kitae was never used by Masamune; it is a legend.

[Brian]

44 minutes ago, Jacques D. said:

Masamune's alleged secret forging technique makes me laugh a lot. What did he teach his many apprentices ? Knitting ? 

 

Gotta admit, that's a good point

[Baba Yaga]

7 hours ago, Jacques D. said:

Masamune's alleged secret forging technique makes me laugh a lot. What did he teach his many apprentices ? Knitting ? 

 

 

Agreed!

 

I was watching a master smith on youtube squint one of eyes holding the blade at arms length. I wonder if he wasn't wearing his eye glasses, because of the video? 

Watching that furnace / glowing metal all day and night had to burn out the eyesight. Could be I have no idea what I'm talking about either. 

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

The Gassan's were fond of a nice piece of marketing spin. As David mentioned earlier the phrase "Masamune's secret process" is just an advertising ploy.

Cheers,

Bryce

[Surfson]

Actually, the steel and hada on mine are really quite beautiful and distinct from the typical Gassan work (I have a couple other Sadakazus).

[Bryce]

G'day Robert,

Please don't take my comment as being negative about your blade, that wasn't my intention. I was simply referring to the phrase used in the T Nagahara & Co's advertisement. In terms of these Soshu blades being different from the Gassan's usual work I agree. Of the 50 Gassan Sadakatsu long blades I have been able to view on the web, these Soshu ones are amongst the least common style produced. Roughly 50% are ayasugi, 25% masame and 14% soshu. Within each of these main styles there are also variations in contrast, hada "tightness" and hamon.

Cheers,

Bryce

[reeder]

Please excuse the poor photography. 

[PNSSHOGUN]

A tanto stating Masamune's technique was used: https://www.aoijapan.com/tantoosaka-ju-gassan-sadakatsu-kinsakukao/

 

 

 

[C0D]

15 minutes ago, PNSSHOGUN said:

A tanto stating Masamune's technique was used: https://www.aoijapan.com/tantoosaka-ju-gassan-sadakatsu-kinsakukao/

 

 

 

It doesn't say anything about Soshu or Masamune anywhere, on the hakogaki it actually says "Awataguchi" 粟田口

[Bryce]

Looks like it may have been a cut and paste error by AOIJapan in their description. The hada does resemble Awataguchi nashiji.

Cheers,

Bryce

[SteveM]

Yes, it looks like a careless mistake from Aoi Art (again).

He does have another Sadakatsu tantō, in a similar box, with a description of "Sōshū Masamune" style.

 

https://www.aoijapan.jp/短刀-大阪住月山貞勝謹作花押/

[Stephen]

On 3/17/2022 at 7:17 PM, reeder said:

Please excuse the poor photography. 

Don't look poor at all. Fine blade bro.

[Bryce]

Thanks Steve,

Here are the photos for prosterity. This is another example where the NBTHK has papered it, but the hada looks off and it wasn't signed by Sadakatsu himself. Maybe it was made by his student, but when does it become gimei? Not a great example.

Cheers,

Bryce