Top 10 Swordsmiths In Japanese History

[Gakusee]

Interesting document, Kiril. Is this Rai Kanemichi on the right and tracing down the generations? 
i also like old, historic documents. Sometimes they reinforce the same error as they copy each other, but sometimes they contain hidden / lost knowledge. 

[Rivkin]

I am probably in the bottom 10% for reading kanji, but yes - generations of Kinmichi and then Katsumichi. The last Katsumichi is unlisted in Meikan, but mentioned here. He sealed by own hand the envelope containing the origami as well, so it is quite likely he did exist.

[WillFalstaff]

  On 5/24/2022 at 10:26 PM, mas4t0 said:

 

 

It's from Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156-1868 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

 

It's been out of print for a few years, but it's available to download for free as a PDF from the MET website.

 

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Art_of_the_Samurai_Japanese_Arms_and_Armor_1156_1868

Expand  

 

I must have missed that part (or forgot it). I did take that book out from the Lone Star library system a few months ago. I guess I need to check it out again. 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Unfortunately I haven't been able to look the dozens and dozens examples in hand that I have in books but I have come to realize I might have some unpopular opinions. For example I personally am often more drawn to Naoe Shizu attributed mumei swords than mumei swords attributed to Shizu. I think one factor of it is that Naoe Shizu swords often have more imposing size than those that go towards Shizu.

 

 

[Wah]

  On 5/21/2022 at 5:18 AM, Jussi Ekholm said:

I was hinting the lack of signatures by Masamune & Sadamune earlier, as I cannot really understand this part of Sōshū tradition.

Expand  

Jussi,

Hello, the lack of signatures by these smiths was answered well by Rivkin.

He said, "the quality is sky high but the real names might have been a bit different."

 

Also Dmitry's book enlightens on the subject.

 

So basically the answer is Masamune was not born Masamune. He signed differently. 

 

As to why that's such a guarded secret even in Japan, ..... beats me. Lol!

 

Stephen T.

[Gakusee]

  On 5/31/2022 at 8:12 PM, Wah said:

Jussi,

Hello, the lack of signatures by these smiths was answered well by Rivkin.

He said, "the quality is sky high but the real names might have been a bit different."

 

Also Dmitry's book enlightens on the subject.

 

So basically the answer is Masamune was not born Masamune. He signed differently. 

 

As to why that's such a guarded secret even in Japan, ..... beats me. Lol!

 

Stephen T.

Expand  

 

Well, well, let us not take one book as the definitive answer to the mystery of Masamune.....But it is overall probably true that smiths changed names, mei and so on. 

[WillFalstaff]

  On 5/31/2022 at 9:12 PM, Gakusee said:

 

Well, well, let us not take one book as the definitive answer to the mystery of Masamune.....But it is overall probably true that smiths changed names, mei and so on. 

Expand  

 

That’s the most frustrating part in researching smiths; this was “smith name”, but he had 4 smith’s who also used his name the following decades, and oh yeah, he had two previous names, one not recorded. Oh, and another smith from the northern provinces also signed blades by that name for 10 years. Good luck with he identification! 

 

Every historian’s (nightmare) dream come true. 

[Nihontocollector752]

Yeah well with all these lists i think a few mentioned Masamune so deliberation over changing names is just void. Fact is there are path makers and (as my list is Heian to modern) those smiths have earned their names. People forget so much how a name is everything in Japan, how a student takes their name from their teacher and so on and so on, Asia is like that, you EARN a name. Suggesting otherwise is just what the west sees as convenience. 

[Jussi Ekholm]

I am quite curious what theory Dmitry suggests in the book?