Proud custodian of Kanbun Shinto katana

[WellsFargo]

Good morning gents, 

 

I have no questions or anything of major importance to discuss other than the fact that I am once again a proud custodian of a Japanese sword. 

Thanks to Okan I am now in possession of a Kanbun Shinto katana. 

I am an antique firearms collector and had a few nihonto a few years back, but unfortunately sold everything one by one to buy other things. 

Always missed having a nihonto to study, and now once again I have that chance. 

Nothing special and apologies for my horrible pictures, but just wanted to share my excitement with you guys.  

Okan gave me the kantei-assignment to determine what school this sword is, so I have something to study the coming period. 

 

Jan-Wouter

 

[Michaelr]

Very nice. Congratulations. Thank you for sharing   

  MikeR

[Alex A]

Sure is Kanbun, 

 

Folk talk about Kanbun sugata a lot but to be honest it feels like i hardly see them.

 

Let us know what you come up with and why,

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

[WellsFargo]

Thanks guys!

I will definitely let you know what I come up with. 

(at the moment, the more I read, the more I doubt my first thoughts... hahahaha)

[Okan]

[WellsFargo]

Hi guys, 

 

Please find below the feeble start of my kantei process. 

Please correct me and tell me I'm wrong whenever you can, but please do not give 'the answers'. 

It will then just be up to me to study more. 

 

What I have so far: 

Possibly Kanbun shinto katana

Mumei

Iori mune

Chu kissaki 

Nagasa: 60,5 cm

sori: very slight saki zori (I still need to measure)

Kasane: 63 mm

Motohaba: 29 mm

Sakihaba: 20,5 mm

Moto kasane: 6,4 mm

Saki kasane: 4,1 mm

Hamon: Gunome midare  koshi-no-hiraita?

Hada: ko-kitame? 

Sugata: shinogi zukuri

Nakago: ubu kurigiri

yasurime: kattesagari

 

What I have been able to find is that blades with this sugata and a gunome midare hamon which started with a straight line from before / under the hamachi and then gently progressed into gunome midare (or do I see koshi-no-hiraita as well?) 

were made in Echizen.  It is very difficult to see hada, but if I'm not fooling myself, I might se a tight ko-itame? I do not know if this fits with Echizen. 

the slightly stretched chu kissaki is also 'typical' for Kanbun era but again I have not been able to determine if this was done in Echizen as well. 

 

I will study more and let you guys know. 

 

 

 

[francois2605]

1 hour ago, WellsFargo said:

hamon which started with a straight line from before / under the hamachi and then gently progressed into gunome midare

 

My 2 cents: the technical term for this is yakidashi.

 

From Markus Sesko's Encyclopedia of Japanese Swords.

 

Quote

yakidashi (焼出し) – The beginning of a hamon around the ha-machi. At unshortened blades, the hamon usually runs a little bit into the tang. There are different interpretations of this starting of the hamon and we basically distinguish between the following forms: sugu- yakidashi (直刃焼出し), straight start which turns after a more or less short distance into the “actual” hamon; Ōsaka-yakidashi (大坂焼出し), also starts straight or as gentle notare but the yakiba widens smoothly to turn into the “actual” hamon; Kyō-yakidashi (京焼出し), the yakiba starts in suguha but turns then rather abruptly into the “actual” hamon; Mino-yakidashi (美濃焼出し), the yakiba starts with a koshi-ba; Satsuma-yakidashi (薩摩焼出し), term to refers to Satsuma-shintō blades where the hamon starts like at most kotō blades right away as midareba.

 

[WellsFargo]

Thanks Francois!

[Alex A]

Well done Jan.

 

How would you describe the crystal formations?, Nioi, with a touch of Nie maybe ?

 

Hamon looks to go quite near to the ridge line, perhaps a clue.

 

Also, my eyes not great with images but do you see any masame hada in the Shinogi-ji ?

 

 

[WellsFargo]

Thanks Alex!

- yes, very wide hamon for sure!

- Tonight I will sit in the dark in the living room with a flashlight in my hand, checking the shinogi-ji for masame hada and to see if I can discern any Nioi or Nie... 

 

[francois2605]

BTW I forgot to mention that there is link to a template of kantei sheet in the "Nihonto Info" menu on the forum, this should guide you in the process.

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/articles/Kantei_Sheet.pdf

[WellsFargo]

Yes, I saw it and already in use!