New (to me) Katana: Musashi no Kami Fujiwara Kanenaka (武蔵守藤原兼中)

[waljamada]

I recently purchased this blade I believe to be signed Musashi no Kami Fujiwara Kanenaka (武蔵守藤原兼中).  Its not condition free but was the first blade I found in the wild in my home state. 

 

Blade has a 27" nagasa and was shortened with 2 mekugi ana.  Was told it was brought back by a soldier, used to be coated in cosmoline and came in a shirasaya that is split with sayagaki.  Has a gold foil cat scratch habaki and overall in decent old polish. 

 

Biggest issue is the kissaki where some rust formed from the old shirasaya debris and a small bit broken off the tip.  Got it for a worth while price for its condition in my opinion.

 

Have seen some blades of his get Toku Hozon and I believe rated 2.5 million yen so hopefully this blade is not gimei.  Any thoughts on the mei or any aspects of the blade?

 

Ill post a video and pictures below of the blade and here is a description of the smith:

 

Link to the Video I took of the blade:

 

https://youtu.be/Olg...?si=zEtgcF8is8Fz81DL

 

This blade was signed by Musashi no Kami Fujiwara Kanenaka(武蔵守藤原兼中) during the early Edo period. There is also an inscription on the backside of the tang, saying that it was made in Echizen province(today’s Fukui prefecture).

 

 It is said that Kanenaka was a descendant of Magoroku Kanemoto, one of the most famous swordsmiths in Mino province(today’s Gifu prefecture). He was born in the 8th year of the Keicho era(1603) and lived until the Tenwa era(1681-1684).

 

He originally started his career in Mino province. He forged swords in Echizen province(today’s Fukui prefecture) during the Eiroku era(1658-1670). There was also a record of him forging swords in Edo city. Since this was forged in Echizen, we assume it was created about 340-370 years ago.

 

Echizen Province was prosperous during the Edo period, being ruled by the Echizen Matsudaira clan, a direct retainer of Tokugawa clan who ruled the Edo government.

 

Many skilled swordsmiths moved to Echizen from different regions because of high demand among Samurai who lived there.

 

Among them, there were many renowned swordsmiths who were originally from the Mino province(Gifu prefecture), such as Kanenaka. They are called Echizen Seki swordsmiths.

 

 Musashi no Kami was an honorable title that was only given to highly-skilled swordsmiths back then. We believe Kanenaka’s artistry was excellent enough to be recognized back then. 

 

 

[waljamada]

Some papered examples of his mei: 

[French nihonto]

The signature seems correct to me. But that's not the only thing you have to look at to know if the Mei is good or not, you have to look at the blade as a whole and see if the work is consistent with other examples from the smith. 
It's a beautiful sword. How do you currently store it? 

[waljamada]

7 hours ago, French nihonto said:

you have to look at the blade as a whole and see if the work is consistent with other examples from the smith. 
How do you currently store it? 

 

 

I will say the smith seemed, from the few examples online, to prefer a sanbonsugi/gunome-esque hamons but seemed to also dabble with a variety of other hamon styles. There are some with a slight choji/midare flair but I haven't found a duplicate of this blade's hamon by the smith.  I'm still early in my research.

 

To me the shape and what its original length appears would fit into his "typical" style/lengths from the available photos/blades I could find online.  

 

I read this smith was very active during his 80 year life but I still wasnt able to find that many examples online.

 

For now I am doing what the previous owner did and keeping it well oiled as a bare blade inside a glass display cabinet until I send it to have a new shirasaya made.  The split shirasaya could also still work in an emergency.  Tempted to reglue it back together but I'm not knowledgeable enough or have the proper rice glue to do it at this time so I will leave all as-is.

[waljamada]

Just discovered this smith's blades are considered wazamono.  Kinda cool to go through this list of smiths:

 

https://en.m.wikiped...iki/List_of_Wazamono

[Alex A]

Making rice glue is easy, vid on youtube.  https://www.youtube..../watch?v=8qtb6KeJ0jY

 

Just repaired a split saya myself, pretty straight forward.

 

[Mark S.]

If you don’t want to mess with glue yet, here is some EXCELLENT and VERY SAFE advice posted by Grey Doffin about using paper bands to hold shirasaya together:

 

”Try this technique. Cut strips of paper about 1" wide and long enough to wrap 1 1/2 times around the scabbard. Wrap one around the scabbard about a foot below its top. Tightly wrap the paper strip with masking tape. Place the scabbard top down on a table and force the paper/tape downward towards the table. The scabbard is small diameter at the bottom and largest at the top. As you force the paper/tape towards the top of the scabbard it gets very tight and locks to 2 pieces of woodtogether. It may take a try or 2 to get the paper/tape where you want it but You'll get it right. Do the same 2 or 3 times further down the scabbard and you're set. When the time comes to have the scabbard properly glued the paper/tape can be slid back down and no tape residue will be left on the wood. Do the same with the handle, which is smallest at the top and largest where it meets the scabbard.”

 

You can also always make a paper shirasaya and there is a video on YouTube about how to make.  If you can’t find it, let me know and I will try to help.  On vacation in Cabo Mexico so all this advice is under the influence of tequila , but I will do my best to help when I can.  Just hope you will understand it may take some time to respond. 

 

 

[Mark S.]

Here is paper shirasaya video… and his advice can be trusted to be top notch…

 

 

[waljamada]

Alex and Mark,

 

So I did go and buy rice glue online and when I work up the courage and do a bit more study I'll go ahead with the gluing it back together.  I am a detailed guy, good artistic skills and just precise enough to actually do a good job.  Just have to make sure I have a firm grasp on the task and some safe clamps.  Plus rice glue is pretty easily reversible which makes me feel better about it.  I'm also going to go the re-glue route  because other than the glue failing the shirasaya looks in great shape.

 

The inside of the shirasaya does look like it's been cleaned out but any advice for doing anything to the inside before I reglue it?  Not sure if to sand it down a bit but then worry about it leaving micro debris...or if there's a better something or other I should do instead.

 

I used that video to make a paper shirasaya for some blades I took to the Chicago Sword Show for shinsa.  Got pretty good at it.  I cant help but think that paper storage style long term wouldn't be good.  I just see the paper absorbing all the oils and just causing trouble.  Don't trust it.

 

I think the bare blade storage/display style I am doing now is safe until i get a new shirasaya made and it's behind glass.  I keep it extra well oiled which seems the right thing.

 

Also Mark, drink up and enjoy!

[Alex A]

For clamping the saya together, i just wrapped some elasticated string around it, got it from work. It worked ok, left it for 4 days before i put the sword back in it.

 

Seen woodwork guys using clamps that you operate with one hand, would have been ideal but don't have any yet.

[Brian]

Don't sand down the inside. If you want to clean it, get a small blade and scrape it rather lightly. And wipe off any debris. I guess even a damp cloth would work.
Just nothing that has any particles that can remain and scratch the blade.

[Jhawthorn]

I had a wakazashi by the same smith. It too had Echizen ju on the ura side. It is in perfect polish, if you are looking to make a daisho, I believe Ed Marshall has it now.

[Baba Yaga]

I've never seen a newspaper saya, however I've seen Japanese newspaper INSIDE Saya. 

[waljamada]

1 hour ago, Baba Yaga said:

I've never seen a newspaper saya, however I've seen Japanese newspaper INSIDE Saya. 

 

It's a great way to make something for short transport or when taking a blade to shinsa as (at least the one time i did it in Chicago) they ask you to bring the bare blade.  A temporary solution for a temporary need for those shirasaya-less blades out there.

 

Also for those who have shared some shirasaya reglue knowledge I have now cleaned the old shirasaya just using warm water to remove all the old rice glue and after I let it fully dry over the next few days I will reglue it.  Purchased some padded clamps and rice glue.  I have noticed through that there will be a small gap at the top of the shirasaya since it looks like a sliver of wood was broken off at some point.  Not quite sure what to do with that...perhaps just tape over the gap in a way that the sticky side of the tape doesn't actually touch the shirasaya itself or just leave the small gap and store it all in a katana bag.