Asano Kanezane

[The Blacksmith]

I mentioned in another post about a sword that I examined some years ago, which was signed Asano Kanezane.  The blade, at first glance, appeared to be shinto, but when I read the mei, it was in fact dated November 1944! The actual mei was written in cursive kanji, looking like it was hand written , and it would have been difficult to read but for the hot stamp Zane kanji stamped in the end of the nakago.

The hamon as I recall was  notare, and the steel had a very white colour to it.

 

I wondered if anybody has come across such a blade signed by Kanezane in this style before? I had two other swords at the time signed Kanezane, very different in style and quality, though I have read somewhere that some of his students occassionally signed his name on blades, which would partly account for the quality difference. The blade in question above, was an absolute beauty, and I had wondered if it was perhaps originally made as an offering, which again might account for the rather unusual style of the blade at such a late date.

 

Any thoughts would be gratefully received. Unfortunately I do not have pictures of this blade.

[oli]

This one? https://www.Japanese...dex.com/kanezane.htm

[Bruce Pennington]

Out of the 15 I have on file, 2 have a cursive style mei.  Let me know if this is what you are looking for.

 

[The Blacksmith]

Thankyou Oliver, that's him!   One of the blades that I had was a real stunner, and may well have been made by the man himself. The other one, though mounted in a sword with the Sakai mon, was clearly not of the same quality, and was very heavy in comparison.

 

Bruce, similar to the one on the left, but even more cursive. It was actually quite difficult to read until one actually knew what it said, thanks to the Zane stamp.

The shape of the nakago on the two that you show are quite different in shape to mine, or the one in question. A little more tapered than the one on the right, but not as tapered as that on the left, though perhaps, that is the slightly different nagle that it was photographed at that makes it appear more tapered.

 

Thank you gents.

[mecox]

Russ, some background to Asano Kanezane

 

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Do you recall if it had a Sho stamp? It may have been a special order piece and a proper Gendaito. 

[The Blacksmith]

I do not recall either a Sho stamp or a Seki stamp. though it was without doubt a high quality gendaito, presumably made in an earler style for whatever reason. 

Of the two that I owned personally at the time, one as i mentioned was rather heavy and rather uninteresting, but the other which I think I may have pictures of was a beauty. Typical Seki WWII sugata, but with slight sunagashi in places, and several tobiyaki in the jigane, with yakidashi. This blade I think may most likely have been made by Kanezane personally. However, both had the kokuin.