Out of the Blue - New Sword

[Fusilier]

G'day Guys, Like pretty much every other male in my community, I'm in the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS).  We are formed into volunteer crews and we train on Wednesday evenings.  This week as we were sitting in the back of our our truck I was telling my crew about the detective work you blokes had done to help me find out about my Ujinobu made sword.  One of the blokes on the crew said he had a sword in his shed that his grandfather had brought back from the War.  He asked if I could find out anything about it and this arvo, he dropped in and we took some photo's.  I hope you might be able to assist.

[Fusilier]

More Pics

[Shugyosha]

G'day David,

Nice to see you back so soon and bringing more goodies!

 

I think that this one will need sharper eyes than mine but at first blush it looks like it might be another traditionally made blade rather than a standard army sword as I can't see any stamp and it's a proper signature as opposed to the chippy rush job ones on the standard issue blades.

 

I think I can make out the first two characters on the tang "豊後" Bungo which is the province in Japan where the sword was made and I'm assuming that the third character is "住" Juu - meaning a resident of this province but I'm lost after that.

 

Any chance that you could sprinkle the tang with some talcum powder to try to pick out the lines of the characters and post another photograph? Also, if there are any characters on the other side of the tang could you do the same there?

[Fusilier]

Cheers John, What is it I do with the talcum powder, you might just have to give me a quick tewt.  The other side of the tang doesn't appear to have any characters on it.  See picture.

[xiayang]

Wild guess:

 

豊後住藤原實行 = Bungo-jū Fujiwara Saneyuki

 

Compare to this example from the Aoi Art website:

 

[Shugyosha]

Hi David, 

just shake it over the tang so that the powder fills any lines in the characters to make them stand out more clearly. 
 

That said, I think that Xiayang is on the money with his post above. 

[Fusilier]

I'll do that in the morning John and get the photo's back to you.

 

Cheers Jan, Do you know anything about Fujiwara Saneyuki and when he was working?

[cisco-san]

Hello David,

 

here some more information

https://nihontoclub....ei=Fujiwara+Saneyuki

 

regards

Klaus

[Shugyosha]

Hi David, 

The one on the Aoi Art website linked was put at around 1624. That would be the penultimate one on the Nihonto Club index. 

[Fusilier]

Thanks so much John, Klaus and not least Jan, you blokes are the real deal.  I'll pass the info on and let you know what Gary (the owner) says.  He was absolutely convinced the characters were too corroded to make out and that the sword was pretty much worthless given that and the state of the Saya and the Tsuka.  One final question, the leather binding on the Saya, is that original or has someone added it over time?

[mecox]

Sesko listing:  SANEYUKI (真行), Enpō (延宝, 1673-1681), Bungo – “Bungo no Kuni Takada-jū Fujiwara Saneyuki” (豊後高田住 藤原真行), Fujiwara-Takada school. 

[ROKUJURO]

3 hours ago, Fusilier said:

.....One final question, the leather binding on the Saya, is that original or has someone added it over time?

If it was not meant as a kind of "embellishment" (not Japanese style!), it was probably made to prevent the SAYA from falling apart.

[Fusilier]

Cheers Jean

[Fusilier]

On 3/2/2024 at 9:17 AM, mecox said:

Sesko listing:  SANEYUKI (真行), Enpō (延宝, 1673-1681), Bungo – “Bungo no Kuni Takada-jū Fujiwara Saneyuki” (豊後高田住 藤原真行), Fujiwara-Takada school. 

Cheers Mal, amazing info from you and guy's, I'm still sorta amazed at the degree of collective knowledge that you are collectively able to apply to this discipline.  Thank you.

[DTM72]

BTW, I have a papered Saneyuki for you to compare with as well. Mine is the later Saneyuki https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/SAN571

 

Yours could be https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/SAN569 It's hard to tell from the deterioration on the nakago, but the style of the hamon poiints more towards SAN569. My SAN571 has a pretty wild hamon with multiple spots of tobiyaki floating above the hamon. <-- something the Kanbun smiths were doing compared to the earlier Edo smiths before them. Warring period was over, and demand for swords was low, so gotta add some flash to the blades. Especially the Mishina guys and their kikusui and sudare-ba style hamon that came in around 1650's. (Yoshimichi 2nd) and especially Yoshimichi 4th and Kanemichi 2nd in 1670's <--Kanbun & Empo Era.

 

[Fusilier]

Thanks Dan

 

I love the fact that they were having to 'bling' up their output because of there was less demand for their work.