More questions than answers.

[xxlotus8xx]

So the ongoing study of my blade is of course presenting more questions than answers.

Based on my study of the blade measurements and blade qualities it seems to fall in the Koto-Bizen make. But being that I have been told that the Mei is impossible to be actual the one thing I can not find is another Gimei of "Sagami (no)Kuni Yukimitsu". Can someone provide an example of this?

I have added a dimensions diagram of the blade. I know it is not accurate down to the millimeter but pretty damn close.

[cabowen]

What will a gimei of Sagami no Kuni Yukimitsu tell you???

 

Dimensions aren't the whole story- I would be concerned with the hada and hamon.....

[xxlotus8xx]

What will a gimei of Sagami no Kuni Yukimitsu tell you???

 

Dimensions aren't the whole story- I would be concerned with the hada and hamon.....

 

That it exists on another wakizashi. The only other Mei's I have been able to find that are signed Yukimitsu are by his...umm..retainers?

[cabowen]

That someone else made a gimei Yukimitsu wakizashi? I still don't quite understand how another gimei blade tells you anything about your sword...???

[xxlotus8xx]

That someone else made a gimei Yukimitsu wakizashi? I still don't quite understand how another gimei blade tells you anything about your sword...???

So I was unable to find another gimei wakizashi by Yukimitsu. And in the course of my study I would like to compare the blade to a lot of different things. The fact that I was unable to find this I thought was interesting and the only thing I was able to find were tangs that were signed his mei by his understudies. I'm sorry, but I don't understand you not understanding..

[Grey Doffin]

Ray,

No one bothers to take pictures of and post or catalog or publish gimei, except for one exception: Katana no Gimei by Inutsuka & Fukunaga. Unfortunately for you, Yukimitsu isn't included in this book.

There is no standard gimei of Yukimitsu. Hundreds of smiths, polishers, dealers, whatever, have signed that name to a nakago in the last 700 years, hoping to fool the unsuspecting. Finding another gimei with which to compare yours will gain you nothing.

Grey

[xxlotus8xx]

OK. Maybe I worded this wrong. How about another Wakizashi with Yukimitsu mei? Perhaps not THE Sagami Provence Yukimitsu but one of his understudies.

[cabowen]

Ray,

Finding another gimei with which to compare yours will gain you nothing.

Grey

 

Thank you Grey....

[reinhard]

So I was unable to find another gimei wakizashi by Yukimitsu.

 

Since there was only one YUKIMITSU in Sagami, THE YUKIMTSU, who worked around late Kamakura period and made no wakizashi at all, for they had not been invented yet, this should not come as a complete surprise to you.

 

The fact that I was unable to find this I thought was interesting and the only thing I was able to find were tangs that were signed his mei by his understudies. I'm sorry, but I don't understand you not understanding..

 

Because of the afore-mentioned reasons this is not really interesting but showing that even most fakers have a minimal knowledge when it comes to big names. BTW Some genuine mei by YUKIMITSU did survive on tanto. Unfortunately none on tachi though.

 

In short terms: You're looking for a faker as stupid as the guy who carved the mei on your sword. This doesn't make sense to me either.

 

reinhard

[xxlotus8xx]

Well gentleman. A simple "yes" "no" or "I don't know" would have been OK. The question presented and if it is significant to my blade should not matter. It was only a question with the "why I was asking" that I added for backgroud purposes. I was curious so I asked. The usual reply is along the lines of at least a friendly "you don't know WTF you are talking about noob".

Really, it's OK to not know everything...

[cabowen]

OK. Maybe I worded this wrong. How about another Wakizashi with Yukimitsu mei? Perhaps not THE Sagami Provence Yukimitsu but one of his understudies.

 

 

While the above post should clarify this particular situation, in general,

while there is no doubt that the daimei practice occurred, it is very rare for there to be info that identifies known "understudies" signing the master's name (daimei), especially when looking at koto smiths. In Shinto, there are a few, like Oya Kunisada and Shinkai, but it is still rare to know the characteristics that define these daimei works such that they are attributable to particular students and not just called gimei.

 

Fair or not, without these "known" traits, almost without fail all such signatures are judged to be gimei.....

[xxlotus8xx]

Reinhard. Thank you for at least the reasoning. That I appreciate and somewhat answers my question. And if it makes me look stupid perhaps you looked stupid once to somebody when you started studying. But I have heard many times there is no such thing as a stupid question. And I will probably ask more stupid questions.

[xxlotus8xx]

And thank you Chris. Again it's the explanation and reasoning that helps me understand.

[cabowen]

But I have heard many times there is no such thing as a stupid question.

 

I think you heard correctly. No offense meant....just trying to keep you from chasing your tail......

[reinhard]

Reinhard. perhaps you looked stupid once to somebody when you started studying.

 

No doubt about that.

 

reinhard