Sword knowledge needed, old period Katana

[smac401]

Evening all,

 

I am posting my family given sword for any knowledge on it. It is unsigned other than the many inscriptions on the Shira Saya, it has a gold foil 2 piece habaki with hi extending from the end of the nakago past the mitsukado. The blade is in old polish and had a bright hamon, mumei, a deep sori and 3 holes in the nakago and the length is 28".

I am working to get the inscriptions translated but have been told that is to old for some of the translators I have spoken to. What I have learned about it is listed above and from a close friend that has way more knowledge than myself. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it. I was going to take it to shinsa but the time came on me to soon to plan it. I still will take it when I can but in the mean time any help would be great. I posted the photos in the links below. Thanks in advance.

 

Steve

 

 

[cabowen]

At a glance, I believe the saya gaki gives an owner's name and address, the length of the blade, an attribution to Soshu Yukimitsu, and a Showa date for the saya gaki with the name of the person attributing the blade (Honami Koson). I am sure someone else will fill in the blanks.

 

The habaki is very nice and was expensive. The jihada looks very good as well...Would be interesting to see what a modern shinsa would conclude...

[nagamaki - Franco]

I am sure someone else will fill in the blanks.

 

Soshu Yukimitsu is a "big name" in the world of nihonto, and unsigned (as well as signed) big name swords are generally accompanied by a great deal of skepticism for good reason as very few genuine pieces are ever found. Meaning that the jury will probably be out on exactly what this sword is until it is authenticated by a shinsa. Here's a link to a Soshu Yukimitsu which has been verified http://www.nihonto.ca/yukimitsu-2/

 

Beyond that, I'm having personal doubts *** as an amateur/student at the moment that the sayagaki was actually written by Honami Koson. From the Yukimitsu linked above

In addition to the above, this sword comes down through time with a variety of old paperwork, including an origami from Honami Koson who was one of the great scholars of the 20th century.

. Again, it will take a shinsa to accurately sort the whole thing out.

 

(edit) *** Well, maybe not so fast .......

 

 

 

Regardless, looks like a good sword, it's just a question of which swordsmith made it. The pattern on the habaki appears to be koke (moss).

[Eric H]

Beyond that, I'm having personal doubts *** as an amateur/student at the moment that the sayagaki was actually written by Honami Koson. From the Yukimitsu linked above

The second Sayagaki is dated 1940

 

Eric

[smac401]

Thank you for your referenceing, I have friend who studies swords look at it and he placed the time of it's making in possibly the Koto period, it is a very elegant sword and feels very natural to hold. I know that my late uncle brought it back with him after the war but Im not sure of its origins before that. I will try to get better photos if I can. I take all comments and knowledge on this blade....

 

Steve M.

[cabowen]

I don't think there is any doubt that it is a koto sword. It looks, at least as far as the pictures can take one, to be a good one. The blade should be well cared for and put through a shinsa as it may well be something quite valuable. There will be a US shinsa next year.

[smac401]

I wanted to go to this one but the timing was off for me and that is a long trip. If you could kindly let me know where the next one is in the US next year, hopefully it will be posted and I will get to it. There is a lot to lean about this sword and I have only just begun to unlock its secrets. I may never be able to read the saya fully but it will make for great history lesson. Please keep the insight coming. Thanks

 

Steve M.

[Eric H]

The blade should be well cared for and put through a shinsa as it may well be something quite valuable. There will be a US shinsa next year.

at any rate :D

additional Sayagaki and shumei.

 

Eric

[smac401]

Morning,

I see the other attachments of the saya, are there any other saya photographs that have the inscriptions that are on the photos I submitted or are they just various information about the possible various owners and possible details of the sword. If so can you post the sites for me. I'm learning a little more each day about it.Thanks...

 

Steve M.

[cabowen]

I wanted to go to this one but the timing was off for me and that is a long trip. If you could kindly let me know where the next one is in the US next year, hopefully it will be posted and I will get to it. There is a lot to lean about this sword and I have only just begun to unlock its secrets. I may never be able to read the saya fully but it will make for great history lesson. Please keep the insight coming. Thanks

 

Steve M.

 

 

The shinsa will be in Minneapolis in early October of 2011. If you can not make it there, we will provide submissions for swords shipped to us. There will be more information available as the details are finalized. This information will surely be posted to this site.

[Stephen]

The shinsa will be in Minneapolis in early October of 2011.

 

Good news, and as before ill be taking swords to shinsa as i did last time. PM next year when time comes near.

[SwordGuyJoe]

The shinsa will be in Minneapolis in early October of 2011.

 

Good news, and as before ill be taking swords to shinsa as i did last time. PM next year when time comes near.

 

Any additional information on this would be great! I am in the Minneapolis area and will most definitely be there (already moving pieces to make room in my collection).

[cabowen]

The shinsa will be in Minneapolis in early October of 2011.

 

Good news, and as before ill be taking swords to shinsa as i did last time. PM next year when time comes near.

 

Any additional information on this would be great! I am in the Minneapolis area and will most definitely be there (already moving pieces to make room in my collection).

 

We are finalizing details currently. When things are set I will make a formal announcement with all the details included....Hope to see you there!

[SwordGuyJoe]

The shinsa will be in Minneapolis in early October of 2011.

 

Good news, and as before ill be taking swords to shinsa as i did last time. PM next year when time comes near.

 

Any additional information on this would be great! I am in the Minneapolis area and will most definitely be there (already moving pieces to make room in my collection).

 

We are finalizing details currently. When things are set I will make a formal announcement with all the details included....Hope to see you there!

 

I don't think you'd be able to keep me away if you tried! Thanks Chris, it will be great to put faces to quite a few names!

[Brian]

Reply button, not quote please guys!

No need to have pages of repeated nested quotations unless they are necessary.

 

Thanks.

Brian

[smac401]

Thank guys for the information I am going to try to make it one way or the other. I was able to finally get a close up photo of the blade which shows some of the grain, the sword is in good polish but not 100 percent for sure, any response is welcome..

 

Steve

 

 

[brannow]

Hi Steve,

 

Nice sword! I would get a sword care kit if I were you and clean and oil the sword. You would be surprised at how much it will brighten up!

[Eric H]

Hereby 3 examples of Soshu Yukihiro‘s hada:

 

The steel is very fine and beautiful with an abundance of ji-nie and chikei. The grain is ko-itame mixed with mokume, which in places becomes o-hada.

and additionally part of a sayagaki by Honami Koson considered not reliable.

 

Eric

[smac401]

Eric,

Thanks for the response I am in the process of taking new photos of the blade to see if I can get a better view of the grain. It is very tight and my camera skills appear to be lacking. It is surely user error. I am also working on some other saya information. I can't rely on it of course and I appreciate the opinions on it. Feel free to investigate it further and let me know.

 

Steve M.

[jason_mazzy]

Awesome to hear Chris. Last time we spoke nothing was set in stone, so i am really excited. I am going to try and come down personally.

[reinhard]

For consideration: The fame of early Soshu masters like MASAMUNE and YUKIMITSU is mainly resting on the particular quality of nie on their blades. It is sheer magic when seeing it in hand and cannot be depicted appropriately by photographs. All attempts have failed so far. In order to get a reasonable judgement on a possible YUKIMITSU blade you either need to compare it with a safe example you have seen yourself or you need an expert who did so. Anything else is just speculation.

BTW Hon'ami Koson is not considered to be a landmark in the field of appreciation of NihonTo anymore.

 

reinhard

[smac401]

I was finally able to get some better pictures of the blade with the grain and hamon visible. The background makes alot of difference obviously. I agree that in order to judge the sword it must be compared with one of it's kind and by someone that has held one before. Having never held one of this nature I can tell you it is a treat. I hope to get it to a shinsa in the near future to set aside any doubt as to it's maker.As to the name Honami Koson not being a landmark in todays Nihonto I can not say. Thank you again for the interest and observations.

 

 

 

Steve M.

[cabowen]

Very nice. Please do get it to a shinsa. We will host one in Minneapolis in Oct., 2011. There will be a service to submit blades for those who are unable to attend. Details will be posted on this board....

[jason_mazzy]

Chris, I know that i personally think this is great and can not wait. I do not want to speak for the board but I am convinced many of us are very happy. Please keep us up to date with as many details as possible, as soon as possible. Would you possibly be bringing any togi's out this way?

[cabowen]

Chris, I know that i personally think this is great and can not wait. I do not want to speak for the board but I am convinced many of us are very happy. Please keep us up to date with as many details as possible, as soon as possible. Would you possibly be bringing any togi's out this way?

 

 

I will certainly post info and updates here as they become available....

 

Not sure yet if I will be bringing over craftsman or not. Most of those I work with are getting old and it is getting harder for them to make the trip....

[Eric H]

These are pictures of a Soshu Yukimitsu Tokubetsu Juyo Token and I advise to enlarge them if possible.

 

Eric

[Jacques D.]

Hi,

 

from the 100 materpieces from the collection of the Doctor Compton.

 

 

[smac401]

Guys these are very nice pictures, I am going to get another review of the sword in the next two weeks or so and make some decisions about it and what I am going to do with it until the Shinsa, Ultimate goal being a new polish from an experience polisher, expensive for sure, and then we will see. If it is a Soshu Yukimitsu, we shall see and if it isn't it is still a beautiful sword that deserves care and a good resting spot for a few more years.

Thanks again for the information

 

Steve M.

[reinhard]

My little Hobbit-friends,

 

You can post a hundred pics more, but in a case like this they won't prove anything. Let's wait and see. Wether it's just a Soshu-style blade or a genuine YUKIMITSU can only be told by a person who did see the more important swords by YUKIMITSU in hand. There are only very few who can. Until then you'll just have to wait.

 

reinhard

[Jacques D.]

Hi,

 

My little Hobbit-friends,

 

You can post a hundred pics more, but in a case like this they won't proof anything. Let's wait and see. Wether it's just a Soshu-style blade or a genuine YUKIMITSU can only be told by a person who did see the more important swords by YUKIMITSU in hand. There are only very few who can. Until then you'll just have to wait.

 

reinhard

 

 

I know that well, but it is always a great pleasure to make you to react.