Kanefusa Midare?

[JH Lee]

I'm trying to find representative photo(s) of the "Kanefusa midare" style hamon.  I have seen various photos on-line, with the description that it was a unique style/innovation at the time that distinguished that school.  However, I am having a difficult time understanding the "essence" of the pattern, because there seems to be little consistency (to my untrained eyes) across the photos that I have seen so far.  Thank you in advance for any help in furthering my understanding.

[Jussi Ekholm]

Hopefully these will help. Koto-kantei book states that it's called Kenbô-midare. It's described having roundish yakigashira and narrowing bases. So it would have rounded peaks of hamon. I can PM you few additional pics.

[cabowen]

Also called Kanefusa choji sometimes, or fukuro-choji..Here's an example...

 

 

 

[JH Lee]

Thank you, Chris and Jussi.  I definitely see what you mean in those photos by the rounded peaks.  But I guess I'm not yet seeing how the roundness of those peaks are so distinct that I would be able to recognize it (without the mei) and think to myself "Ah ha!  That must be from such-and-such school/influence."  More study/practice is needed I guess...  Any more photos would be most appreciated.

Also, speaking of this school--  From what I've gathered, there's somewhat of a "gap" in the lineage from the origins... which was then revived/reclaimed by a biological descendant of the family as the 23rd Kanefusa, who was a prolific (and well regarded) Showa smith.  Since then, the line has resumed(?) with the 24th, 25th, and now 26th Kanefusa smiths.

I am wondering how faithfully/accurately was the style and technique transmitted and resumed by the 23rd Kanefusa?

http://www.nipponto.com/Sword/detailkanefusa.html

[cabowen]

23rd Kanefusa and thereafter do not as a matter of course produce work with a hamon in the style of the original Kanefusa.

 

Additionally, the WWII work we see from him is 99.9% oil quenched, non-traditional showa-to.

[Robert Mormile]

John:

I actually see more of a gunome as opposed to midare but the characteristic you are looking for are the bulbous ends of the hamon.  In some examples, they almost look like large drips.  Here is an example that I owned years ago that dated to late koto times that illustrates a typical Kanefusa. 

 

Robert

[JH Lee]

Thank you for those pictures, Robert!  I think I have a much better understanding of what to look for now.   

Chris, would a oil-quenched mill steel showato by the 23rd Kanefusa be of any higher quality or durability than other similarly oil-quenched showato made by less well-known smiths?  How would such a blade compare against, say, a Nagamitsu?  I know that the former is not gendaito/nihonto and therefore of little interest as an object of art (only as militaria)...  Having satisfied my curiosity about Kanefusa/Kenbo-midare, I'm now trying to get a better sense of how to think about relative qualities across blades from this era, and whether even a non-traditional blade by the 23rd Kanefusa would be worth adding to my collection.  From what I've read on Rich Stein's site, he seems to have been pretty accomplished.

And I am still kicking myself for having missed out at the last second on the Nagamitsu you had on eBay....

[cabowen]

While there is variation in quality among showa-to, there are a completely different animal than traditionally made gendai-to. There is really no comparing them...If you are interested in swords for their craftsmanship and hand work, then you may be barking up the wrong tree with showa-to. If, on the other hand, you are interested in history and militaria, then showa-to fit the bill...Kanafusa's showa-to seem to be well made considering what they are...

[Toryu2020]

The key to remembering Kanefusa midare is the rounded heads of the gunome that contain ashi. Like the attached drawing, it is sometimes referred to as Kobushi (clenched fist) midare. fwiw

-t

[JH Lee]

Thomas, thank you so much for that illustration.  It definitely helps a lot.

As always, I'm blown away by the amount of knowledge on this forum!

[drbvac]

The Midare is not quite the same - this blade has been on the board several times as it is 23rd Kanefusa and / lengthy discussion as it sure as hell looks like a traditionally made - water quenched blade 

 

The throw off was the showa stamp and there ensued an even longer discussion on when and where these were used

 

So - FYI here you go

[Jean]

I would have kanteied it to Kanefusa.

 

http://www.iidakoendo.com/info/item/a493.htm