O-Kogatana

[PhoenixDude]

hey all, I recently purcahsed a O-Kogatana (pardon the misnomer), and i cant find much information about them, besides the fact they were an uncommon accessory. Does anyone have any more insight onto the subject of these?

[John A Stuart]

I have one I bought from Curran a while ago. Here, http://www.johnstuart.biz/new_page_15.htm     John

[SwordGuyJoe]

Here is a corrected link: http://www.johnstuart.biz/new_page_15.htm

 

So what exactly makes an O-kogatana? My new addition of another Shigemasa Kogatana arrived today. When I pulled out the first one I bought, the new one looked HUGE! One problem I've always had is that I cannot visualize size and shapes. Technically speaking I have HORRIBLE spacial awareness. So when I saw that the new one is over 22 cm, it didn't register as large or small. But like I said, when I looked at it against the first one, which measures at nearly 16 cm, it just dwarfs the 16 cm kogatana.

 

It's actually has a longer nagasa than a mamorigatan tanto I have by Miyaguchi Ikkansai Toshihiro.

[John A Stuart]

I don't believe O-kogatana and their attendant Kozuka were ever part of koshirae. They were stand alone knives. John

[Henry Wilson]

From Tosogu no Kigen

 

 

Posted from iPhone so they might need resetting.

[Bazza]

I don't believe O-kogatana and their attendant Kozuka were ever part of koshirae. They were stand alone knives. John

Long ago a friend had a tanto (maybe it was a kowakizashi) with an O-kogatana and O-kozuka in the saya.  It was a long time ago but somewhere around I still have oshigata and photographs.  So John, there is at least one found in a koshirae.  The blade was very unusual with a snake horimono.  The nakago was extensively signed.  I'll post it when I next stumble across the info I've got...

 

BaZZa.

[Curran]

There was a display in Tampa Sword Show of O-kogatana kozuka.

Having seen about a dozen exceptionally fine examples, I am inclined to believe they were mounted somehow.

 

There was an early Goto one that I wondered if it was Juyo or not. It was that exceptional.

I was not expecting the level of workmanship seen in many of them.

It made me wonder at what level of social heirarchy they would be associated. Definitely up a notch or two from any previous notion.

[PhoenixDude]

It came in today! Many thanks to Danny Massey, Its huge! Tanto size even!

[SwordGuyJoe]

Nice!

[Stephen]

Nice pick up Jay

[John A Stuart]

OK, it would be great to see one mounted. I had always thought of them as stand alone presentation pieces, gifts. I have one made by Tsunehiro that has such a beautiful Saya/ Koshirae that it would be a shame to mount it at all. john