Remember this blade? Thought was Mino/Kanemoto but could be earlier?

[Blazeaglory]

I wanted to post this again with better pics and more info. Please critique away as I feel my attempt at Kantei could be wrong on certain areas. I also wanted to know if this could be earlier than Muromachi or possibly Naoe Shizu or Ichimonji? Not saying it is, just being hopeful. Blade is tired in some areas from polishing but other than that, it's good.

 

Nagasa: Approx. 18.5"

Nakago: Approx. 4"

Mihaba: Approx. 1"

Sori: Approx. .2" (.6cm)

 

 

At first it looks like "Sanbon-sugi" but the more I look at it, the more I see a Gunome/Ko-Gunome with some Ko-Midare or areas of Suguha. There are no uniform points or "3 cedar". It's very uneven.

 

The Utsuri is amazing and cannot be captured with the camera. With the naked eye, the hamon appears totally Gunome/Ko-gunome (without pointed tops) but under the right lighting, the tops become more pointed, with foggy, almost ghost like tops that disappear when the sword is moved(Nie Kuzure maybe?). Up close you can find many other things as well as Sunagashi and nie all along the Ha.

 

The jihada appears to be a rough O-mokume with masame along the ha and at the very top close to the mune. The Mokume is in the Hiraji, on the Shinogi line and somewhat into the Shinogi-ji. It only stops for a few MM close to the mune and ha, where the masame(sunagashi along ha) takes over.

 

I'm sure you've all seen the Chu-Kissaki with the crazy Hakikake "swirl".

 

The nakago is Kiri with kiri yasurime. No Mei. Looks to be O-suriage

 

Mune is Iori.

 

So at first this looks to be a typical Mino "Sanbon-sugi but looking closer, all kinds of things start jumping out. The steel/iron has a blue/light blue look to it with billions of sparkling microscopic aspect in the steel. The Shinogiji is mirror burnished but appears black as night in certain light..

 

Anyways, hope to actually get some feedback and opinions. Im pretty enthralled by this blade!

[Ray Singer]

This does look like a nice example of Muromachi Mino to my eyes. I would not go in the direction of Ichimonji (or anything from Bizen).

[Blazeaglory]

This does look like a nice example of Muromachi Mino to my eyes. I would not go in the direction of Ichimonji (or anything from Bizen).

Thanks Ray! I'm happy with whatever it is.

 

I imagine this blade fresh from the forge, it must have been magnificent. Honestly I can't relay how sharp it is. Nothing compares to it (I can say razor but this blade makes a razor look dull)

[Gakusee]

Mino and what is being described is the effect of nie scintillating on the blade.

[Blazeaglory]

Mino and what is being described is the effect of nie scintillating on the blade.

Interesting, thanks!

 

For reference, you can see it in pic #5 and last few pics. Without flash, or at a different angle, the "shadow" on the top right, is what I'm talking about. Otherwise it's invisible

 

One of the pics towards the end shows it directly on top of a "peak", making it look pointed but when you look at it at a different angle or light, it becomes almost flat, making it appear more Gunome

[Blazeaglory]

Just happened to stumble across this Wakizashi and I was taken by how similar it was. It has an almost exact Boshi with the detailed Kaeri/Hakikake/"swirl". Compared to the pictured Waki I just found, I only see slight differences...

 

For instance,in below pic of newly found blade, the "3 Cedar" pattern Hamon (Sanbon sugi/Toga bari), with middle peak tallest looks to be basic and in its beginning faze. My Wakizashi hamon has yet to form any kind of uniformity, even in the slightest. The Jihada of pictured Waki looks same as mine with slight difference. My Waki has less Masame in the Shinogi-ji, it only appears close to along bottom of Mune. Also, the Jihada on the Hira-ji in sword pictured has less instances of Mokume-hada, which are lower on sword as well. Mine has a pretty cool, almost uniform JIhada, with the O-Mokume spaced almost evenly along the Shinogi (higher up on blade compared to pictured), but it could possibly be Shikakke hada as well.  But other than that, the color of steel, color of Nakago with same Yasurime, same awesome Boshi, similar Hamon, similar Jihada, etc...

 

So, Im not saying this is the smith, but I see allot of similarities. Considering the lack of uniform Hamon in my Wakizashi, I would think my Waki was either an earlier smith or earlier work of pictured smith or trained by someone or worked close with them. Either way, I thought the comparisons would be kind of cool to chat about and add to the information of early/mid Mino Den.

 

Without cheating, can anyone guess the below pictured smith? Hes not too famous but from a well known period and group of well known smiths

[Tom Darling]

Just guessing "Shizu"

 

 

Tom D..

[Blazeaglory]

Just guessing "Shizu"

 

 

Tom D..

 

 

Close but a bit too early. I'll give a hint, it is one of the "KANE----" Not MOTO either

[Surfson]

The tang has been refiled when the blade was shortened, so the classic koto Mino crosshatch yasurime has been lost.  The hamon isn't exactly sanbonsugi, but is close, and Mino is a good call to me.

[Blazeaglory]

MINO for sure. Pictured is SEKI KANEHARU, early 1500s

 

Definitely SHIZU influenced

[Tom Darling]

Shizu Kaneuji Ha   (Mino)

 

 

 

Tom D.

[Peter Bleed]

I had a blade that was similar to this sword - gonome hamon with running straight itame hada verging to masame. It got Tokubetsu Hozon to Bizen Kozori....I was surprised, if not disappointed

Peter

[Blazeaglory]

Shizu Kaneuji Ha (Mino)

 

 

 

Tom D.

Totally. It looks like early Mino was heavily influenced by Kaneuji. These blades pictured are very close.

 

I would love if my blade was papered to Naoe Shizu but I'm happy with early/mid Mino. The Hamon is just too "non uniform" for later Muromachi. Who would have Mokume hada lined on the Shinogi, with not much masame at all, other than very close to mune and down towards Ha becoming sunagashi? On most average Mino blades,

I've only seen Mokume under the Shinogi with the Shinogi-ji full of masame. No Sunagashi either. Also the color isn't as light blue in later Mino.