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This same sword appeared on the forum some months ago;

Well I am tad early with the answer but as I am not sure about my day tomorrow, I think I will post it today. Thanks for everyone participating and I hope it was fun. The sword is indeed now mine and I knew the attribution when getting the sword. I did not care about the attribution at all, I just wanted the sword because of size & shape. NBTHK attributed the sword to 伯耆守信高 Hōki no Kami Nobutaka. I would assume that they see this as 1st gen Nobutaka and possibly a Keichō-Shintō sword from very end of Muromachi to early Edo period. Nobutaka is seen as one of Owari sansaku, one of three Owari masters, so he is well regarded smith. However when such a mumei sword gets attributed to Edo smith it kinda demolishes the value. I have seen few nice mumei swords that I thought were Nanbokuchō swords that got NBTHK papers to Hizen Tadayoshi. I happened to see Owari special exhibition at Nagoya Tōken World last summer, back then I didn't know much about Owari smiths, and to be honest I don't know too much now either. I have found few Edo period wakizashi by Nobutaka smiths that have very wide sugata but so far I have not been able to find a reference long sword with very wide sugata. Most of the katana by Nobutaka smiths I have been able to find are just normal early Edo sugata. This was the sword at Nagoya exhibition, by 3rd Nobutaka: https://www.touken-world.jp/search/13753/ I do admit the hada and bit "featureless" hamon might be actually quite close to work on some of Nobutaka line items I found online and in books. However I think 1st Nobutaka work would be better than on this mumei sword. I personally would think like many did in this thread that this would be late Nanbokuchō to Early Muromachi sword. Naoe Shizu would of course be maybe the most optimistic outcome that I can think of and something like Mino Senjuin I could easily see, however it seems I am way off in time. This sword was sent to NBTHK by a small sword dealer at the end of 2024, and I would believe they were not too happy with the attribution that was given out. You get attribution like Naoe Shizu you are very happy and it is a valuable sword, you get Edo smith attribution and the value sinks really hard. I know this was bit of a curveball as it has been for me too. I think all discussion is welcomed and would be also fun to have some discussion, as unfortunately we cannot view and discuss the items in person.

Hi Sam, Happy New Year! I now have links to presentation on my homepage of my website. Here is the direct link: Tsuba Otaku | Reflections of a Not So Empty Mind. You should be able to click the link on the homepage and the presentation as a PDF should download and viewed using Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader. Please share it with members of the PNW Token Kai. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you.

Tsuba is tea ceremony (Chanoyu) equipment theme. Feather (haboki), iron pronged stand for the tea kettle (go-toku), tea scoop (chashaku), and small ceramic tea container (chaire). I very much like this theme.

I sometimes write in English what I am reading in Japanese. Makes for some rather interesting sentence structures. Like Scogg, I frequently edit my posts later. Some are just better at English while others are better at math.

Steve, this resource is only worth getting if you actually intend to use it. To be blunt, your forum history shows a consistent pattern of ignoring recommended materials and coming back to have the same information spelled out for you. At this point, it comes across less like you’re here to learn and more like you’re here to avoid learning, by outsourcing the effort to others. If that doesn’t change, there’s no reason to believe these books will be any different from the resources you’ve already ignored. I genuinely hope that pattern changes, but only you know your true motivations. -Sam

Japanese Swords and the Making of Japan's First Foreign Swordsmith | Japan Forward interesting dedication under sensei Mukansa Kubo Yoshihira in inland Hiroshima

And here is 300207 I think, a very long time ago, @PNSSHOGUN had asked if a consecutive number had ever been seen. This is the first i've encountered.

Found this one on an auction site. Slightly different in that it's got the bamboo leaf tsuba, but sakura fuchi, and plain kabutogane: It has a 1940 Hidetoshi blade in it.

Thanks to Bruce's help, for the first time I have encountered consecutive serial numbers. These are on wooden handle pattern 6 swords, with the wooden saya that has the metal chape. 300207 ヘ 300208 ヘ Pretty cool to have the surrender paperwork with it too, showing it was taken in Korea in October 1945. Thanks @Bruce Pennington! -Sam

Unfortunately, Pierre Nadeau from Canada could not complete his apprenticeship in Japan. There are a number of inspiring videos by him under Soulsmithing:

From the same site and off this particular topic...but interesting anyways. https://japan-forward.com/how-japanese-sword-making-changed-a-british-mans-life/ @Bugyotsuji Did you know there was a Brit working in the Osafune museum?

Bifu Ju Norisuke Saku. Owari, there were two generations.

I found this one. Katana, 64,2 cm.

I have posted some of them but credit of this file goes to @Wim V as he posted this amazing file few years ago

TSUBA looks to have tea ceremony utensils as theme, NAKAGO looks o.k. in these not so good photos. MENUKI look like the handle shape of early KENUKI GATA TACHI. Please show the blade as well (tip-upwards, without HABAKI)

Fittings seldom have anything to do with the maker, and were so frequently changed over time that any possible connection is usually long gone. It's also much easier to change a tsuba than menuki, so I wouldn't look too hard for a connection.

Being a diagnosed dyslexic myself, makes this stuff pretty challenging. Even keeping word order and spelling straight in English can be rough. I usually reread my posts 5-10 times before I finally catch mistakes that other people notice almost immediately. Sometimes I don't even see those mistakes until I leave and come back with a fresh perspective. It gets even harder when kanji are involved, especially counting strokes. A lot of that comes from just not being familiar with another language, but it still takes a fair amount of effort. I've done it before, but I don’t really like using dyslexia as an excuse, because it’s just part of my everyday life. It’s very common, and most people who have it don’t even know, and those who do, often don't lean on it like an ailment. I literally don't even know what it's like to NOT have dyslexia . As I understand it, there's varying levels severity with dyslexia, so I must have the more common mild version... So it may be the cause for mistakes in spelling here and there, but it's typically no biggie. It makes me a slower and more careful learner, and I think that's a good thing. I even read slowly, which is how I was flagged to then be diagnosed while I was in school. I still have to google MENUKI and MEKUGI half the time, so I don't mix them up -Sam

Shodai Tadayoshi NEVER received the title Omi Daijo. That's 2nd Gen. Shodai Tadahiro received Musashi Daijo. A LOT of Musashi Daijo are dai-mei, but not the early ones.

I think it also depends on the polisher, their workload, and the anticipated amount of rework required. I only used one polisher, but I've never inquired about kissaki reshaping. You could find one, show the picture, and ask for a quote perhaps?

Markus will get back to you. As pointed out it is the holidays and to be honest, I think at times he gets overwhelmed with requests. I had written him prior to the holidays and he wrote me back yesterday saying he had gotten sidetracked twice while meaning to write. For me it is no big deal, I am in no rush. Point he is very dependable and will write you back. Be patient grasshopper. If you want to know more, I would go with Swordsmiths of Japan by Markus Sesko. You can order any of his books on the LULU website. If you want something cheaper, I have a copy of Hawleys (Brown one). It is worn and the corners have been bumped pretty hard, but the pages are intact and I would let it go for $100 plus S/H and any related fees.

Believe it or not it s not a major procedure. I thought the same when I inquired about having one of my sword adjusted and was quoted $300 plus shipping. Im sure it varies case by case but your situation isnt much different than mine

Kissaki has been slightly reshaped. Still a nice sword in a very nice koshirae. The price reflects the condition so you would be getting a fair deal.

This sword has been rubbed with abrasives at sometime. The resulting damage extends to the nakago, partially removing the patina and wearing down the signature, which I believe reads Nio Kiyonage. I know the story of the tachi that cut the chain to the temple door to save a statue from fire, So I can understand how the menuki might compliment this sword. I'm not sure if the tsuba might also be connected in some way? Opinions would be welcome. Thanks.

Hey guys, did I get this one right? Thanks! 1940 Hidetoshi

I met him at the Japan Art Expo last June in Utrecht.

Brian, yes, our paths often cross.

It states that this young man is "the first non-Japanese swordsmith". That was Keith Nobuhira Austin. Keith Nobuhira Austin | NCJSC

@Wim V & @Jussi Ekholm thank you so much for taking the time and passing on this collated data. It is super appreciated and valued.

“尾府住人則亮作”. Like Ed said, only “nin” is to add!

Bruce, thats the man, and he was a key smith in the Seki Amahide workshop. Ido Toshimi Hidetoshi (井戸俊三秀俊) was born in Seki on 14 June, 1915 (Taisho 4). He registered in Seki on 14 July, 1940 (Showa 15) with a group of 3 (S15.07.14) at age 25. His address at the time was Hioshi-cho, Seki-machi. In the 1942 Tosho Banzuke ranking by Kurihara Hikosaburo he is in the 6th seat (Chuge Saku “Ryoko no Joi”) of 7 seats. He is not listed as making swords post-war. See the Amahide paper in NMB Downloads at top of page.

Thanks, Piers. I too am not a fashionista. And I think I did read somewhere the longevity of this type of netsuke was fairly short, having become popular just about the time western clothing with pockets also became popular. John C.

Finding myself reluctant to join this conversation as clothing styles varied greatly not only by class but also by area of Japan. Kimono fashions in Edo for example, were quite different from Kyoto and Osaka. I can imagine someone looking at examples of Netsuke and then trying them on their obi for size, grip, etc., but there must have been some measure of flexibility rather than one rigid rule. Some obi were relatively hard, others soft. As pointed out above, the obi-hasami type of Netsuke may have been somewhat impractical and that could be one reason (beside the ending of the era) that it was not in fashion for long.

Consigned from an old collection Antique blade signed Soshu ju Masahiro. All dragon Shakudo fittings and Echizen Kinai style tsuba with dragon. New scabbard with old fittings. Blade has a small chip but very interesting Soshu style activities, Muromachi period. Please note blade has a small chip. This item is not papered. Price including worldwide shipping is US 1,900.00. Priced to sell.

John, you are of course correct! I did not think of men's OBI, which are definitively narrower. I only know those used in KYUDO which are indeed about 75 mm wide, if I remember correctly.

THIS is Kamakura Senjuin. Masame hada mixed in and a suguha hamon. Two things I really find suspicious: the condition of the tang and the two holes at the bottom seems to be drilled.

Nio Kiyonaga

Jussi has provided this information over the years and it should all be here somewhere on NMB

John, as far as I know, OBI were made by folding in two the fabric coming from the standard loom so that the width of OBI is usually close to one SHAKU. I can take measures later. (To be clear, I don't wear them, I use them for sword bags! )

Yes, I thought of the kenuki-gata tachi tsuka as well. Kenuki (毛抜) means "hair clip/hair tweezers", which is what that shape is meant to represent. https://picryl.com/media/tsuka-of-kenuki-gata-tachi-at-ise-shrine-ef881e https://nihontoart.com/shop/a-museum-one-of-a-kind-kenuki-gata-tachi-by-suishinshi-masatsugu/ https://samurai-jpn.com/kenukigatatachi_en.html

Maybe old news to some of you, but I found it fascinating how the tension spring for this latch was engineered. I put together an infographic to show how it works. The “spring” is a small, hardened piece of metal. There’s no solder, glue, or fastener involved. Instead, it’s precisely sized and held in place by tension and geometry; and can only be removed when the fuchi is separated from the other fittings. It’s no surprise that this piece often goes missing on some examples. Another good reason not to disassemble the Type 95 Gunto. (This is from a loose tsuka and fuchi that came to me without a blade). -Sam

It is possible the next kanji is Tsune. Bishu Osafune Tsune__. Several smiths used this kanji including Tsunehiro and Tsunenao. https://nihontoclub.com/view/smiths/meisearch?type=All&mei_op=contains&mei=備前長船恒

I replied to you on reddit. My comment there is repeated below. Wonderful find. This appears to be a Nanbokucho period or earlier tachi, signed Bishu Osafune __ (the remainder of the inscription is not readable in the photos, however please do not do anything at all to try to improve the visibility of the inscription). There may have been a date on the other side of the nakago, not presently readable. Do not try to remove rust on the nakago (tang), or to clean or polish the blade in any way. It has every indication of being a valuable sword. Best regards, Ray

I'm afraid this is a clear case of a Chinese fake/reproduction. The Japanese never put kanji on a blade in this manner.

Hello Jussi, Rivikin and Klee Thank you very much for your comments and appraisal. Below are some more photos of the Tanto, been described as follows a good 20 years ago: School (Den) Yamato School, maybe Shikkake or Taima. Production period Late Kamakura period, 13th Century. Jitetsu (Jigane) Masame Hada, Chikei in jitetsu Hamon (Temper line) Suguha, Ko-Nie-deki. Kinsuji Sunagashi.

Agreed, not only is the eBook easy to search through, but it's much easier to carry around to sword shows and meetings on a laptop, tablet or eReader than it is to lug around all 3 hard copies!

Hi, I am bothered by this blade and I am not too keen comment, but I will do it to honor Darcy's memory. A newcomer to this hobby will inevitably have his perception shaped by Aoi's offerings, which as one comes to learn, are arbitrage opportunities for blades that do not make it in Japan, with few exceptions. One must learn from great blades first and foremost, and such a sword is an experience that teaches the wrong things. Some context: I find it irresponsible of Shinsa to make a call to "Den Masamune" on such a sword. One could argue that they've hedged it with "Den" - and unfortunately this is a misrepresentation. All Masamune without Kinzogan or Kiwame by the best Hon'ami judges or featured as Meibutsu are "Den" with only very few calls diverging from this pattern historically. Some of the Masamune blades without "Den" are shakier than the ones with Den, and so forth. It is not a simple attribution, and calls for deep contextualization. Then inevitably comes the unorthodox positions that Masamune doesn't exist, that he's unneeded, that this is evidence that his work is not that great, and so on, and so forth. I don't want to go there, I find it silly. Then there is the absurd claim by Aoi that "Choshiki was one of the most respected judges..." - Darcy used to say that an attribution by Choshiki means anything but. Since Tanobe sensei's departure from the Shinsa panel, the NBHTK is more swayed by Choshiki judgements than in the past. If you are really deep into this field, you know that since 2022, it is a good time to target blades with Choshiki attributions for Shinsa. There is only one "Den Masamune" in the Juyo record with a Choshiki attribution, and the setsumei states that this is the work of Shizu. Now, when faced with such a TH blade, there is no context on the attribution, and this absence of context is damaging. This absence of context is why Den Yukimitsu, Den Norishige, or Den Shizu are much safer harbors at TH and have been traditionally preferred before going so far as to calling it Masamune. Back to the blade in question. It is tired and has been extensively repaired. This sword has suffered a tragic accident in the past: it was twisted. Someone repaired it, and by untwisting it created a plethora of shinae, or bend marks. These shinae appear as ware/fukure along the ji. Some of these ugly openings have been filled with umegane. Choshiki calls attention to this fact in his Sayagaki, which has conveniently been left untranslated. While it is true that the extensive jinie of the blade, and the angular chickei and inazuma are characteristics of Masamune, this is all there is to it. And before people bring up "Ogiba" and other arcane Hon'ami things, just don't bother, no, this is not relevant anymore since the mid-20th century and the great cleanup of inflated Edo attribution. The sword is missing Masamune's defining trait: the highest class of nie executed in a nie kuzure that leaves no visible nioiguchi demarcation line. Masamune's nie unfolds in layer to the light, with different nie sizes reflecting light at different angles, leading to a kaleidoscopic effect which can only truly be experienced in hand. Unaffected Yubashiri emerge from the interplay at the hamon, fading in and out of existence when swiveling the blade. The deposits of nie form clouds of diamond dust. The contrast between ji and the ha is the brightest amongst all the Soshu Joko. The hamon is formed out of overlapping clouds of nie. It's unlike anything else. What "Masamune" means We don't have a time machine. At the end of the day, "who made it" remains an open question. While we know that Masamune existed historically (it is proven by pre-edo sources), we can never be sure that a particular hand made a particular swords, especially when the corpus of blades contains such a paucity of signed examples. Are the best works of Yukimitsu, Norishige, and others, likely to be absorbed in the Masamune attribution? Certainly, but this is true elsewhere as well. Within the Masamune attribution group, there is indeed great variety. Some have a distinct Ko-Bizen flair, others are veritable storms of inazuma crossing in and out of the ji with violent angular formations, and the last group are masterworks of such virtuosity that they truly defy understanding and fit absolutely nowhere else in the Soshu corpus due to the quality of their nie. All these blades have in common nie kuzure, unaffected yubashiri, and the feeling that the nie diffuses out into the ji as china ink spreading on paper. Masamune is a snowstorm over the ocean painted in sumi-e ink. Blades that leave you wondering if a human could have made it. Swords that stand in pure defiance to the laws of metallurgy. Masamune means perfection of nie-deki. Best, Hoshi

Picked this Koshirae up recently and thought I'd post to add to this thread. Looks to be one of the civilian sakura tsuba with matching fuchi kashira.

Dear all, I started this juyo and tokuju "pass rate exercise" already a while ago, based on the results published in Token Bijutsu, and you can find my overview in attachment. For Juyo the table is not complete as my collection of Token Bijutsu only goes back to 1968, for some years the results are not listed in the magazine (for example juyo sessions 21 and 22) and I don't have the Zufu books. As some already have mentioned, you can see that until juyo 28 the pass rate was indeed quite high (sometimes over 50%). From juyo 29 on the pass rate seems to be more around 10 - 15%. Wim NBTHK_Juyo_Shinsa.pdf