Shugyosha

Hi Dave, I think Neil summed it up pretty neatly. A couple of other observations: it looks like the kissaki has had quite a bit of reworking as it seems that the boshi runs very close to the edge and there is no turn back. Also, I think I can see yakidashi which, if I'm correct would put the sword into the shinto period but, as Neil pointed out, it's difficult to see the true crystaline structure of the nioi guchi in the photographs and it's necessary to differentiate between this what has been put there by the polisher. Best, John

Yes - that one could be my one sword collection. Absolutely gorgeous.

Hi Sylvain, No, it's a description of the tsuba: 撫角形 Nade Kaku Gata elongated square shape 鉄槌目地 Tetsu tsuchime Ji hammered iron ground 刻印打込 Kizamu Jirushi uchi komu including cut, hammered, stamp 打返耳 Uchi kaeshi mimi hammered back rim. Best regards, John

Hi Ben, Looks like an interesting pick up. The patina on the tang does suggest a koto blade to me. Is there a second mekugi ana near the nakago jiri that has been filled in? I can't make my mind up as to whether it is just a blemish on the tang but it does seem to have a corresponding one on the other side. If so, then that might give an indication of the original length of the blade and a clue as to whether your uchigatana description holds up, however, another element that might be of interest is the blade's curvature. I may be imagining some koshizori but that might be due to the osuriage having altered it's appearance or due to my wall eye. Koshizori would point towards a tachi rather than an uchigatana I feel but I could easily have that bit wrong. Anyhow, far more interesting than the average bringback blade and I'm sure you'll get some more informed comments than mine shortly. Kind regards, John

Hi Charlie, IJA fittings but an old blade methinks: 越州敦賀下総守宗吉 Esshu Tsuruga Shimosa Kami MuneYoshi. Luckily there is only one smith awarded the Shimosa Kami title and this is him: MUNEYOSHI (宗吉), 1st gen., Keichō (慶長, 1596-1615), Echizen – “Echizen Tsuruga-jū Shimōsa no Kami Fujiwara Muneyoshi tsukuru” (越前敦賀住下総守藤原宗吉造), “Echizen no Kuni Tsuruga-jū Shimōsa no Kami Fujiwara Ason Muneyoshi” (越前国敦賀住下総守藤原朝臣宗吉), dense mokume, suguha, gunome-midare, wazamono, chūjō-saku Best, John

Fuller and Gregory says that the "Tan" or "Kitau" (forged) stamp was used on sword blades probably to indicate a hand-forged blade. Based on Bruce's reading and going from right to left and top to bottom I got Shiyu Yamamasa or an alternative for Yamamasa would be Sansei (Sanzei) but got no hits on Google using these names in the context of military dirks. Best, John

Hi Marius, The signature is: 志津三郎兼氏 Shizu saburo kane uji. Mmmm...probably not by this well-known Mino swordsmith working in the 1330s, but it's not unusual for kogatana to have the signature of someone who didn't make them. Best, John

I think Uwe is right with this. The problem is that (I believe) the kanji are in seal script so not easy to tie back to the normal kaisho script. I think bottom left may be 止 but I can't do much more than this. To be honest, I'm not even sure which way up it should go.

Hi Gasam, There's one on Aoi Art: http://www.aoijapan.com/wakizashi-mumei-there-is-a-signaturebishu-osafune-sukesada-on-the-blade And there's another wakizashi with unusual sugata on Nihontocraft: http://www.nihontocraft.com/Yoshitake_Katakiriba.htm Best, John

The mei is Echizen Kami Naomasa. It's dated but I can't make out the nengo era. The trident- like horimino is a vajra - a lightening bolt wielded by the god Indra. I've not seen the wave shape added on before. I've no idea if the mei is good - sorry. Best, John

Brian, Just so I'm clear, what is the rule where something is wrongly described? Are we allowed to correct an error? Best, John

Hi Oli, That's definitely a keeper: with a hole in it that big you'll be stuck with it. Please take the advice offered there are far better swords available for only a little more money (and sometimes for less!). Keep an eye on the sales section on NMB or even put a request in the wanted section setting out what you are looking for. You'll do far better. Best, John

Hi Rob, Truthfully, I don't have an answer as I suspect there were a variety of factors at play. A book that you might find interesting is Japanese spears: Polearms and their use in old Japan by Roald Knutsen. Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Spears-Polearms-Their-Japan/dp/1901903567 Best, John

Hi Bruce, Something to get you going. On the first sheet, first column: 品目 Hinmoku Item 造兵刀 Army sword Production (not sure of this translation) 現代鍛錬刀 Gendai tanren gatana Modern training sword 九五式軍刀 Type 95 gunto 三五年式銃剣 1935 model rifle bayonet 九九式小銃 99 model short rifle 一00式機関短銃 100 model sub machine gun 八九式????筒 89 model grenade launcher 九九式??関銃 99 model light machine gun Along the top, I can't get anything for the first two columns but after that it's a list of months from April to March with 計,Kei = Total in the final column. There are some kanji I can't get and some that Google supplied. If anyone spots any errors, I'm happy for them to be corrected. Kind regards, John

Wow - custom order blade too - usually the smith's best work. Experiencing sword envy right now...

Hi Ben, Chikuzen Ju Minamoto Nobu Kuni... The last two kanji I'm struggling with. The penultimate one I think is kichi - 吉 - lucky but I'm lost on the final one. Hope that gets you going. Best, John

Hi Darius, Are you happy that this is a Japanese blade? I hope I'm wrong, but the chippy and poorly inscribed signature, that the machi are uneven and the overall quality of the work on the tang tend to suggest a Chinese copy to me. I can't make anything sensible out of the signature Mune? saku. Again some randomly chosen kanji is a bit of a pointer towards a Chinese fake but that might be me and someone else might be able to make something out of it. I've no idea what that random carving above might be - it doesn't look like a kanji to me. Best, John

Sir, Very real and very nice. The signature reads 源宗明 - Minamoto Muneaki (second photograph). The first photograph contains the date the sword was made and another inscription that I can't quite make out because of the size of my screen and the lighting on the pic - if no one else can help you might want to re-post a larger photo. The smith might be this guy - he's the only Muneaki using the "Minamoto" in his signature in Markus Sesko's Swordsmiths of Japan: MUNEAKI (宗明), Bunkyū (文久, 1861-1864), Ōshū – “Kubota Muneaki” (久保田宗明), “Minamoto Muneaki” (源宗明), “Ichinoseki-shi Minamoto Muneaki” (一関士源宗明), “Rikuchū Ichinoseki-jū Kubota Muneaki saku” (陸中一関住久保田宗明作), “Rikuchū no Kuni Muneaki” (陸中国宗明), real name Kubota Fumikichi (久保田文吉, the first name can also read Bunkichi), he also bore the first name Mitsumasa (充昌), he was born in the second year of Tenpō (天保, 1831) as oldest son of Kubota Ryōzō (久保田 良蔵) who worked as a gunsmith for the Ichinoseki fief (一関藩) which was ruled by the Tamura family (田村), later Muneaki went to Kyōto and studied there under Koyama Munetsugu (固山宗次), in Ansei four (安政, 1857) he returned to Ichinoseki where he worked both as swordsmith and gunsmith for the fief, he died on the twelfth day of the eighth month Meiji 21 (明治, 1888) at the age of 58, we know blades from the Ansei (安政, 1854-1860) to the Meiji era, dense ko-itame mixed with some masame, the hamon is a gunome-chōji-midare in nioi-deki but can also be tempered in ko-nie-deki, the tip of the tang is a shallow iriyamagata-jiri, the yasurime are sujikai with keshō, he signed also in grass script, chūjō-saku

Cheers Steve! 80)

Sir, Looks like 肥前国忠吉 Hizen Kuni Tadayoshi to me. The second part are the measurements of the blade in the old Japanese units: 七寸 Seven sun, 分 some bu (sorry the number is a bit too cursive for me to read accurately but I can see the kanji for 10 (十) plus another number so something in the teens plus some rin 厘 - again not sure how many. Hope that helps a little. Best, John

What Matt said.

Now that's a pretty thing. I'd much rather own that than the dragon tsuba that went for an arm and a leg, but what do I know.

Hi Bryant, Unfortunately it's not unusual for some dealers to assemble koshirae from items that were not original to the sword and which accounts for the sloppy fit of the tsuba. Likewise the photographs chosen to sell the sword tend to emphasise the good parts rather than reveal factors that might put off a buyer but kitae ware are weird things and can show up differently depending on the light - I've expressed reservations about an issue that really stood out in a photograph only to find it insignifcant when viewed in person. Anyhow, I'm glad you like your new sword and hope that you continue to enjoy your new obsession hobby. Best, John

I think Gunome has nailed it.

Hi Darius, Definitely something Yuki then maybe saku but I'm on my phone so it's not too clear. I don't think it's mori - as in to guard or protect but can't offer anything better right now - can't see the "man on the roof" and there's a floating stroke on the right that doesn't match. Wouldn't argue to hard though...;0)