macan420

Thanks for your remarks on this blade. I will post scans of the papers next week when I recieve them. We will see what the Japanese experts say. What is your overall opinion on this wak..........smith,quality,condition polish ect. It would be interesting to hear. Also what date was test performed can you tell? Hope you are having a nice weekend. best Mike

Thanks Jim for posting those. I just sent you Tadakuni mei as requested. Paper pics soon. Best Mike

Thanks Jim, I sent you all the pics. Also for you that are Facebook members I have some Tadakuni wak pictures posted there.....search for Mike Canaday in Ohio, look under swords in my albums. Hopefully Jim will be able to post some here for us. Best M

Hi Timeewave. I have good pics of blade. Please send me your adress and I will foward them for you to post. I also learned papers will be here early next week too. Best Mike email binheadkiller@aol.com

Heres pics of mounts and Nagahisa inscription. I am trying to take cell phone pics and attach. Best

Hi This wak was sent to Japan for polish and papers. The sword papered shodai Tadakuni Tokubetsu and the fittings Edo era Hozon. The hamon looks perfectly normal on both sides in polish.The sword beat the papers back to the USA, I will try to post the papers when they arrive. I tried to post pics but the images to big, to many pixels. My camera was set at lowest detail. The forging looks awesome........looks like Masahiro or a Tadahiro. text book Hizen hada and hamon. If anyone wants pics I would be glad to foward any requests. Just email me at binheadkiller@aol.com .......Mike. Thanks have a great holiday.

Thanks for interest but Shigetsugu and Sadkatsu sold. Hizen Munetsugu still for sale at Fred Weissbergs. Thanks agai.

Hi Joe, I love Okimasa too. I use to own a Okimasa (it is listed on Fred Weissberg's site, My Ebay add has link to it or google it) I bought it from Ricecracker too. When i had both swords (Shigetsugu and Okimasa) next to each other.....the Shigetsugu overpowered the Okimasa.....no comparision about which one was nicer. I kept the Shigetsugu the longest. The Okimasa in your link is sold already, to short for my taste. It is signed nice though. Great war sword. I am a sucker for nice horimono I guess. My sword could very well be a Okimasa with Shigetsugu horimono, much longer and made at famous forge. That has to count for something. Afterall Shigetsugu was his teacher. I know money is tight.....or I would not be selling. I cannot say anything bad about Okimasa. I will chalk up your point for Nobufusa. Thanks Joe..........you make good points. We all have are opinions.........it is still America. Best Mike Canaday

Hi THis just in from AOI ART Japan for comparision, below is their description and I will try to list the pictures they sent. This sword is for sale by them. Signature: Hokke Saburo Nobufusa The blade was polished. Habaki : Silver foiled single habaki. Blade length : 63.5 cm or 25 inches. Sori : 1.1 cm or 0.43 inches. Mekugi: 1 Width at the hamachi : 2.87 cm or 1.12 inches. Width at the Kissaki : 2.09 cm or 0.82 inches. Kasane : 0.77 cm or 0.30 inches. Era : During war time. Shape : The blade is regular sized healthy nice sword. Jitetsu :Itame hada well grained with jinie attach and visible to see the texture. Hamon : Niedeki gunome midare and kogunome midare mixed. In Hamon, there are many sunagashi and active many kinsuji scatter. Boshi is round shape midairkomi. Special feature :Hokke Saburo Nobufusa is quite well known sword maker as Mukansa. This Nobufusa is first generation and made swords during war time. Generally he made soshu style hamon but this sword is gentle yamato school. Interesting, nice polish. 280,000 yen. Any comments. Best Mike Canaday

Hi Mark, We (the forum at large) have hashed out this daisaku issue (please put Shigetsugu in this sites search window and hit my older topic" Exibited Shigetsugu........"). I do not mean to speak for Chris as well but I know he is implying and fairly certain both swords are most probably forged by students.......daisaku. In my swords case.....I have been told that Shigetsugu did the Fudo most certainly (his students were not capable of this carving).....but it is unknown who did the blade. Althought it is signed that he made the blade and horimono. It is common that although signed by teacher.........it is often a combined effort. Especially in this era. Probably as you know. I pobably did not write my response well, I assumed that you had been aware of previous forum topic. I went back and relized you did not weigh in. Thanks for your input and time. Best Mike C

Thanks Mark and Chris, It is a battle. I know it is hard to judge without blade in hand. My pictures are of the highest quality provided by the people at Sabaku Samurai. The owner of Nobufusa states that the link pictures on the site do not do his sword justice. Shigetsugu had some of the best students. Okimasa as you know is rated higher than his teacher. I do not know who was running around Nobufusa's shop at the time? They are both nice swords......his signature on his sword is right out of the book. Do you really think it is daisaku? It does not look like WW2 quality......it is much better. I thought my topic wold be a fair question.......of course I am more fond of my sword, but as you stated they have many similarities. Aoi of Japan just listed a Nobufusa for auction.........280,000 yen....if anyones interested. Chris you are a nihontoforum warrior............as always...... thanks again for your input. Best Mike

Hi Folks I am currently selling my Shigetsugu listed on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/330818541718?ss ... 1555.l2649 . I have written about it on this site in another topic listing (put in Shigetsugu and it will come up). Recently the owner of this Nobufusa shown here on Matt Pepin's great site samuriasword.com. at this link http://www.samuraisword.com/nihonto_c/S ... /index.htm emailed me simply asking..........is your sword (Shigetsugu) better than my Nobufusa or about the same? Now I emailed him my reply but asked him if I could post the question here on this forum for debate. He said fine. So for anyone out there.......what is your opinion. Which sword is better, worst equal ect.? Since both smiths worked in the same time period and are rated equal at 2.5 million, it is probably a good debate. One thing is for sure both smiths and swords are great. But what about the details? Any comment? How would you answer the email? Best Mike Canaday

Thanks Chris, Do you still have that Masamitsu for sale.....with the cutting test. It is very nice. I also like your Yasuaki wak. With the Japanese two sword monthly forging limit, everyone is making katana. It is nice to see an ocassional wak by a gendai smith, sticking with tradition. Rare. As far as Sadakatsu I can only remember one wak he made and I think it was his first signed blade in his name and prensented to someone important. Have your ever seen one? Best Mike

Thanks Chris, I really appreciate you taking the time to explain both issues of the polish and the daisaku issues. I am very pleased with the Shigetsugu reguardless of student involvement. It is interesting that a sensi will paper an older sword daisaku in a second, were in this case Shigetsugu never papers that way,when the judges clearly must know these facts. Why? Am I missing something. I know that Sadakatsu made many of his fathers swords in later times but they all paper to Sadakazu.I know they signed the same way and their work is hard to defferentiate. I own a late special order, mounted, papered Sadakatsu made in 41. Is it known if his son forged and signed for him too? Or did Sadakatsu forge to the end? I would like to know. The shirasaya is signed and made by his son. In school I learned always to site my sources..........I would hope people would afford you credit for YOUR words. Teachers would fail you in a second and they had high tech software to identify non original work.....and the program works really good. A sword dealer especially should get your perrmission.....they are making money Again thank you for your help and I have the deepest respect for you as well. Best Mike C

Hi Bruno, I am sure it is in original polish. There is no telling who polished his swords. Who ever the Japanese person that polished it did a great job. I say person because during WW2 era......women did the polishing too. Like at the Yasukuni shrine. The sword looks like it was made yesterday showing all its forging detals. Best Mike

Thanks Ted, I know Clive is a awesome researcher, author, and a Nihonto patran saint. I am a big fan....and just cannot get enough. I know he is dedicated to the facts. Besides the actual swords themselves..........the general class and high quality that surrounds this hobby at the highest level is remarkable in todays unfortunate "burn as you go culture". It is what is so attractive to me. Ron Polansky sold me my first sword......a mint,mounted, Emura (wish I still had it) and I will never forget the pleasant experience. It was sold to me in a kind nurturing way. The deal,sword,and Ron just compelled me to my next piece for study. I have been on the path ever since. Since then I have been fortunate to deal wih people like Bob Benson, Fred Weissberg, Aoi art, Walter Seton, and Darcy Brockbank ect. Speak to countless others and study Sinclair and Slough ect. I know it is not all roses, but it has been great for me, I have not stepped on any snakes in the grass yet. As you know.......it is a great hobby for many and a life for some. Best Mike

Thanks David, The Shigetsugu daisaku habits gets even more confusing. There is no doubt that both mei styles are papering Shigetsugu. I would like to have been a fly on the wall for the Shigemasa......Sinclair confession. I guess you have to take both of them at there word. Who am I to question. Where is Clive when you need him? Clive If your out there.....weigh in here. I know you have better things to do. I hope you are writing another one of your fastastic books. If Shigemasa was not there at the time (maybe he was,maybe not) who is to say. Just a bunch of unanswered questions.......I guess unless you were hanging around the forge that day, best not to speculate to hard. Let the sword in hand answer for itself. I have not enjoyed typing this much in a while. Best Mike

Hi Again I was comparing this Shigetsugu to my Okimasa. There are similarities and differences. Of course Okimasa could have altered his style as he did many times and he does look like his teacher as you would expect. Could my sword be a Okimasa in sheep clothing? Maybe. I am sticking with what is written on the mei. With a painting the signature is not as important as the overall work. Every brush stroke is a signature. The signature much more easy to fake than the overall work. I guess swords are the same.....yes mei is important, but the sword must be overall consistant. Like I just read someones advice recently (cannot remember who, online on a sword forum about Ebay Sadakatsu) judge the sword for whats above the habaki. Best Mike

Hi Folks, Thanks for all your input. Ted thanks for displaying my sword.....and for all you do in the study of Nihonto and the eduction of rookie collectors like me. Like Chris. Chris Bowen yes till lately it was assumed and I am quoting Clive Sinclair " In about 1938 or 1939, Shigetsugu suffered an illness which left him partially paralyzed and from this time on he concentrated on carving horimono and mei only.Many swords with his signature are signed in a running Sosho style calligraphy rather than the kaisho or block style of this sword (Hitler Sword-me).According to Ikkansai Tokehama Shigehisa, the modern day representative of the school,swords signed in Sosho style were made by pupils substituting for Shigetsugu (dai-saku) whilst those in the Kaisho, as with this sword (Hitler sword-me),are from Shigetsugu's own hand" end quote, Clive Sinclair, Token Society of Grat Britain, UK Sword Register No.48. Now from NBTHK American Branch Exhibit Tampa Japanese Sword Show Feb, 2011 "A look at Gendaito as a Revial and Resurgence of Nihonto" by Ted Tenold Director, NBTHK on page 15 quote "However because there is an example of a kaisho signed sword dated June 1939 which would infer Shigetsugu made it himself,and this Shoso mei (My sword) example which is dated Februry, 1939 inferring Daisaku,questions arise about the Daisaku/Sosho mei practice as a wholesale change, and whether exceptions exist. Further study may clarify this in the future"end quote. So which is right......I have found Sosho signed swords papered Hozon Shigetsugu,not Daisaku. My swords signed "That Shigetsugu made sword and horimono". If you try to find the above quote by Clive on this matter, it would seem that he has deleted this statement....as if it is now questionable. Maybe it is me....but while trying to find Clives write up now online it is not found, or it is found in changed form with no mention of Daisaku practices of Shigetsugu. Ted did you or Bob Benson discuss this matter with him....do you know? Clive if your out there please comment, you are the expert and I would never speak for you, I am just rendering an opinion. Chris I know I will never know as much as you when it comes to these matters and only am I stating that this is a cloudy issue. Certainly the Fudo is almost identical to the Shigetsugu Hitler sword, signed months before,signed in block style. Even Clives first statement that "his illiness was 1938 39".....which is it. And "he then did just mei and carvings"......then would he not have carved his mei in block like always. If he can produce Fudo then why would the mei be any harder.....making him change his style. Maybe the chisel strokes would be harder.....maybe? He definatly,while healthy, could sign in any form he disired. Certainly Shigehisa could tell us but who did he say this to. And the student and reprensentive of the school to coment about teacher/founder in such away is hardly Japanese.........that if so would probably not be spoken. I really question this statement or source. I agree he probably definatly had Daisaku swords ill or not....like all good teachers. The fact that we are talking about it......and not sure is a testament to his teaching skills. No matter, it is a great piece in my opinion. Okimasa was around at the time on the estate and could have executed this sword.......as you know he is rated higher than teacher. You did not hear him talking about Shigetsugu being ill or signing. Of course not.....it would have been disgraceful. If he hammered this one out with Shigetsugu, that would be a plus in my book. It would be great to have a sword signed by both.....of coure one does not exsist. They did things the traditional way. Many questions, The fact is we will probably never know......but I will bet you a dollar and a refund to any buyer of this sword if it does not paper Hozon Shigetsugu.......only. And of course your right, Aoi's sword is rare, long, and awesome. I bought my Sadakatsu from them and I love it. They have great items. I am just a sucker for horimono but highly recomend their swords and advice. There are alot of couse's in here. Ted I will change the brother in law, son in law comment. Sorry for my poor writing and spelling. It is hard to hang with all you professional writers and experts. If I had to edit and spell check.....I would never get this posted. Again Thanks for everyones time, comments, advise, and the picture. Great discussion. You are my teachers. best Mike Canaday

Thanks John, You have an awesome site. It is the first look for me. Are the swords pictuced offered for sale or for research.........or both. Looks like your site took alot of effort. I use Steins commerical list for dealers and often miss the many great ones that are not on it. I need to pay more attention. Best Mike

Hi I just listed my sword and am trying to raise money for a new sword that I need to have. It is a exhibited Shigetsugu at his best. Please let me know your thoughts. Just put in Shigetsugu name in search window at Ebay and it will come up. My seller name on Ebay mikecanaday. Link http://www.ebay.com/itm/330818541718 If anyone is interested in a Ebay sale or a off Ebay sale or offer Email me directly at my personal email at binheadkiller@aol.com or leave comment on this site. Best Mike Canaday