paulb

I have blade which was polished prior to receiving papers in 1963 which remains in perfect polish. Others that I know were polished in the early 80s likewise. I have been told, but am not sure what the comment was based on, that a polish should last 100 years. If the blade is stored correctly I see no reason why it shouldnt last a great deal longer. Re:- changing tastes, yes all the time. As you study more and hopefully understand a little more you begin to appreciate things you had not regarded as important before. That's one of the joys of progressing in the interest. Having said that I fell in love with Yamashiro work in the 1980's and it still tops my list. The list has just become broader and deeper and includes many more traditions and schools.

J.P. This is a subject that has been discussed often and the suggestion of explaining why you think something is x or y often made (I admit it is one of my pet moans and I mention it to the point of tedium) expressing an opinion without saying what led you to reaching it is pretty much meaningless. If you look at the NBTHK journals there is always a lengthy and detailed explanation of all of their kantei. That is what makes them valuable as a learning aid.

It is being organised by the same team (they did an ecellent job the first time round) No details as yet other than what can be seen on the Samurai art expo website which simply states they are doing another event in 2020 As soon as more info becomes available and if none else does I will make sure readers here are made aware Best Regards paul

I have to admit our politicians have not covered themsleves in glory but then again nether have those negotiating on the other side of the table. If they had taken the concerns expressed seriously before any referendum it might never have got to this farcical stage. However what I find really dissappointing is the attitude expressed here. As said previously nothing has changed yet. For those outside the EU buying from the UK is likely to become easier not harder and for some time to come for those in the EU it will not change. So the attitude of "I was planning to buy from the UK but now" is misplaced and more than a little timid BTW just to be clear I was in the minority in this and wanted to remain in the EU so the comments above are not based on trying to defend what I regard to be the result of a stupid vote and mishandled campaign.

Chris I think it is more likely to be the carrier than customs. We have had huge problems with FeDex regarding shipping swords in the UK and now the main shipper parcelforce subcontract their top service to FeDex so have the same issues. We are getting close to the point where the government wont have to do anything because no shipping company will carry anything that remotely resembles a weapon Anyhow it wont be a Brexit issue at the moment, it is too early for anything to have changed. I

Think your Belgium seller is hitting the panic button a little early. Even if he were walking and swimming he could get a sword here before 29th. As things stand it may (no pun intended) be delayed by at least several months while they continue to run round in circles in Westminster. Hopefullly their ever decreasing circles will result in many of them dissappearing up their own ****s and the rest of us can start having sensible discussions and way forward.

I have often quoted the late and much missed Michael Hagenbusch regarding his experience viewing a Shintogo Kunimitsu Tanto. First time round he could see nothing special some years later it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. In the intervening years he had increased his understanding and thus appreciation. One point I really liked about the original quotation was the idea that you should trust what you like and enjoy it. You dont have to like something just because you are told it is important. Over time you may change your mind (or not) but in the meantime you can gain great enjoyment from what you like.

I was reading this months translation and saw the paragraph below which I thought both useful and encouraging, especially for those at the very beginning of their journey in to Nihonto. (not sure if this is the best place to post this if not perhaps the mods could move it) "Now I will talk about another subject. The other day, I took a Kamakura period master work to a kansho-kai. One of the newer members was not impressed very much, and I asked if he understood the quality of a sword, and I think he did not understand this idea very well. The token world has many master works from each period, from each prefecture, and from each school. Among the swords which are called meito, it can sometimes be difficult to clearly understand their quality and features, especially if you have just started to study swords. Sometimes I hear an individual’s opinions, and since Japanese swords have many shapes and styles, people will have their own likes and dislikes among swords. However, standardizing good and bad opinions is not realistic, and I will talk about this issue later. The important thing is to value your feelings even if you do not understand a sword’s quality or features well. You don’t need to express your impression in a loud voice. It is not necessary to argue with people who have helped prepare and exhibit master work blades, and this would be impolite. Your current impression should be important. It is not necessary to restrain your honest opinions, and just because people around you are saying something is a meito, you do not have to look at it as a meito. Your present opinion of a sword’s quality is based on what you understand now. From now on, as you keep looking at all kinds of swords, your level of understanding and perception will increase, and you should gradually be able to understand aspects of a sword which you might not understand at the present. If you deny your honest impressions and feelings, this can hinder your developing a better eye for swords in the future. As you examine swords, value your honest impressions, and make it a habit to look at swords other people call meito. Along with ongoing studies, you will continue to develop your eyes. A few years from now, when you see the same sword again, you will recognize that “this sword has this kind of beauty and charm” and could be surprised to discover this increasing power of observation in yourself." Explanation by Hinohara Dai

Well according to the NBTHK Juyo committee you are looking at a Ko-Bizen sword and they have had the advantage of seeing it in hand rather than on a computer screen. Based on that alone I think you are wrong. I wonder if the variations from the features you were expecting are due to changes caused by polishes or adjustments over the years. Also it is a small sword (relatively) a Ko-dachi and perhaps that is why the sugata is different from what you have seen in other blades. I agree with you about the Bonji and would much prefer it not to be there. I would guess (but I am not sure why) that this might be a later addition. As Michael mentioned earlier I think with very early blades the features we identify with the Gokaden are not fully established and you see many similarities between the different traditions.

Michael Picking up on one of your earlier points I think this supports the idea previously discussed regarding similarities between the early schools, Munechika, Hoki, Ko-Bizen etc. We have seen in the past attributions of mumei work jump between Ko-Bizen and Ko-Ichimonji. Also smiths being repostioned from one school to another. At Samurai art expo last year there were examples of both and I for one would be very hard put to distinguish between them at a kantei. When I saw Nobufusa I immediately jumped to Ichimonji not realising the name was also associated with Ko-Bizen Re Mizukage it is certainly mentioned regularly as a feature of early work. I also have a very clear example on a shin-shinto piece that shows absolutely no other signs of saiha so I assume it was part of the original hardening. As you say the western view has become a little too suspicious of the feature always associating it with rehardenning which is not the case. It reminds me of the western view of the term "Den" but that's a whole other topic much covered before.

To be honest Bryce once you get beyond the basics further descriptions become very subjective. I remember seeing a bright line of nie almost like kinsuji or chickei but running perpendicular to the hamon through the jihada on a blade once. It was so clear and so strange I was sure it would have a particualr name and asked the Japanese dealer what this feature was called. He looked at me rather quizzically and said "Nie" Your hamon is midare choji or choji midare whichever you prefer. You might also consider that the groupings of choji look a you say like a form of sanbonsugi but another might consider them more like naka-choji (fist shape seen in Nidai Kunisuke of the Osaka school) These things are always open to interpretation and subjective Regardless it is a good looking piece with a complex and lively hamon. Continue to enjoy it.

Agree 100% about doing Oshigata attempting it (and in my case thats about all it is, an attempt) really makes you look at the hamon and activity in detail. the focus needed is a great benefit. It also happens to be great fun to do!

In response to the OP to really know a sword can and does take a very long time. To know whether I like a blade or not usually takes seconds. To see what it holds and to understand it a very long time. I continue to enjoy blades that have been in my collection for 10 years or more and keep finding new and interesting detail Some while ago I posted an article on the Token of GB website describing the experience of relooking at the sword I have held in the collection the longest (now approaching 20 years) and finding so much more. As has been suggested above while the sword hasn't changed my understanding and experience have and so hopefully my level of appreciation. I think you can spend many, many, years and still find something new to enjoy and learn from. That's what makes this a great subject to study Link to article below: http://to-ken.uk/onewebmedia/daido%20paper.pdf

I think the translation was already requested by the owner http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/28187-inherited-from-family-member-and-need-help-with-translation/

As JP says dont be depressed by some of the opinions expressed. BTW in my very limited collection I have only two signed works and one of those likely to be gimei. I also have an ubu mumei shin-shinto katana which is one of the nicest shin-shinto blades I have seen Best Regards Paul

from the third image it doesnt look thick enough to be considered a yori-doshi. The ones I have seen were typically between 8mm and 1cm thick. Yours looks to be nearer to the more standard 6mm.

JP Dont worry after rather more years than I care to admit I agree the more I study the less I know. You are right about contradictions as well. I have on a number of occassions read things like "school x always used O-maru boshi" and then on the next page they show a distinctly ko-maru. There are always variations and exceptions. I will try and dig out where you can access the articles mentioned. It might be worth contacting Marlus who I am sure will know better than me where they can be seen. Sorry Ibrahim the book discussion seems to have hijackedthe thread. Once your books have arrived and you get in to them please feel free to either pm or email with any questions.

I think his book has a lot of good information and is very useful. But I also think it is of more use and better understood if you first look at the conventional or traditional view as outlined in Nakayama or others such as the NBTHK English journals or some of Markus Sesko's comprehensive works. You can then make an informed choice as to which you believe. Because something is long established and traditional doesn't necessarily make it wrong any more than being new and radical makes it right. As an illustration read some of the works on the Gokaden written by Tanobe Sensei in recent years and translated by Markus. These are based on years of study at the highest level and contain a wealth of information supported by numerous examples. None the less they support many of the traditional conventions. As in most of this field we are dealing with opinions and yes they can change as more information becomes available with research. Regarding Nakahra's comments on mumei blades and narrow suguha, I am sorry it is so long since I read his book I can t remember the detail of what he said so can't comment. What I do remember is feeling firstly it had much in it that made sense and was useful but also he made a number of generalisations without offering too much to support them. As said before: Is it worth having and studying? absolutely. Would it be my recommended first book to learn about Nihon-To? no it wouldn't, however that is, at the end of the day, just another opinion.

No I dont think they are just a modern take. I dont regard myself as a slave to the traditional either. I just feel some of his sweeping generalisations to be misleading and the product of cynicism rather than research.

Jp Boys swords tend to be much smaller and scaled down considerably. I think it is machi-okuri and then only by a small amount. Ibrahim The fact it is less than 2 shaku makes it a wakazashi under NBTHK criteria, what it was originally we will never know for sure but I think likely a small (ish) daito. The naming of blades has been much simplified over the past 50 years or so. If you look back a references such as Stone's glossary there are numerous terms for blades of different length. Yours might be considered a "Chisa Katana" amongst others Regarding books I would go along with Geraint's recommendations But would suggest Facts and Fundamentals should not be read as an introduction. While full of a lot of useful information it does have some unique perspectives that are not necessarily shared by other authorities. It is useful to get the broader perspective from something like The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords before jumping in to Facts and Fundamentals.

Dear Ibrahim In support of Geraint's post I think you have an interesting looking sword. Certainly dates well before WWII but quite how far is difficult to tell based on the images. I like the shape a lot and the degree of taper from Hamachi to the kissaki suggests, at least to me, that it is not shortened although possibly the machi has been moved up slightly. If you can get along to a meeting of either of the society's Geraint mentions I am sure you would find it helpful. Well done as said I think it is a good looking sword. Paul

pm sent

I had a similar experience some years ago when shipping pieces I was helping a friend to sell. I was mortified when I heard of the problem. There are a large number of lower cost boxes around that are either pinned or stapled in this way and capable of causing considerable damage as demostrated in Grey's graphic illustration.

I had a run through of Darcy's write up and looked at the images in more detail. I also did a comparison with the information I had on the blade I had previously written about. At first sight they look totally different. As Darcy says the blade on his site appears to be looking back to the earlier Yamashiro style of Sanjo Munechika. I also think foretells the development of Soshu, but thats another discussion. When looking at very close detail in the two blades there is a lot in common. While nowhere near as clearly visible the nie activity within the hamon of the mumei blade I studied in terms of sunagashi, kinsuji etc is very similar in shape and style. It isn't as prominent but that could be a result of a different style of polish. The hada on the mumei blade is nowhere near as prominent but again when you examine it very closely there are indications of nagare and o-hada within the incredibly tight nashiji. In terms of dimensions the signed work is a lot shorter, it started life that way. The mumei blade is O-suriage with nothing of the original nakago left and is 68.4 cm long. The signed blade has is about 3mm wider at the Hamachi. The remaining dimensions are similar and in scale with the differences in original length. The Mumei blade is, I think, made of a single piece as can be seen in other Awataguchi blades, especially tanto that have been polished down to within an inch of their life but still show beautiful hada without a hint of core steel. The two blades are very different the signed blade unusual, perhaps celebrating an earlier style, the mumei blade more text book Awataguchi. But when you start to look in much more detail you can see common features, albeit on a different scale and level of clarity, which would indicate they were made by the same hand

I haven't had the chance to read Darcy's write up in detail but am very much looking forward to doing so and to studying the images in more detail. However in response to Michael's request my intial thoughts are listed below: Firslty I think this is a beautiful and fascinating sword which offers a great deal to study. As Michael and Chris say it is atypical (at least in my limted expereince) of Norikuni's typical style. In my brief read through of Darcy's notes I read that Tanobe Sensie also said it was not typical of this smith. Awataguchi workmanship tends to fall in to broadly two categories, the first and most common is the ultra conservative extremely tight nashiji hada combined with suguha hamon. The second combines the nashiji with nagare and a more standout O-hada and includes a very active midare or ko-midare hamon. A good expample of this can be found in Markus Sesko's koto kantei volume and the NBTHK journal no. 641 which illustrates a blade attributed to Kuniyasu. Kuniyasu was the youngest of the 6 brothers of the first generation and Norikuni's uncle ( other texts offer alternative relationship but they were pretty much contemporary). Most of the Awataguchi I have seen in hand , which are still very few, fall in to the first group and the Norikuni swords I have studied and written about, including the national treasure blade in the national museum are of this type. This blade appears to have more in common with the second group and also shows more common features with Norikuni's son and grandsons work. I have seen a Kuniyoshi long sword and Yoshimitsu tanto incorporating this type of o-hada and nagare. My first reaction when seeing this is that it may be slightly later than the national treasure blade and the other one I have studied (although I am only talking about 10 or 15 years) and starts to show the transition in to the next generations style. If it were not signed I am also inclined to think it would have papered to Awataguchi or possibly Kuniyasu. The fact that it is signed and by so rare and important smith as Norikuni makes it an extremely important reference work. One final thing I noted was that Darcy mentions this blade showing core steel. Up until now I had believed, based on what I had seen before, that Awataguchi blades, certainly the early ones were, like Sanjo Munechika's work made in single piece construction. This proves that theory either wrong or again shows a transition to the incorporation of soft core for whatever reason. This subject has been debated at length recently but may confirm some of the ideas regarding scarcity of material mentioned there.