paulb

Jimmy, George Cameron Stone in his glossary or arms and armour published in the early 1900s said "The Japanese sword is the nearest thing to perfection made by human hand" that's how I fell about the Awataguchi blades I have seen (which like almost everyone else is not very many) The blade has beautifully uniform hada covered in bright ji-nie and other activity. How they managed to create such a perfect result with a hammer and anvil I cannot even guess. SO in summary they are beautifully made, the forging is not only faultless but incredibly beautiful and the hardening compliments and exemplifies what is happening in the hada You are right Kagemitsu also made beautiful tanto and he would be high in my personal list too. Unfortunately he is surrounding by a mass of other great Bizen talent which perhaps has made him shine a little less than he might otherwise have done

Defining "Quality" in something defined as and art object without taking in to account aesthetic appeal is not possible. The NBTHK compare blades against the standard for that tradition or school and define the quality in relation to that norm. They do not for example compare a top Soshu blade with a top Bizen blade in terms of which is better quality. To reach a high level of paper the blades must be very well made in excellent condition and demonstrate all the features associated with that smith or school. This is not new. Aesthetics have always played a major part in defining which swords were best. Soshu blades only came to prominence when it was noted that Hideyoshi liked them and the appraisers who worked for him started ranking them at the top of the league. At other times Yamashiro Awataguchi and Fukuoka Ichimonji have topped the table. Again this wasn't to do with functionality or how well made they were (they could all cut and were all well made) it was which one appealed the most to the market of the day. I believe Awataguchi blades are amongst the best ever made. The quality of their forging the superior raw material that was available to them resulted as something that is near perfection (To me). Others would regard them as boring and dull. This has nothing to do with quality. Based on what we read in various texts The top 3 best Tanto makers were Awataguchi Yoshimitsu, Shintogo Kunimitsu and Masamune. Top best long swords were made by Go-Yoshihiro Ko-Aoe Tsunetsugu and Masamune. Other names that would be in the top 10 would include Sanjo Munechika Yasatsuna Ko-Bizen Tomonari. But for all of these the reputation is based to some extent on how they look and whether that appealed to the taste of the day.

No nor me

Sorry but you are wrong

I think there are more than 3000 users on the nmb so making a sweeping statement regarding the lack of quality within collections is foolhardy to say the least. I am aware of a number of collectors here who include highest quality works

Motivation for my preferences: 1. Jigane. All of my top choices have incredible jigane, rich in nie and chickei, 2. Shape (I know this should be first but it runs very close) the shape of early blades be they long swords or tanto can be exquisite 3. Activity and interaction within the hamon inazuma, kinsuji, sunagashi etc. 4. The way all the above hang together and compliment each other making the whole far greater than the sum of the parts. The choices are all based on pieces I have been lucky enough to see in hand. Had I seen other great early Soshu work closer (Shintogo, Go or Masamune) the list may be different.

I think Michael is right and we have been here before some while ago (Think I might even have started the thread!!) However a little self indulgence doesn't hurt on occasion. So the following list is based more on what I like i.e. what I find the most aesthetically pleasing rather than a statement of quality relating to function durability etc. 1. Tanto by Soshu Yukimitsu 2. Awataguchi daito from early Kamakura 3. Ko-Bizen Tomonari 4. Chu-Aoe Daito 5. Rai Kunimitsu tanto 6.Taema 7. Osafune Nagamitsu 8. Inoue Shinkai 9. Shodai Tadayoshi 10. something I haven't seen yet but I will fall in love with when I do

Phil I am afraid it is impossible to offer any view on the sword from your image. To say anything meaningful people would need to see detail of the balde and idealy the nakago as well.

If you choose either or both of those two you have already decided on the period. Yamato flourished through the Kamakura period until the end of the Nambokucho so koto Hizen came to prominence in The late Momoyama through to the end of the Edo period so Shinto and shin-shinto. Both Schools (Yamato is really a tradition encompassing five schools) produced some incredible work but also some less so. Both offer excellent opportunity to study. Which ever way you choose to go enjoy the journey.

Gentlemen, This is really a terrible story and unfortunately not unique. But it is very rare. I agree with Ian, while Chairman of the Token of GB I was contacted on several occasions and asked to verify whether a blade was authentic and legal to import or not. However this is not common and usually occurs when there is a question over paperwork or if an individual at customs gets it wrong. It rarely results in court (I am aware of only one case in 6 years) and usually settled promptly. I have no idea how many swords pass through our borders but based on what we see at various meetings I believe it to be a significant number and that the vast majority of these pass through without issue.

I haven't bought much in recent years and the situation has undoubtedly become more complicated. The last long sword I bought came from mainland Europe and it was delivered within 3 days. Previously I have bought blades from Japan and the USA and sent swords all over the world and to date have had no major issues (getting the VAT wrong was about the worst). Members of the Token Society of GB committee are occasionally asked to assist by people whose pieces have been held or by HMRC seeking opinion. These occurrence's are rare and to my knowledge have always been dealt with promptly and without needing to go to court (1 exception I think). I have great sympathy for Tony but I think it would be a mistake to think this is typical and I am aware of many people bringing blades in without issues.

Last Thursday (8th April) Michael S and I were able to attend the opening of this excellent exhibition. Set in three rooms of the Queens Gallery in Buckingham palace there are over 150 pieces from the Royal collection. The majority are gifts given to members of the Royal family by the Japanese imperial court. The earliest being one of the two armours given to James I in 1613 by the Tokugawa Shogun. Many of these works have never been on public exhibition. As one might imaging the quality is outstanding and there are examples of arms and armour, metal work ceramics and prints all of the very highest quality and many with an intriguing history. For any members who may have reason to be in London in the next 12 months I would strongly recommend taking the time to visit this exceptional and unique exhibition. detals can be found on the attached link https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/exhibitions/Japan-courts-and-culture/the-queens-gallery-buckingham-palace

Thank you Jussi, An excellent exercise and in some ways a reality check. I agree with Michael the level of scholarship in your explanation is exceptional and very informative A great exercise, much appreciated.

A beautiful blade Brano congratulations. A long time ago when I focused almost exclusively on Hizen blades I had a wakizashi by Shodai Masahiro which I loved. I have also seen a number of katana by this smith that are of equally high quality. We should also Remember that when Shodai Tadayoshi (Tadahiro) died his son and heir was only 19 years old. He was greatly supported by Shodai and Nidai Masahiro and I think it is not only a testament to his great skill as a smith but also as a teacher that Shodai Masahiro deserves the high reputation he enjoys. A great looking work and beautifully photographed. Well done

Thanks Jussi, In looking at this I have realised how rarely naginata appear in kantei exercises and how little I know about them. Taking your description of the hada and the fact it has slightly visible utsuri I am inclined to Oei Bizen but it could be as Michael suggests a work by unji/unju. I am guessing and am keen to see the result. thanks again

The honest answer is you cant tell. But it is also important to remember where the wealth was during the Edo period. Merchants were able to afford better blades and far better koshirae than impoverished samurai. They also had a more flamboyant taste. Many of the finest wakizashi seen in beautiful mounts were made for merchants. At the top end Senior retainers would have blades and fittings made by the best smiths. lower ranking samurai would have what they could afford. Merchants would buy what they liked and what demonstrated their wealth and sophistication. The reason that many modern collectors look down on wakizashi is they cannot be sure they were carried by samurai and for some this lessens their historical value. It has also been suggested in the past that Smiths put less effort in to making wakizashi for non samurai. I think this is demonstrably incorrect. Why would a smith risk their repuion and alienate their most lucrative customer base by making a substandard piece?

Dan, I agree with Kirill I don't think this is a Kamakura period blade. My guess would be Momoyama or even a little later. As you say there aren't any ubu Kamakura period wakizashi, at least none that I have ever seen either in hand or in references.

Thank you Robert I believe you have eloquently expressed the experiences and very deep feelings of many here. Darcy was a one off and his memory will be long cherished and his contribution appreciated for very many years to come. I spoke to him on a phone call from Canada early in February. As always he was incredibly helpful and we shared some ideas and memories. We were talking about him coming to the UK to look at some pieces. I so regret that we hadn't had the opportunity to do it sooner.

not wanting to add confusion but I have also had stories of UPS refusing to ship swords regardless of supporting paperwork stating they were illegal in the UK. As has been pointe out the problem is not the law or the rules it is the way people interpret them (or fail to). As Jon suggest we never hear of the painless transactions only those that cause problems. This of course is little consolation to those who do have problems. It is an increasing fact of life that shipping swords is becoming more challenging than it has been.

Thanks Piers, that brightened a wet and windy Saturday morning. Absolutely incredible work I can watch it over and over again

Mark, I may be misremembering but the smith you mention is a shinto smith working in the Edo Ishido school. These smiths were attempting to emulate ichimonji workmanship and the hamon typically included choji midare and often there was some utsuri. The hada on your piece looks to be good quality but I cant see any obvious Ishido indicators. However this is not really my area of study so I am possibly missing something.

Thank you for the additional images which help a lot. I am reassured by them and the sword looks to be much better than I first thought. It will be interesting to se how it polishes. At the moment there is no clear nioiguchi visible (that I can see anyway) but the polish will reveal what's there. The shape looks good and the hada promising. Look forward to the end result.

From this image and in its current polish I think it is very difficult to offer any accurate assessment of the hada. I am a little concerned that the bright patches you are describing as ji-nie look large and clumped together which may, but I stress only MAY be an indication of the blade having been in a fire. As Jimmy says more images would be helpful.

Hi Abdul, The answer is it can be very difficult to tell at times especially if the sword is in less than good polish. General pointers oil quenching does not usually produce much nie if any and where it does it tends to be sporadic uneven and ugly. The nioiguchi can be blurry and often has what looks like dark ashi dropping underneath it towards the ha. There is little if any activity within the hamon. Unfortunately many of these features can also appear in traditionally harden swords of certain schools so as I said it isn't always easy. BTW don't worry there aren't any dumb questions asking is the best way to learn.

Mark Ian and I go a long way back in this subject. He was the person who persuaded me to join a token society in 1990. One thing I can promise is that in any group I have attended no question has been regarded as stupid and there is no pre-reqisite of knowledge required if you can find the time I believe you would find it beneficial