paulb

Not sure if it has changed in the recent updates but at one time the NBTHK wouldn't issue certificates for living smiths. If you know who made it and he's alive ask him to confirm its authenticity. It has to be better than anyone elsesopinion.

Florian I wasnt suggesting you were insulting anything or anyone I just didnt see where your conclusion had come from and thought I had missed something. Sorry if i gave you the wrong impression. I thik it looks ok, not a great work but an ok example of what it is. good luck if you do go for it Regards Paul

Has Tsuruta san said it isnt worthy of a shirasaya? All it says in the description is it doesnt have one He often sells swords on consignment. It is possible the current owner didnt want to go to the expense of having one made, he just wanted to move the sword on. Aoi say they can arrange for a shirasaya if required so I am not sure where the idea of "not being worthy" comes from

Hi Charlie Although I also think it is probably gimei the only way to obtain a more accurate assessment is at shinsa either by sending to the NBTHK in Japan or visiting one of the events held in the USA. This would allow a panel of experts to assess your sword and give a much more definitive view than we can here. Something else to think about. Nidai Tadahiro was one of the top shinto smiths, alongside his father and son he figures amongst the best Hizen smiths ever working. Therefore if someone wants to fool a buyer that what he is selling is a Tadahiro it would have to be a pretty good sword. As a result a lot of gimei blades are as you say well made and good quality. Someone just tried to enhance the value by putting a famous name on it. From what I see of your sword it looks to have a lot going for it and I would certainly spend some time enjoying it for what it is, a well made good shape blade. Best Regards Paul

Malcom your powers of observation are incredible, got it in one! I am contiually staggered at the depth of knowledge and information availble through the messageboard. Many thanks for you help Best Regards Paul

Many thanks Morita san Much appreciated

Sorry I am being lazy here but would realy appreciate some help with the attached. Mei on a recently found woodblock print which Iam struggling to work out. Many thanks in advance Paul

thanks James useful information

Hi Adam Like most things involving HMRC results seem inconsistent. I have heard of some people who import as Military collectable and not paying anything other than the 5% VAT paid on antiques. Others have paid full duty and VAT Under Governmment definition Geandaito are not antiques therefore subject to full duty. The "Collectable" artefact seems to confuse the issue somewhst and what you get charged seems a little down to luck. Regarding Tariff code I think Parcelforce have a link to lists of codes. The normal one for metal antiques doesnt apply so I am guessing there must be something else. Not much help, sorry. Regarding your last point about paying nothing, I am not aware of any legal option that would let you do this and the risk of prosecution for fraud makes it not worth risking anything else.

Paul. Delighted that your shipping went well. As I have had no alternative (FeDex still refusing to listen or respond) I have also used Parcelforce to good effect. one point however not using the term "Antique" can have one of two effects 1. As a non Antique the parcel will attract higher duty charges in most countries (Coming in to the UK antiques are charged at 5%VAT and 0 import duty as opposed to 20% and 12.5% for non antiques) 2. If you insure something and later it is found to have been an antique the insurance is invalidated anyway so you you are just throwning money away. As your sword fell out of the 100 year old definition of antique the argument is not relevent but for anyone trying to ship blades over `100 years old there is an important difference.

I am still dreaming about the swords and tsuba seen at that meeting. I have not seen a better Shinto blade than the Yasutsugu anywhere. The Rai Kunitsugu was outstanding and compared favourably to the Rai blades I saw in Japan last year, it was incredible

me neither

Dear Moriyama san thank you very much for your help.

Many thanks Ray much appreciated

Dear All When I took delivery of the swords recently listed for sale there were a number of others which I did not want to offer after an initial view. They were incomplete out of polish and had some issues. I have been looking again and there are two which I think need more investigation beofre either offering them for sale or deciding not to at this stage. Both are ubu koto blades, they have an excellent sugata but are out of polish. On subesquent examination I found both were signed The first tachi mei and very fainly is something Mitsu (Possibly Taka but that is a long shot from my side) The second signed katana mei Kane something Saku (possibly tsuna but a lazy guess) I have played with these in photoshop to try and improve the clarity and at the moment this is the best I can get. Any help would be much appreciated as I try to pice some ideas together about these two swords. Thanks in advance for any ideas Regards Paul

Beautiful images thank you for sharing!

Uwe happy to welcome you to Newcastle any time you can make it congratulations on the photos they show much of what was there to see.

Thank you for sharing Joe I think this goes to prove the saying that every period and school produced thier masterpieces. These are beautiful things and it is great seeing them just "As the Smith intended" rather than after several hundred years of use and polishing. There is a freshness to them that enhances the overall look congratulations

When I was focussing on Hizen school work I dreamed of including a 3rd generation blade in my collection and after many years managed to do so. You have done it with your second blade. Well done. If you continue to progress at this quality level I would love to see your collection in 10 or 15 years time! congratulations Paul

Sorry Simon but I disagree. There are certainly more members in Germany than other parts of Europe but there are members throughout and meetings held in different parts. (Sweden, Denmark, UK). However I accept that not everyone can go to meetings regardless of the country. the point I was making is that the publications alone represent a great resource and the ability to network with other members offers access to considerable resource and material. Please do not mistake your lack of contact with a lack of functionality of the organisation, which is extremely active and encouraging (my experience) Please feel free to pm me with your email address and I will happily give you contacts who might improve your expereince. Regards Paul

I am in danger of doing a little blatant advertising, but I believe it worthwhile and important. Let me say up front that I have been a member of the NBTHK EU for a good number of years and am very proud to be associated with it. Therefore you will have no doubt as to my personal alliances. Last weekend I had the great pleasure of attending the most recent meeting in Bonn. I understand that other members who attended may write a brief report on the event itself and I will leave it to them to give their views on some of the work on display and the discussion around it. Having had a thoroughly enjoyable and educational time I started to think a little more about perceptions of such societies and what we may be missing. Not a week goes by on the board without reference somewhere to an NBTHK paper. Most people here when asked what the NBTHK did I think would refer to shinsa and authentication. It has become a major part of our approach to buying, especially over the web. What we tend to overlook is the incredible contribution this organisation makes to educating us. I have said here before that I believe the best educational tool there is in this field is doing kantei.If you do not have access to high level swords, which few of us do on a regular basis, then doing the Shijo kantei in the NBTHK magazine is a worthwhile alternative. Whether you submit your answers, if you do whether you get it right is irrelevant what is important is the process. I spent the first 10 years of my collecting career being afraid of doing kantei in case I looked an idiot. I have spent the next 20 knowing I was an idiot for wasting the first 10 years. Taking part in this activty has been greatly enhanced by the publication of Markus Seskos works on the subject and more European names are appearing on the lists of successful participants. New members here often ask what books they should buy to learn. Thanks to people such as Grey there are far more Japanese works available to us than ever before and they represnt great value. However I would suggest one of the best investments in literature for anyone would be to join the NBTHK, whether European or US groups. This automatically offers you 12 copies annually of the NBTHK magazine with a comprehensive English translation available to download. These means that Oshigata of 5 or more blades and fittings are illustrated and described in great detail. I think for the magazine alone membership offers great value. In addition if you can attend the meetings you have the opportunity to see incredble pieces generously offered for study by experienced collectors. As said above this is a rather shameless plug for a worthwhile organisation. becoming a member was undoubtedly the best decision and investment I made. and I believe for those who are enthusiastic and want to learn from an excellent source it would prove the same.

or a garden knife (Nata?)

My understanding was that the leading Shin-Shinto smiths were trying to re-create styles and technique of earlier work. Experimentaton was linked less to innovation and more to trying to reproduce. I dont think they attempted to mix styles taking elements from different koto schools or traditions. One smith may have made Bizen and Soshu style work (which in itself is a great testament to their ability) but I dont think they experimented blending styles. Others who have spent a lot more time looking at work from this period may offer more useful insight.

Steve One thing I have learned in this subject is never to say something definitely is or isn't something. There are always exceptions. The very fine konuka hada you are referring to really came to the fore with the second and third generatrions. The first started out doing copies of Bizen Rai and Enju so produced varied hada. BTW I agree with you and dont think it is Hizen but not based on the hada. The shape the yasurimei the nioiguchi do not look right. I am also a little confused with people saying it is shin-Shinto so isnt Hizen What about the 8th generation Tadayoshi, one of the best Hizen smiths, working in the 1860's and wasnt the 6th Gen Masahiro also working then (not sure without looking it up again) Hizen work has continued from early Edo all the way through to modern times. back to the sword in question If it isnt Hizen which most,including the OP thinks it isnt we then need to think about what it might be?

I think I am Possing up the wrong tree!!! Have corrected my spool chucking error!!