NihontoEurope

Piers, Thanks. I had it all but the Yuki bit. Do you know anything about him? /Martin

Howdy, Can anyone help me translate this mei? I am totally out of options (YOSHI-SADA, -MORI, -MUNE, -HIRA or -SUYE) ( : Adding the hamon if that might help. Regards Martin

Curran, Great news! /Martin

Peter, I do not know about the mei, but the sword itself it legit. Not Koto, but it could be 200 years old. Koto period ended 1596. The more experienced guys here will most certainly catch the school and some possible smiths. I cross my fingers for you! /Martin

Peter, Some smiths/schools signed "Tachi mei" as per their style. There is also a "tradition" to sign that way when for example an apprentice signed. The old school of Tachi mei is in fact that is a tachi. Now, when looking at the nagako on the image you present it is a suriage cut of the nagako which would suggest that it is an old tachi. By the looks of the patina of the tang it looks 1940-ish or 2010-ish to me. If 1940, a damaged katana sized sword cut down? If 2010, an authentic chinese issue If 1100-1400, I am terribly wrong. It would be exiting to see the rest of the blade. Boshi, hada and hamon. Yes, it looks Kinmichi/Kanemichi 金道 to me too. Not a Mishina sword anyway. So that school is ruled out : ) /Martin

Ron, I was just thinking... What is wrong with the mei? /Martin

Ron, Thanks for the opinion. I have not seen any oshigata from the later Akihiro (Kosho and Bunmei). Is that what you refer to when you say "a much later generation"? The sugata is obviously not the one of the Shodai or Nidai. However, it would be great to see some work of the other two. I am not submitting it before having checked it properly. ; ) /Martin

: ) Interesting. I will look into it. /Martin

Hendri, http://www.nbsk-jp.org/Japanese/image/nyusho/sa022.jpg would be "gunome midare". http://www.nbsk-jp.org/Japanese/image/nyusho/sa008.jpg would be "choji midare" Bizen style perhaps. /Martin

Why don't we all contact our "local" embassy in Japan and our "own" in the country we live in and ask for clarification/explanation to why this has happened and how to prevent this in the future? Any followers? If we do this we will most certainly show strength and our opinion heard. I hope this will not be a "lost" thread. Also, the general idea of having customs is not only to pay tax. Another function is to actually declare incoming goods and the return of the same goods and NOT pay tax. Am I wrong? /Martin

Hi all, This in a very interesting thread. I was actually thinking of posting a thread where the topic would be something like: "A step to step process of submitting items to NBTHK" What are the formal steps really. I want to submit a few blades for authentication papers and have a rough idea of the process, but now I'm really scared. What I know so far is: 1. Take a lot of photos 2. Take even more photos. 3. Contact a dealer in Japan for reference 4. Arrival at Airport, go to police admin office to get import papers and give name of the dealer to officer. the office will call the dealer for authentication. 5. Dealer submits items to NBTHK. 6. Papers finalised. 7. Dealer applies for export papers and sends back the item to you. Obviously you have paid/bribed the dealer beforehand. This is what I know. I have NOT tested this, but I really want opinions and fields tests : ) Comments? /Martin

But no comment on the price /Martin

Brian, Another observation: The seller has two swords out for sale and neither of them is represented with a picture of the nagako. It raises some questions in my head. /Martin

Hi Brian, Expensive blade. Damaged/broken hamon according to picture. I don't know the seller. /Martin

Keith, #4. Issued 2 minutes ago: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11250&p=96223#p96223 I hope to get confident with a descision to a submission or not after feedback from the experts. /Martin

Howdy, Does anyone of you guys have any oshigata of Akihiro at hand? There are few works for comparison and I have only stumbled across tanto in my books. Image attached with measurements embedded. 相州住秋廣 SOSHU JYU AKIHIRO EDIT: Adding info/image from "http://nihontoclub.com/" /Martin

Hi all, Adding another complexity to the matter: Let's say you have a sword that you are 80-90% sure of the authenticity. Not 100% sure because there is not many specimens to compare it with. When comparing it to various books it matches to almost every detail of the swordsmiths normal features. The mei might not have a perfect match when having it side by side to five others, but nor does the five signatures match (match as in inseperable) each other although they are 110% authenticated. Also, the nagako is not of the same shape as the smith normally have according to the information you have at hand. Fortunately, you have information from a book that this smith did make type of shaped nagako or unlikely that he didn't because so and so. So, what is the correct way to do. 1. Submitting the sword to NBTHK or NTHK and keep the information you have to yourself with the mindset that "they must know, because I know. They have more information than I have". 2. Submitting the sword to NBTHK or NTHK and keep the information you have to yourself with the mindset that "I must be politically correct and not step on any toes...". 3. Submitting the sword to NBTHK or NTHK and keep the information you have to yourself with the mindset that "Hey, I have this information about this smith and production that you might not have...". 4. Submitting the images of the sword to a board with fabulous, terrific and very very competent guys who might give there opinion in the matter and then consider on one of the first 3 options. 5. Send a letter to NBTHK or NTHK with an image of the nagako with the mindset that "Hey, these terrific and competent guys on this board says this is sword is for real. Please send papers to...". Yes, I bought a sword with doubts and without checking with you wonderful people first. I am guilty as charged, but I fell in love with the sword. Love at first sight. /Martin

Jean, Thanks. So...if my papers on the Tsunahiro states "Koudai TSunahiro". What does that mean? /Martin

Ed, Just a quick one on the Tsunahiro part. According to the Lot Notes of the auction the Tsunahiro only lasted for three generations. According to Nihontoclub it is 14 generations. The reason for me asking is that I have a Tsunahiro blade, but I do not know which one of the 14 smiths...or 3 or what? Do you have any information to share? "Lot Notes Yamamura Masahiro of the Sue-Soshu school (cf. Lot 431) was summoned to Odawara sometime around the 1530's by Hojo Ujitsuna, and was re-named Tsunahiro having been granted the use of the character Tsuna from the lord's name. Two generations followed, of whom the third named So'uemon no jo is famously said to have been commissioned by the lord of Tsugaru to make three hundred daisho blades. He returned to his home province in 1606, and died in 1638 aged ninety one. All three generations made swords with midare-ba or hitatsura like this blade." /Martin

Rich, That is not feathers. It looks like a dot to me /Martin

Benoit, I don't understand... Did you forget to attach something? /Martin

: ) Thanks! Now I can spend some more time researching! Also, the books are great as reference. I will try to find them. /Martin

Keith and Tony, Thanks for the response. I have more to go on now. /Martin

Howdy, I have been searching, in vain, for the last couple of months to find out what the symbol next to the hollyhock is. Also, if anyone have any good tips on books for this kind of research it is welcome too. Attaching 2 images. If this is posted on wrong please say so : ) Regards Martin

Ken, Yes, it should at least be a bit thicker. : ) /Martin