w.y.chan

I think high end cinema cameras have really caught up with photography in some cases surpassing it in certain situation in the last few years. One day we may be able to video nihonto like the way we see it in real life.

He must be a very good friend. Looking forward to seeing photos of this if possible.

Hi Robert, I also thought Norishige but probably later generation. I trust Mishina san's opinion since he has polished many national treasures. The hada of your sword also looks very similar to a WW2 gendaito that I have, one of my better sword BTW did you ever have your Kazuyuki polished? Wah

Joe, its not a challenge so I don't understand why you get all defensive about it. I would ask the exact same question if it had been anyone else who claim to have said what you have. These 2 blades have previously been referenced by Chris B on this board so its worth bringing it up. The sword is an Ota Chikahide sold by a Japanese dealer who put the date to be around 1957 if I remember correctly, it is owned by a forum member. The tanto is postwar. Wah

How do you explain this one? and this one? http://kendounet.seesaa.net/article/357971670.html Wah

Almost every swords I bought from Japanese dealers are not oiled or with very old dried oil. The last couple had rust beginning to form. I had to treat it with alcohol and in a "oil bath" for 6 months. I had horimono buried under hardened uchiko and also layers of gunge. After oil treatment the difference is light and day. Wah

Many of us thought Emura blades only the past 20yrs became recognise as true nihonto but this one received NBTHK paper back in 1966. It was also at the time when attitude towards WW2 swords was negative http://www.nipponto.co.jp/swords3/KT327994.htm Wah

Was this the same sword http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/21237-advice-on-an-important-mukansa-nihonto/?hl=yukihira&do=findComment&comment=216016 Wah

I've come across Gassan Sadakatsu and Sadamitsu katana 65-67cm with TH. Length is good but quality, rarity and desirability also count. I agree the tanto has a better chance with horimono by Shigetsugu. Wah

I'm optimistic one of them might go TH, even better if both make it The katana looks like its already in old polish, are you going for a finishing polish? Wah

"What this "we" business" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjPTn44ibRM Wah

Curran, Nobody is dishing on the pre 1977 swords. I knew the potential someone might see my comment as denegrating postwar to pre 1977 shinsakutos. That is not what I said. "Most" does not mean "All". There are always exception, as I mentioned in my previous post, some smiths will have surplus from the war or other sources. I would also guess the chances are these are usually the top smiths who produces fantastic work and had access to old tamahagane. The few top smiths like Gassan, Akihira, Okimasa and Kuniie, etc, from the early postwar era would have had surplus of old tamahagane and produces excellent work before 1977 and every bit as good as anything produced in Shinto even some Koto era and rivals the best work of today by the top smiths. Mukansa smiths swords from the early 70s were very good but "in general" their post 1977 work were better relative to their earlier work. Wah

Just want to draw your attention to two swords. One by Ningen Kokohu Amada Akitsugu made in 1976 and the other by his younger brother Amada Kanesada made in 1985 http://www.samurai-nippon.net/SHOP/V-1526.html http://www.samurai-nippon.net/SHOP/K-826.html Not saying anything about possible tamahagane use but assuming the photographer was consistent It is known Amada Akitsugu makes is own steel but not sure when he started doing so, when he had perfected his own steel or if he had ever used tamahagane supplied by NBTHK? Wah

All smiths are strictly registered after WW2 so I will have no doubt they are informed of access of tamahagane once production of the prized steel has begun. Some well connected smiths will already have surplus tamahagane from the war. One way of finding out is to see the general work of Yasuaki before and after 1977. I have a feeling your sword had benefitted from the new tamahagane and the smith put extra effort into making it. Wah

Many smiths did not have the benefit of reliable access to good tamahagane after WW2. This changed in 1977 when the tatara in Shimane was opened by the Japanese government and NBTHK. I think for a lot of smiths the general workmanship improved after that period because of the reliable supply of tamahagane. Wah

I was ask the same question. My answer is probably the same reason why many patriotic Brits collect Nazi militaria. However my parent absolutely hated it. Wah

I also notice several registered NMB members with very mainland Chinese names but never posted. If I was hunting swords and looking around for info about potential buys I probably do the same and just lurk On the subject of WW2 swords anyone wonder why Kao Isshin Mantetsu swords we all consider as low end suddenly selling fast at high prices? Wah

Despite what the law says, in China if you have money the authority sometimes look the other way. Over a decade ago I heard about a Japanese polisher bringing swords over to China. There is at least one Japanese swordsmith working in China and trained local deshi. We all know plenty of Japanese style swords commming out of the country so I have my doubt collecting being prohibited. There might be import restriction in place but even that I'm not sure if there is one, someone here might know more about that? Aoi and several other dealers has Chinese language sale websites some accepting China UnionPay. Maybe swords are imported to HK and moved into the Mainland? I saw an interesting article from a mainland Chinese news about Amada Akitsugu, his death was reported, and it show examples of his work with explanation such as "unspeakable beauty" and "like the masterpiece of Kamakura" Wah

I cant verify it but it is my feeling there are already Chinese collectors from HK or even Mainland China already visit NMB. They have been collecting for awhile and now a lot more. That said I would not be surprsie if some are every bit as clued up as some of the established experts. Wah

Sorry to resurrect an old thread Is there a picture of this Munetsugu naginata someone is kind enough to share? Wah

I was intrigued but not surprise by the wide interest in WW2 era nihonto in a number of Chinese language sword forum sites. The recent appreciation of gendaitos might no longer be driven by western collectors anymore. Wah

Thanks for posting the videos. The oil Tsuruta san use in both videos are neither "choji" or mineral oil but camelia oil for tool care commonly sold in Japan https://www.fine-tools.com/pflege.html Wah

The winning bid reached 2.5 million yen a bit too much for a Sadakatsu. This is one of the better ones though the horimono is not his elaborate best and the smith omitted the use of "hori do saku". It is said that many of Sadakatsu's swords during the war were made by his students. Event hough it has the trade mark ayasugi I find not all ayasugi looks the same that were signed by him, some were better than others. Some of the best Sadakatsu blades I saw were not ayasugi but that may just be personal preference. Wah

I thought the same too, at least from the photo. How necessary was that for a WW2 gendaito? I remember some badly corroded gendaito had some rust removed on the tang by the polisher but new yasuri mei? Wah

This Mitsuoki was sold recently https://www.touken-matsumoto.jp/product_details.php?prod_no=KA-0133 Wah