jesup

Is there any difference between bright green tokubetsu kicho NBTHK papers from the 70's and regular dark green tokubetsu kicho papers? (An example from the 1980 US shinsa can be seen at https://www.nihontocraft.com/japanese_sword_papers.html#japanese_sword_8 in the "Tokubetsu Kicho Nintei-sho from the 1980 US Shinsa" section. I doubt it means a lot, but I was just wondering since I have one. In this case I know it's pretty good; Mumei, I have papers from NTHK, Suiken Fugunaga and NBTHK (1975, bright green). Interestingly, NTHK and Fugunaga agree (55pts Hawley, 4.5M yen Toko, jo-saku); NBTHK to a similar smith (60 pts. 3.5M yen, jo-saku). The difference doesn't bother me; all say it's really good, and it's mumei so it's open to opinion. I agree with NTHK after chatting with Gordon Robson & Marcus Sesko about it.

Note, this is a couple of years old. She also did a day with a smith (Masataka Futsuno); link is at the end of this video. And her shtick seems to be kinda anime clothes (which perhaps isn't so surprising for a youtuber in Japan). Some of it is in English; most in subtitles. Interesting, though very much focused on the general public. Polisher seems like a very nice guy.

I haven't been to a sword museum in Japan. Got close once; was in Japan for 25 hours in 1992(?), but it was on a Monday... Ueno Museum was closed on monday (written in stone on the entrance). Called the NBTHK Museum on the other side of Tokyo to make sure they were open. Someone answered, didn't speak English, but I took that as open. Went 1/2-way around the city, walked took a local line out further, walked a few blocks, got there and someone was coming out to get something from a vending machine. Went to the door and .... Closed on Mondays. The person said they thought that all museums in Japan are closed on Mondays. I was in the Samurai museum in Berlin earlier this year. If you can make it *anything* like that, it'll be outstanding. The focus there was on armor much more than blades. The blade descriptions could use some improvements. But the entire museum was extremely attractive and interesting to non-sword people. Some of the items have fancy touchscreen multi-lingual displays to tell you more

61+, have been collecting since about 20, though only had a gunto (originally for kenjustsu practice) and an old koto tachi in WWII mounts until I was about 30.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/355931663409 and https://www.ebay.com/itm/176500947490 and https://www.ebay.com/itm/375568236655 all use the same images (though on one the background was changed)

I was assuming https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/SAD543, And thus certainly gimei if it's a wak that looks to be early edo or late koto.

Stuff like that helps remind us how much we've learned. :-) I still have the stainless gunto I first got in college for kenjutsu training

I would assume if I see a wakizashi blade with 相模國住人貞宗 sagami(?) kuni junin sada mune(?) and a date from gen toku(?) 2 (1331), with a tang that looks late koto/early edo, it's gimei.... :-) Maybe I misread the date and it's Genroku, which would make more sense... but there are no sadamune's anywhere near that. And no Sadaxxxx's in that timeframe that signed in a way that matches, at least from https://nihontoclub....&mei=kuni+junin+sada

My photos, unedited: https://www.amazon.c...HTUnqbX9lRPZDnx-gwZI

Masamune 1333-1392:

I spent and afternoon there, with a coworker (giving him a tour and explanation of all the things he was seeing). We had a great time; what a collection! In some ways better (and better presented) than the exhibits at the Met in NYC. Very nice Munetsugu, and of course the Rai blades. I noted the Masamune; on a bottom shelf even. The dates, though (1333-1392), imply a different Masamune (or gimei). It's signed, mekugi-ana (one square). Wild temper, though. Also a nice Gassan Sadatsugu from the coronation of Emporer Taisho, later presented to someone in Europe in the 1920's. Very fancy koshirae too. The armor was extensive and great. Including Date Masamune's armor. I noticed also the Child's Day armor and tachi -- I have a child's-day tachi that I'd say is better than what they have. But mine is very good; in general this is a truly impressive collection - and impressive presentation!!!

Last kanetoshi

and a few more:

More kanetoshi:

More kantoshi; you can see the unusual hada in some of these

Noshu ju Kanetoshi -- Murayama Kanetoshi. NTHK 70 pts (from Yoshikawa sensei in 1997 Long Island). Unique hada with a line of elliptical mokume along the hamon line at regular intervals. Probably drilled a few cm in a line into the surface of the steel before it was stretched into a blade. Fittings are good quality, and the knot is a diplomatic knot (gold-plated wire and gilded cloth)

I have my ticket... I'll take photos if they let me. Thanks!!!! turns out it's only 12 by car, 25-30 by public transport from my hotel. I should get a good 3.5 hours there (this is the only day I'll have free)

I'm going to be in Berlin for next week; I was wondering if there was anything worth seeing there if I have a few spare hours. Thanks!

My first was The Japanese Sword by Inami Hakusui (1948). I found it by interlibrary loan at the NY State library in Albany; I couldn't keep it of course so I photocopied the entire book (this was ~1983). Still have the photocopies (and now my own copy of the book; it wasn't easy to find).

ian if you're still around - I have a boy's sword Tango no kami Naomichi (Mishina, ~5th generation?) with the same hamon: (repeats several times on each side) It's in Japan for polish right now; I've asked to have the polisher tell me the name for the hamon

And it was?

Which book is this? The $350 one in that last picture -- That's a diplomatic tassel, correct? Looks a lot like the one on my Kanetoshi, though in better shape (mine's pretty good, but not quite perfect, and some tarnishing). Very heavy (gold-plated wire I think)

My point is that they are human. No one was sitting watching smiths sign. Signatures change with time. Forging can change with time (get better or worse, or better then worse perhaps with age). Some gimei makers were more talented than others; had better examples to copy (from books or swords). Given the number of swords papered, and all those factors, I would be very surprised if it never happened. It is likely very, very rare.

I'm sure some gimei have papered; given the number of papers.... And then there are the older green kicho papers; perhaps it's likelier with those. (They aren't all bogus; you just can't count on them in the same way as current papers, and maybe much older papers/sayagaki) The judges are human. And in some cases, maybe the gimei is really well done - including not just the signature.) Most gimei are pretty easy to spot... and remember the signature confirms the blade. And (I'm told) blades have been failed at shinsa, had signatures removed, and then attributed to the original smith. Which could be a gimei signature that wasn't an attempt to hide the maker, but to put the 'correct' name on it. Or blind chance. Or it was a shoshin mei, and they didn't agree/believe it -- but the blade confirms it.