Gakusee

George, are you sure Tokuno san refers to a a single line as “sunagashi”? Perhaps there are sunagashi on your sword and the other swords you are referencing, but those sunagashi are not single lines. Maybe Tokuno san was referring to something else, not the particular feature you think he was referring to. Is there a photo with an arrow or a diagram where you can see specifically Tokuno pointing to a kinsuji but labelling it sunagashi? Just as a Satsuma blade can have sunagashi and imozuru at the same time. Just as a blade can have (and very often has) both kinsuji (several sequential or separated single lines) and sunagashi (clustered together lines).

Mark, very valid points. But frankly a random engineer or even a smith, who does not have knowledge of Japanese swords, and in particular metal-smithing and forging methods for antique Japanese blades and is not trained to see ancient blades versus modern blades might also struggle. It all depends on what lengths the court is willing to go to. The same applies to an antique shop owner, unless they specialise in Japanese swords or at least sell many of them. In the past, Border Force have occasionally not recognised Token Society members as experts. Or auction houses in the U.K. have also been conservative. Sometimes, auction houses or border force have preferred to use the option /opinions of polishers but that also becomes problematic if there is no traditionally trained polisher around or at least the polisher cannot prove they are traditionally trained or have a certificate or attestation form some authoritative organisation. The polisher might be very good or experienced but proving it to or accepting it as fact by a Court might a different matter. Authenticating the papers and proving not forgeries: can be done directly on the phone and by fax (you read that correctly) with the NBTHK. It is not straightforward (and good luck finding people there who know English well and are willing to step up) but can be done. I have used an agent in the past for that (Japanese and English speaking dealer might do it). Proving age: well also carbon-14 dating (AMS) is possible but someone will have to swallow a bitter pill for it. Of course, the issue is that a small sample needs to be taken and converted to graphite. Would I recommend this for a Juyo sword - hmmm, doubt one would want someone to mess with their sword unless it desperately needs polishing or a sacrifice can be made somewhere on the nakago. The best form of non-invasive evidence I can suggest is relying on the NBTHK/ NTHK certificate. Next would be an assessment by perhaps a panel of independent representatives such as a Museum specialist, polishers and ToKen Society members (effectively a mini shinsa in the U.K.) acknowledging that this is how it is done in Japan when a blade enters their territory (for the issue of a torokusho) and also admitting that any such U.K. based panel will be grossly inferior to the Japanese equivalent.

Tony If you need an explanatory note from the To-Ken Society, please do not hesitate to ask. You are doing everything right by the sounds of it, and the legislation can be copied and pasted from the .gov website. What I have discovered in past dealings is that it is important to have kanteisho or shiteisho certificates presented and translated in English and whatever original source paperwork from Japan still remains. Sometimes this gets lost but it is worthwhile to obtain replacement certificates from the NBTHK or other respectable institution. i have seen on this board statements that people do not care about papers, which might be so because they are very confident in their own abilities, but certificates do help authenticate and prove provenance more favourably than one’s opinion.

Thomas, I don’t think there is any argument imozoru is Satsuma related and also perceived as inferior to kinsuji. But there is a reason for that: imozoru is dull and ill defined (due to the ara nie) and blurry.

In a separate thread Bob Hughes also wrote a touching tribute to our friend...

Kinsuji Note how clearly defined it is... The difference with imozuru is that the imozuru will be more blurred, speckled with ara nie/nie and in the right light will not shine so brightly.

George, just a few clarifications: - kinsuji tend to be singular and very bright (after all that is why they are called gold lines!) - sunagashi tend to be multiple lines - inazuma tend to be single lines and sharply crossing the habuchi at an angle. All of the above are high-quality and reasonably sharp hataraki I think your blade has imozuru. Imozuru is not quite as glamorous, is usually duller, thicker and often in ara nie based hamon. It is associated with Satsuma blades specifically. Some of the hataraki here are imozuru but not all: www.aoijapan.com/img/sword/2014/14153-2.jpg, www.aoijapan.com/img/sword/2015/15199-2.jpg Another Satsuma blade with imozuru

The book cannot be just read and then left lying around, as it is de facto a textbook. You retain some of it, perhaps 10-30% but then you return to it for reference. The back of the book has a lot of in depth useful stuff that helps kantei but there is so much info that I wish I had photographic memory.

You are so right, Brian. Hyper intelligent, cerebral and over analytical, which naturally lent itself to dissection of behaviours, moral codes, ethical standards…. And sometimes approaching matters clinically and logically, while in our life often emotions and irrationality rule. He sought honesty in people and would give people second chances, even if the initial reaction might have been explosive. But I appreciated that as we connected on that moral plane in the approach to the world. For him, the commercial aspect took second place, way behind the educational aspect and connecting with people. He would love to find the “right” item for the “right” person, sometimes going through years-long hurdles and obstacles and personal difficulty to facilitate this for his close circle. And the sleepless nights he spent answering even the most ridiculous of emails and random enquiries in his honest, lengthy, didactic manner. Trying to teach, elucidate, steer. Often taking other people’s burdens upon himself. Anyway, I am sure several of the board members can go on and on and on even more than me. So very sad really…. shattering ….and frankly unfair to have gone so young, with so much potential and with his big, generous heart…..

Heartbreaking.....

Ken, was that Osafune Kagemitsu?such a find is exceptional and congrats

As mentioned in the separate thread, it should be 9706.1000.00 / VAT footnote 03001. https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/commodities/9706100000?country= And, Jean the tariff for over 250 years old (9706.10xxxx) is a sub tariff of the one for over 100 years old (9706.xxxxxx).

Tony, Actually the code (and my suggested text) for antiques over 250 years is: “Tariff harmonic code 9706.1000.00/ VAT 03001 rate 5%”. You seem to have an unnecessary 06 inserted in there…. I have added the VAT free text after that tariff code, as that code (9706.1000.00) comes with two VAT sub-codes (one for standard 20% and for the reduced 5%). As we want to be as clear and to be spoon feeding people just to be on the safe side, I suggest using the text above. I am in the process of importing a sword now and if I encounter issues, I shall document them. In my text I am specifying the smith, the period (Nanbokucho), mentioning what Nanbokucho means (1336-1392), mentioning how many years ago this sword was made (c.650 years ago) using traditional methods and specify after words the sentence above (Tariff harmonic code 9706.1000.00/ VAT 03001 rate 5%). So, no loose ends and spoon feeding the authorities every single piece of information that is relevant. I have used this method in the past and never had issues with authorities by virtue of my over-providing information.

Yes, the photos are horrible. The descriptions need a lot of improvement. Interestingly, a lot of older swords in Kyugunto and gunto koshirae (which might explain the high values some people above are referring to).

Worthwhile for people to look carefully. Various potentially interesting blades signed Bizen…, Bitchu…., Hizen,… Sukehiro….The general’s Sukehiro mei should be compared to the books carefully as it is the most famous / most expensive mei type

Nanbokucho tachi but with nagasa of “only” 71cm as a bit suriage, vs your desired 72cm: https://www.aoijapan.com/katana-mumei-kashu-kagemitsu/ Rather than focus only on period and length, would be worthwhile to figure out school too.

350k is too much for Juyo blade and Juyo koshirae (on average) for a Nanbokucho blade. Well, Fred had a nice TJ Kagemitsu tachi with Muromachi tachi koshirae. I think it was priced around $200k. Is there nothing here that appeals?? https://www.nihonto.com/category/for-sale/swords/juyo-token/

Budget needs to be 50+k for something like that.

Tony, that is very curious. Could you care to elaborate as to the reason they confiscated them and you need to court? Was it to do with paperwork, or were they “modern” swords not considered antiques? Even so, that is a very radical development….

No need to panic. Administrative error somewhere. Call the numbers I have privately given you. Walk them through what is going on. Make sure you send them an email with the calculation (that many yen paid at the FX rate of the day of X meant that many pounds times the 5% VAT). Did you rush and not put the number you paid in pounds sterling? Did you only give them the yen invoice? It might be they charged you 5% on the yen amount or something. Errors do happen, even though not to me. Despite what people say, I often dealt with Parcelforce and they were reasonable when I did so. But talk to them. Do not make the rookie mistake of only sending emails or thinking that matters will sort out themselves.

I think this one was in the same haul of great tanto or similarly unpolished state, from memory....https://yuhindo.com/hosho-sadaoki-tanto/

George, my Google translator gives me for the first: second deputy director Masakazu Tsukamoto. The second one does not make much sense to me…. Existing [something] office. Was he a member of an organisation called Riki or something? Well, after some searching I came up with Rikigun as this guy is described as a Rikigun Jumei tosho So, my guess for the second caption: Existing Rikigun office, or something along the lines. I am sure people with proper knowledge of the language will correct me.

A couple of points. I did go through the Juyo Kotetsu and could not see any suriage swords. Secondly, slightly machiokuri is nowhere near the same “flaw” or “detractor” when positioning in the hierarchy for Juyo as is suriage. Sometimes machiokuri is not even detectable and people sometimes even say “possibly slightly machiokuri”. For old swords, where signed examples survive, empirically I have noticed that broadly speaking the following hierarchy applies: ubu zaimei > ubu kinzogan or suriage zaimei > suriage orikaeshi > gakumei > suriage kiwame (I suppose with exception of Kochu, Kojo who are highly valued) > mumei. Of course the above is a crude generalisation and in fact there are Koto swords where you cannot realistically find zaimei swords (Soshu; few Kokuho exceptions) so you have to go with mumei or kiwame. Sometimes the kinzogan comes with such strong provenance (kinzogan were expensive to give so Daimyo blades by definition) or such strong quality that the blade is elevated through Juyo and TJ. For new swords, as is the case with Kotetsu, you really need zaimei ubu or at the very best undetectable little machiokuri but otherwise pristine nakago (and of course -sword). The Juyo criteria precisely state: “Blades made in the Muromachi period must be zaimei and blades from the Edo period and later, as a rule, must be ubu and zaimei to receive Juyo Token paper.” So, the answer to your question is No.

Thanks, David, well aware of this. Notwithstanding, the blade above would not be determined and described to have koshizori. And, George,you a right that you measure from hamachi to kissaki. Of course suriage affects it but with or without the suriage this blade is not a koshizori blade.

George, this might be ever so slightly koshizori but traditionally this blade would be classified as torii zori. When people speak of koshizori, the sori is deeper and much more pronounced than in your case and usually with straightening in the monouchi area. Something like this: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21404/lot/1125/