Grey Doffin

Heisei 16. 2004. Grey

Here is a hammer I had on my site a while ago: http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/other/swordsmiths-hammer Grey

Hi Hamish, Contact Markus: markus.sesko at gmail.com, and he will get you a copy. Cost is $40 a volume plus post for members of JSS/US or NBTHK American or European branch, or $60 per for non members. The book is print on demand, which means it will be printed and mailed by a shop close to you so weight shouldn't matter. Volume 1 & 2, both on iron, are currently available; volume 3, Kinko, is in the works. Grey

The picture is from Fujishiro's Nihon Toko Jiten, Shinto hen. Unfortunately, I think the sword is gimei. Grey

This is a fake, most likely from China. The notches at the start of the tang aren't aligned with each other and the shape of the tang is wrong (it doesn't taper). The placement of the holes in the tang is off. The signature, if that's what that is in your 1st pic, is totally wrong. Bet if you showed a pic of the other end of the sword it would be just as wrong. Don't buy a Japanese sword until you've done some study; otherwise you are ripe for the picking. After you've seen many of the real thing, fakes like this will be easy to spot. Grey

I will try. Hi Kevin, Hawley's Japanese Swordsmiths Revised lists 28 smiths who signed with those Kanji for Tomotsugu. From the pictures and information you have posted I couldn't begin to guess which of the 28 made your sword. If pressed for a guess on time I'd say maybe late Koto (16th century) or a bit later, but my guess and a $ gets you on the bus. Other than for a couple of the early smiths with this name, neither of which made this sword because it isn't that old, none of the Tomotsugu were very important. I think this is a Muromachi period sword made to be used in battle, not exceptionally well made to begin with, and now in pretty rough condition. The sword has been shortened, most likely when it was mounted for WWII. That's what I think I know. Anyone have a better idea? Grey

I'm curious. Have any of you ever had a ha-giri welded, are you willing to admit it, and how successful was the repair? To save face you can say the sword belongs to someone you know Grey

Hi Kevin, Before someone else tells you that you need to have the sword restored let me say no. Proper restoration would be expensive (improper restoration would be terrible) and the sword isn't worth the cost. Apart from the grinding, which presents a serious problem, there are openings in the steel that tell us this is too far gone. Tomotsugu is correct for the signature. Enjoy it for the gift it is and resist the urge to spend money on it. Here is a care and etiquette brochure; you would be smart to read it. http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Etiquette.htm Grey

Hi Bradley, Kanenori is correct. The date is either Ju Roku (10, 6) or Ju Hachi (10, 8 ) Nen, which would be either 1941 or 1943, and December is correct. David McDonald in Montana, who should be linked above, can do a great and reasonable job with the handle and I bet he'd be willing to remove the bend for you also. Grey

Maybe Geishu Ju Fuyuhiro. Grey

More on the subject: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/best-whisky-in-the-world-prize-won-by-Japanese-malt-for-first-time-as-scottish-distilleries-lose-out-9835583.html Grey

Hi Sean, The nakago bothers me. The pitting seems unnatural, the shinogi looks like it doesn't run true from the blade down into the nakago (it drifts toward the ha), the yasurime I can see are too distinct for a nakago that is so heavily corroded, and the mune of the nakago has an atypical curvature. Your picture of the hamon is a bit troubling also. I can't be even close to positive about this but I wonder if this might be something other than true Nihonto and a lot younger than it would like us to believe. I'm very curious to read what others have to say (and for your sake I hope I'm wrong). Grey

I agree but I'm not an expert. Grey

Thank you. I have great customers. Grey

Hi Matt, There are 3 editions of Mr. Hawley's book. The 1st, as Arnold has said, is the 2 blue volume set (the slim 3rd volume is nearly impossible to find). This 1st edition listed about 10 or 12,000 smiths with signatures in both Japanese and English (Romanji), provinces, dates, and a relevant point value. The 2nd edition: Japanese Swordsmiths Revised, 1998, is the same except greatly expanded to include about 32,000 smiths. The 3rd edition, the Commemorative Centenary Edition of 1998, is the same as the 2nd except it is a 2 volume format with mistakes of the 2nd edition corrected. You can see pictures and more thorough descriptions of the 3 editions on my website: http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/search/node/Japanese%20swordsmiths Grey

The sword is Noshu Seki no Ju Matsuda Kanetaka Saku and I think the fuchi is Masahiro Saku. Grey

I think Bishu Osafune Norimitsu. Grey

Hi John, Are you sure these aren't horimono? Looks like remnants of gomabashi-bi (chop stick hi) that have been polished down. Grey

As I said on your other post, this is a fake. Grey

Hi Zak, In case you haven't already read this at least twice: care and etiquette. http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Etiquette.htm Grey

Thank you Steve. Grey

Hi guys, I just got in a tsuba storage box (which will be for sale) with the following written on the outside. Could someone please provide Romanji and translation? I tried but I didn't get far. Thanks, Grey

Hi guys, It is my understanding, and I may be mistaken, that Harry did not have permission from someone associated with Nihon Token Jiten (whether the Fujishiro family or others) to do the translation of the 2 volumes, that he got into a bit of hot water because of it, and that is why the hardbound translations were never reprinted. Harry was selling digital copies of the translation after the books were circulated; I don't know how legit or otherwise that may have been. My other understanding is that Harry did have permission from the owners of the rights to Nihonto Koza to do his translations and publishing of that set. Grey

Hi Alexsandr, No serious smith would have this horimono on one of his swords; it is very low quality. The options here are: a real Echizen Yasutsugu with bad hori added later (not likely) and something thrown together and with a big name signature meant to fool the unsuspecting (more likely). Neither is something you would want to collect. Grey

Hi Chris, To my knowledge, Harry's translations of Fujishiro's Nihon Toko Jiten: Koto & Shnto will no longer be available except on the secondary (used book) market. I occasionally get in copies; if you send me an email through my website I'll add you to my Customer's Wants List and let you know if I get a set. Cheers, Grey