Jean

I don't know anything about this kinko school, this one is Hozon. Can someone tell me more about the school (or send me some scanned information through e-mail) and is the subject meaning something special?

http://www.sho-shin.com/smiths1d.htm In Hawley, he is rated 30 pts, but there must be few swords by this smith and even less signed as this one seems to be the only available example published

Just an after thought to illustrate my saying. Have a look at the "sale" section, on Aoi-Art website. There is an unsigned TokuJu Ichimonji + Koshirae both on the same certificate fot 15,8 M compare it to a signed Juyo Ko Bizen at 15 M. there are about 7000 TokuJu swords, perhaps a bit more. How many have you ever seen on sale? and Howmany signed ones? Seen many signed Kiyomaro on sale?

MASAMUNE JO-EI 1232 BIZEN 600 °MAS 1568 SAI-JO 1000 KO-BIZEN °MAS 1568 : Hawley reference. Depending on taste, apart Soshu Masters, Ko Bizen ranks First along with Ichimonji in the most sought after swords - and a signed one .... Could be a candidate for TokuJu BTW, Fujishiro lists only 5000 smiths

Chris, I am impressed, it was a very good try I warned you about Gan-nen (with the "moto" kanji) - I took me the first time more than one hour to get it and I have never forget it since

Brian, You should have answered why looking at Koichi san new signature, taking into account your last health ordeals : "Sometimes I'm up, Sometimes I'm down, O yes L..." but that, nevertheless, as Ol'Man River "you keep on rolling alone"

machi okuri does not automatically imply a second mekuhi ana

Could it be possible to write a Tsuba symphony in e-flat Sorry I could not resist

Mike, Kanefusa is a Seki smith lineage, meaning there were a lot of smiths by this name, not unlike Seki Jumyo, Kanemoto .... or Bizen Sukesada, Tadamitsu ..... so if you don't know the generation in the lineage, it can be hard for us westerners to say anything on the mei

Yes and others if you go to the Japanese commercial sites. High end Juyos are dealt outside the classical commercial circuits.

Right Brian. Japanese Shops seem to get rid of what is not up their inland standard for quality. In DTI, since there are charters of foreigners attending, prices are high. Best deals seem to be made about 3 weeks after DTI. Seldom do top swords reach the market, they are pre-empted before, anyway very few of us could afford them. Reason why you won't see thousands of Nagamitsu Tadayoshi, Kotetsu, ko Bizen on the market. One or two shall from time to time appear, that's all For the wealthy ones, cheapest Juyos are Koto suriage mumei, especially in the wakizashi range. Some less favoured schools are also cheaper, Mihara, some Yamato schools ...

Unfortunately, last provisional evaluation is 50 victims; probably much more. It took place 100 km North East to Roma

I wanted to express my condoleances to our Italian friends for the casualties during last night earthquake

I cannot open the Tanto .jpg. The link does not seem to work

Carlo explained it very clearly, definition given by AFU is the following Nioiguchi : The part of the nioi line next to the ji, (not the entire line) Habuchi : The between the ji and the yakiba (Whole line, including nioi/nie whatever the deki) This means that there is always a nioi line under nie. I agree that everybody use both terms indistinctively, (perhaps a corruption of language) but nioiguchi refers primarily to nioi, and not to the deki Habuchi can be nioi deki or nie deki (from my understanding) Ted or Guido or Koichi san can explain it in technical terms

Nioiguchi: 匂口 The part of the nioi line next to the ji. Habuchi: 刃縁 or 刃端 Borderline between the ji and the yakiba.

and habuchi ......

Chris, You must make an effort Begin with the easiest which is the date of issue (second column starting from the left) I let you decipher it, go to the Forum kanji page First two kanji are the era : Not too difficult to find taking into account That NBTHK is a relatively new organisation Third and fourth : numeral + year (a bit tricky when you don't know the kanji which looks like "moto") when you have found it, you will never forget it in your whole life (believe me) Fifth/sixth and seventh: numeral + month eighth + ninth: numeral + day

Reinhard, I do not at all contest the fact; what I was just stressing is that it is a general trend of sue Koto: comparing Nie in first Soshu masters and Tsunahiro turning nioi, same with sue Bizen smiths compare to Kamakura or Nao Shizu with Sue Seki.

Let's compare Muramasa school with true late Soshu/Mino leading smiths meaning Muramasa/Tsunahiro/Kanesada/Kanemot. It is unfair to compare 16th century swordsmiths to 14th century ones

on board Brett

It disappeard and then reappeared without being put on hold/sold- there was also a Norihisa blade which could be sold with or without the koshirae which did the same, It disappeard and then reappeared and re-disappeared again without being put on hold/sold-.

Henry, I'll rather prefer the Muramasa tanto, and I was just waiting for your wire transfer to my bank account to buy it My choice : it is less cumbersome, I have already two rooms filled with Tokuju (mostly signed Heian blades Sanjo Munechika ...) and no more room available BTW, it almost April fool 's day(beware )

Thanks Rod, I am going to watch it again keeping in mind what you said

Agreed Steve compare to the price paid for some gimei or Chinese fake