Jean

You are too modest Darcy , I remember seeing some of your goldsmith artobject on your website years ago, they were very good. Some people have a natural gift for craftmanship (working/carving with their hand) and you are one of them as many NMB members, I envy you all because I am very clumsy

Darcy wrote : Interesting but Nagayama is talking about jihada, now all the masame is on the shinogi ji which leads to Yamato, Nagayama does not precise if it is a mix of Ko itame/masame or masame. Here in this case, there is no mix they are clearly separated. I voluntary mentionned that at first glance my kantei would have been sanji Kunitoshi (not niji Kunitoshi) but for the masame located in the shinogi ji. In my Kanenaga kantei, the only thing that keeps nagging me was the high shinogi. I have seen fantastic kanenaga jihada who could equal that Rai jitetsu. My conclusion is as always : Nihonto is full of exception (booby traps ). Statistically speaking, how many Rai blades are you going to find with masame only located in the shinogi ji? Boshi fits Rai Kunitoshi probably better than tegai Kanenaga where it is generally more oustanding. At that moment, I knew it must be sanji Kunitoshi but I prefered to stick to Kanenaga because of the masame located in the Shinogi ji. Now Darcy, how many Ray blades have masame located only in the shinogi ji?

rather ............;

Carlo wrote : next step would be the proverbial Tea leaves that Guido mentioned... :lol: I am very Roman/Etrusque (Haruspice), I read/devine in my enemy's guts

Carli has written Is it signed at the bottom or shumei ....

Keith has written : Neither am I Keith Guido wrote : You are more than right, I am beginning to see in these pictures a mix of Masamune/Kiyomaro/Tadayoshi/Kotetsu (not mentionning Jacques' Belzebuth) DARCY: HELP PLEASE - THE SOLUTION

Were it not for the masame I seem to distinguish in the pictures on the shinogi-ji, My first guess was Sanji Kunitoshi for the Hada, he could made Hakikake Boshi.... As was saying Guido, it is very difficult to KANTEI without further pictures or description 5nie utsuri ...

Guido, These are very good reasons. We will see Darcy's answer

Hi Ford, Right, I don't see if there is a high Shinogi or not, but the shinogi ji seems to be masame and the boshi hakikake, the kaeri is quite long ===> How does it fit with Rai? In fact, at first glance, I was thinking of Yamashiro, but then after closer inspection and the above mentioned points I redirected my thought to Tegai : Only missing point : High shinogi, not blatant from the pictures Kantei point to Tegai : Masame in Shinogi Ji Hakikake boshi Ko itame Ko nie deki Could be Yamato Shizu due to the slightly undulating Hamon. I incline on Yamato rather than Yamashiro. Let's wait Darcy's answer

In fact, I had to be at 8 inches from the screen to be able to see the kitae

Difficult one and I have been discussing it with John on PM (Congratulation to have been the only one as so far to give a Kantei. :bowdown) IMHO, I disagree with him as to his kantei because I thought it was too much calm to be by one of Masamune Jutetsu. I see in the shinogi-Ji masame, the kitae seems to be ko-itame The blade is in is fine ko-nie deki leading to an hakikake boshi I am not certain of High Shinogi from the pictures, Nevertheless, I am leaning on Yamato school (mainly because of the boshi, at the beginning I have hesitated with Rai school, but Have eliminated it because of the boshi - Hakikake and too much kaeri - and the masame in the shinogi-ji). Such a fine hada in Yamato leads me to Tegai school, End of Kamakura and taking into account Darcy's excellent swords, it leads me to Kanenaga. Era : Late Kamakura School : Tegai Smith : Kanenaga In fact, I have a common kantei point with John, it is the Tegai influence. Let's wait Darcy's answer. I am disappointed that more knowledgeable people as Guido, Reinhard, Jacques, Max, Carlo.. have not tried it... Darcy is giving us some chances to try a kantei from oustanding blades/pictures, it is a duty to answer is challenge - Even if we are deeply mistaking in our kantei as I am probably

Few chance to be a Kazu uxhi mono :D :D :D

Jacques has written : Revise your classic Jacques, two years ago I had a NTHK kantesisho on an unpolished Koto Kanetsune which once polished had 2 hagire ........

Lee, Only shinsa can give you the answer

Brian has written I appreciate the measurements in inches/cm/shaku, that was very thoughtfull of you, Erick

Copycat of Milt : Milt has written Copycat Eager B has written

emead wrote: I suggest every NMB members be ready with their own disclaimers More seriously, as stated before this blade has had much use, I think it can be polish again but is worth it if it is gimeï? On an other side, if it is for sentimental reason, why not, if you can afford it? Anyway the polisher shall give you an answer

Thanks Stephen for the link :D :D :D Not mentioning the lack of temper due to fire

Outstanding as usual Morita-san

Steve, Congratulations!!!! Fantastic hamon and tight jigane I love kogatana. I have two in shirasaya, one with a wooden habaki, the other with a copper habaki, one of them has a sayakaki. There are both by smiths specialised in kogatana at the end of 17h century

Yes Peter, If it is an Omi Yari, it is probably suriage as, roughly (more or less), the nakago length is equal to the blade length http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/yari/main.html

Sorry James, it is very difficult like is saying Stephen to say anything from the pictures. My two cents, I am not sure at all it is fake (though it could be a F.A.K.E. like was saying Stephen ). I have not seen a lot of fake yari and the lines seem to be enough crisp (particularly the base) Most of Omi Yari had a masame had and we find it in your pictures. Just a an advice, bring it to someone who knows something about Nihonto (club ....) and show it. Nothing can equal a judgement "in hand"

That is a great responsibility for you and Stephen to have accepted this task and would like to thank you both for it

I like friendly talks, passionate people, but courteous. I have no ego or such incased that One have to go a long way to try to find and bruise it. For me, personnal comments are totally counter productive, a loss of time. I have no time to lose, live is too short. I am not interested in these people and discard them as childish and wait till they have grown up We are on an Internationnal General Nihonto Forum, so we can expect everything included the worst : non interesting topics, bad pictures, uninteresting swords, craps ... but I do not care as each time I try to explain IMHO what is my feeling about the topic. I have met beginners who were much like me years ago, I've seen them making the same mistakes and try to help them not doing them, trying to educate/upgrade slightly their taste. In each member you'll find different people. We have our lot of experts : Darcy, Reinhard, Ford, Carlo, Rich T & S, Docliss, John A stuart, Paul, Guido...people I like but seldom post : Paulb ...and many others Experts on a forum have a duty : Educate the rookies and be patient because when one begins he is like new-born so it is a mistake to castigate. Milt is probably one of the most interesting member of the Board. Nobody's know exactly his in depth knowledge on tosogu/kodogu but he has what few people have, it is an inborn understanding of what is Art. He could collect anything and his collection will be always top grade. Our moderators : People being rude or making personnal attacks on the Board are directly attacking them - so please, spare them for you won't be there without them. I think that between Brian and Stephen we have a perfect tandem, Brian with his diplomatic side (perhaps too much diplomatic to my taste sometimes but always quick to step in) and Uncle Stephen in backup (and what backup!!) with thunderbolts in his right fist when needed. I wish everyone could have the courtesy, politeness and behaviour as our Japanese members, Koichi-san and Morita-san and I would like to include also Darcy

As I originated the Kazu Uchi mono post, I have to answer Reinhard remark : Reinhard is absolutely right. Suspicion about the mei "Bishu Osafune ..." being kazu uchi mono depends on the date the sword was forge, taking as example Blades forged during the 15th century or before and beginning with "Bishu Osafune ..." you will find very few kazu uchi mono. I think these kind of swords appear at the very end of 15th century and boomed during the 16th century. Nevertheless, Reinhard example is biaised because there are always exceptions to the rule. Remember the Kanenori post and the Kiritsuke mei, I was saying that the kanenori kaji line was not outstanding and Jacques shows us a Juyo Kanenori blade. Darcy answered that a Juyo blade does not make a Kaji line exceptionnal. In fact, I have never seen books or pictures dedicated to kazu uchi mono swords, I think there is a market there :D :D :D The only thing I will never do is to buy a "Bishu Osafune ..." mei sword forged during the Sengoku period without having the possibility to examine it "in hand". Even High resolution pictures can be misleading Statistics are there even if there are exceptions .... That was Guido's remark too. Do not discard anything but be very cautious, Nihonto is full of booby traps