Jean

Jacques, Still Topic is "Just recently I have been told by a senior student in my class that swords which have a mixture of itame hada and mokume hada should not be used for cutting, but those swords which only exhibit only itame hada should be used for cutting? Anyone care to share their thoughts??" Whatever Mino hada is, it does not answer the topic question. If Mokume hada was not fit for cutting, Bizen would not have produced the largest number of swords. The examples and counter examples given show only one thing, even Japanese experts disagree between themslves on mokume and itame. Nagayama Kokan was a National Living Treasure Kanzan Sato was head of NBTHK

Anyway, Some likes it hot :lol: :lol:

Jacques, We can always discuss the topic over the distinction between Mokume/Itame and the distinction made by Japanese Experts (herebelow some counter examples) and we have already done it in another topic. Herebelow some counter examples: A well documented link ( Dr Stein): http://home.earthlink.net/%7Esteinrl/mino.htm Fred Weissberg :http://www.nihonto.com/abtmaj.html Malcom E Cox : Mino-To p13 : Hada :.... and the folding patterns produce a grain (jihada) that is basically Mokume Nakayama Kokan (the Connoissseurs of Japanese swords) : p88 : Mokume hada : ....In blades of Mino Province, Mokume is combined with Masame Attribution based on Jihada p88 : Chu Mokume combined with Masame : Koto : Naoe Shizu, Kanemoto II, Izumi no Kami Kanesada, Sue Seki p.89 Mokume combined with Masame Leading swordsmiths : Koto : Sue-Seki p.215, 216 : Mino tradition Early Mino : Jihada : O-mokume hada combined with some masame Hada Middle Period : : Mokume-hada combined with masame-hada Sue-Seki : ... the Ji is coarse Mokume-hada - Zenjo school : Ko-Mokume hada - Kanemoto school : O-Hada - Kanesada school : mokume-hada mixed with Masame-hada - Hachiya Kanesada school : mokume-hada mixed with Masame-hada - Kanefusa school : coarse mokume-hada mixed with Masame-hada - Akasaka Senjuin : ko-mokume hada But the topic was : is Mokume as good for cutting purpose as itame? The link to Jinsso Kim's website answers the question

Jeremy, was it a Cooking class???? Bull ...(s**t!! I cannot find the end of this word.. ). In Koto : Mino swords which were reknowned for their cutiing ability have a mokume hada Bizen swords are Mokume Among these schools you will find an amazing number of Wazamono, Ryo wazamono ... Have a look at this link and search in the "swordsmith ranking/wazamono ranking" http://www.jp-sword.com/

Hi Peter, Too much competition for the Shogun job

Martin, I shall PM you all the details

Stephen, It will be with pleasure, I shall take over the baby on the 6th of April and I shall post pictures of all the Tosogu asap after It is a Koshirae based on shishi theme with Kogai and Kozuka. Pictures posted were sent to me by e-mail

Other pictures

Few months ago, I told you I wished to have a koshirae made for my Naoe Shizu I got from Darcy, it is a fantastic blade (probably I shall submit it one day to Juyo shinsa) Here are some pictures, I shall get it back within a fortnight and post other pictures

Let's dive (and not sink ) Province : Yamashiro - Kyoto Swordsmith : Sandai

I'll check tonight if I have time From the Kami kanji, it seems to be the Osaka branch : http://home.earthlink.net/%7Esteinrl/yoshmich.htm

I have only 3 seconds as I am already late for an appointment and I am probably totally wrong; Last pictures, at first glance, make me think of Tamba no Kami Yoshimichi sudareba but it is surely wrong :D :D :D

Probably is, as when I was talking to him, he was examining a Rai Kunizane blade and was seeing a gunome midare hamon instead of a suguha :lol: :lol: :lol:

In fact, it is what he told me last week when I saw him

Yes, once his computer and IP problems are fixed

My dear Reinhard, I entirely agree with you and if you read carefully the post you will see that is the conclusion I entirely agree (though I'd like you to list the number) but there are lot of kazu uchi mono with nengo begining with Bishu Osafune so that does not prove anything. So statisticaly speaking, there are probably more poor blades beginning by Bishu Osafune than Juyo. Definitely right and definitely out of topic. Sue Bizen blades have (there are always exception) a distinctive bohi (which I was referring to) : http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/katana/06222.html I don't know if you have already discussed with a polisher the time it takes to make such a bohi. I have and I doubt that in wartime people will have time to waste to carve one. What is the topic about and I fear you have missed the point which was intended for beginners: Be very carefull concerning mei, there are no rules but you definitely won't find a Juyo on e-bay. By the way, concerning the mei "Bizen kuni ju Osafune .." it is still shoshin... :D :D :D

Very true Paul, unless one can consider Nihonto collecting as out-of-pocket expenses

My dear Reinhard, Just to remind you that if you read carefully the posts, I have always been referring to Sengoku Jidai. The topic is Kazu uchi mono. I have already mentionned that even during Sengoku Jidai, blades should be judged "in hands", one "Bishu Osafune ..." being Juyo. I am too old to be academic, in fact I am considered as being very pragmatic which is a good thing in my Job (no subprime in my portfolio) To be clear, being very pragmatic, I seldom bet and if I bet it is only for a never for money, it is too hard to earn/spare. That is the reason why, I stay clear from e-bay, I buy only from reputable dealers when I can afford it. Ex: My last purchase is a sue Muromachi Mino tanto not even papered, but instead of waiting for Shinsa (which it would have passed easily but would have prevent me to get it quickly), I asked if it was possible to have Tanobe sensei write a sayagakii, who has accepted. That is what pragmatism is all about

Naughty Paul

Pierre, You'll be facing the greatest challenge which is to draw perfect symetric crisp lines : Shinogi and yokote. FYI, if I tried it, I'll get an inazuma shinogi line, I'm so clumsy :lol: :lol: :lol: At first, try to open a window.

Hi Paul, I am very surprised by this sentence : No it is called Gimei, the syntax according Honma Junji (and all examples I have seen on papered swords) is "Bizen Kuni Ju Osafune ...." There may be exceptions but Honma Junji has never encountered one ... There was a topic about this and "Bishu Osafune...." mei viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2531

sanbonsugi hamon. FYI, I had one sword which has been ground, copy of this one. Once polished it turns out well except for a big and long ware the hada being running italme/masame

The eigth Tokugawa shogun, Yoshimune (ruled 1716-1745) was distressed by the fact there may not be anymore skilled swordsmiths in Japan. In 1721, He summoned some reknown swordsmiths to enter into competition. Mondo no Sho Masakiyo (1670-1730) and Ippei Yasuyo (1680-1728)collaborated to forge a blade . They were on they way back to Satsuma when Yoshimune granted them the right to inscribe the design of a single hollyhock leaf on the tangs of their blades. (The hollyhock was the Tokugawa crest.) They were the first winners of this competition

Thanks a lot Reinhard, I had never seen a close picture of a Masamune blade. The picture speaks for itself.

IMHO, IMHO, IMHO, IMHO (very very very very humble) The shinogi ji seems masame. Were it not for the nagasa, the blade being O suriage (???) I would have gone for Keisho. Perhaps shinshinto utsushi