Jean

hi Reinhard, Sorry for the "scratched", i should have said carved as when you try to carve something on steel with a knife or a needdle.... Concerning the blade, without any worsheet I won't say anything. Assumption on the original length of the blade is made in relation with the bottom mekugi ana being the original one. As the mei is probably faked I won't say yes or no to this assumption taking into account that Japanese when they want are champions in Nakago reshaping ..... Pictures are of poor quality, please provide a high resolution one of the ENTIRE NAKAGO to see clearly where the yasurime start and end

Thanks to Jacques, it is easier to see the chisel strokes which seem to queue up Odd, Odd

Agreed with Jacques, Remember that we are in Indonesia and under such weather an unprotected blade can be ruined by rust in less than a century. The mei looks like it has been scratched and not punched with a chisel. I would have liked (sorry here I go again ) the blade measurements and above all a clear picture of the whole nakago. I won't deduce anything from the sori as I have learned my lesson thanks to Darcy :D . Sori on a suriage blade may be very misleading. By the way, I don't remember very well where I have read this, but a blade can a have several sori (in sue koto Bizen : koshi+saki) The space between the 2 kanji is very curious and those horizontal lines under the second kanji are really strange ....

Henry, Ichi, Rich, Guido, Thanks a lot to have us shared this party by proxy. I am so glad to see the reason why Zenon was not able to attend our last Kyokusai Token Kai meeting :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hi Warrick, It is very interesting. Does it mean that this Australian law can apply to Antiques which were made hundred years ago? In France, there is an intangible aspect of the Law, retroactivity is unconstitutional.

Alexia to the Nihonto world and congrats to the parents

From an old frog, believe me : There are no stupid questions but only silly answers

Milt, Don't count on me to put an A580 in the next raffle, though it will be easier to send it to the winner by Air :lol: :lol: :lol:

Jacques has written : In fact, Utsuri does not seem to be linked to niedeki or nioideki Ten Tenold has written a very good article on Utsuri : http://www2.una.edu/Takeuchi/DrT_Jpn_Cu ... ri_Ted.htm Usagiya web site has also an article on the subject : http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/utsuri.html The article does not seem to link Utsuri to niedeki/nioideki Sue Bizen : few books have been written on this period, the only reference I have is the 2 VOLUMES : SUE KOTO - Japonese swords of the 15th & 16 th centuries - JSSUS - More than 75 Sue Bizen blades are analysed - all oustanding ones - more than 80% of the blades described are nioideki with different kind of utsuri. In fact, these 2 volumes convinced me to become a JSSUS member

Hi Jacques, About nieki blades, it tends to appear in late Muromachi blade, I shall say after Tenmon (1532) when nagasa became to increase again (Nagasa around 70cm). But as everything in Nihonto is not a rule, I shall rather say that nie becomes to appear in the hamon at this era rather than nie deki blades. The same phenomena can be observed in Mino swords where nie begins to appear. Here are 3 blades with Utsuri : This blade is pre 1550 and there is clear utsuri (Tsuruta san dixit) http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/katana/06222.html The second one is post 1550 with utsuri and niedeki (Tsuruta san dixit): http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/katana/07270.html The third one is post 1550 with faint Utsuri : http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/katana/07192.html It seems that the lost of Gokkaden characteriscs developped in the second half of the 16th century

Congratulation Remy :D :D

Jacques, I was meaning that Pete has not read the blade description given by Tsuruta san.

Jacques, Tsuruta san states Furthermore : late Muromachi Bizen swords are "usually" Nioideki

Hi Pete, It's a Shinto Genroku Sukesada Blade. Agreed on the Tadakuni, it was a splendid sword but I am broken. I am having my Naoe Shizu koshiraied (I love the neologism). Shishi F/K with cascade : Nanako shakudo - shishi Gold/cascade silver Tsuba : Shishi with cascade Menuki : shishi And a fantasy kogai/Kozuka : shishi In a few years (when I get it back) I shall post some pictures :lol: :lol:

Andreas, I have bought 3 swords on Aoi Art a few years ago. I can tell you that the pictures quality have greatly increased since that time and that you won't be disappointed by your purchase. Everything is shown in the high resolution pictures. It is a splendid purchase. The Sukesada blade has a coarse hada which is unacceptable for a Shinto blade. The Tadakuni is splendid but more expensive. That 's the best deal (for the price) on the site. Probably the 4th Generation from the date (extract from Sho-Shin website) TSUGUHIRA 4th MEI-WA 1764 MUSASHI TSU 176 CHU-JO Congratulation :D :D

Rich, back from France (and don't listen to Brian's lies, the best news he's got this week-end is South Africa rugby team being in Final of the world Champion's Cup :lol: :lol: )

Thanks for the answer, I have learnt something today

I blundered once more (I wiwh I coul go back to bed) - Sorry guys - last one

Some more pictures sorry I clicked on the "Submit" button instead of "Add attachment" (Last night I had an Oenology diner ... :lol: :lol: )

On behalf of Tom

HI Mike, Thanks a lot for the nakago picture, it is extraordinary the difference between the 2 pictures : one with red rust and the other one deep black/grey. Where does come this red rust nakago picture? Natural light? ... A tip from Darcy (he has written a splendid article in last JSSUS news issue), I do not have any mei reference to compare but I f you get one, have a look at the way the mekugi ana is pierced compare to the second kanji of the mei, it may be a clue to gimei or not.

It is very a interesting blade. Were it mumei (I have no way to verify the dignature) from the suguta, length ... I would have said shinshinto. Now, what bothers me, it is the colour of the nakago, it seems very reddish (red dust). I wish Darcy could tell us a bit more about Nakago picture. I have been already totally fooled by Nakago pictures showing red dust (close pictures) and same pictures taken far showing a black rust nakago. It was in fact a late Kamakura blade. So, why this difference of colour in pictures of the same Nakago?

Franco, I agree with you, IMHO (It is very Humble, believe me on this one :D :D ), I'll go for Shinto, ubu wak. Whatever it is, I love it. My heart is split between the Eikyo Bizen slender wak and very stout wak like this one it seems so powerfull.

I scanned three tsuba this morning that will go into the raffle - free shipping - Heianjo : 7,5 x 7,5 (good/very good) Namban : 7 x 7,3 (medium - just dont like Namban - :lol: ) Sukashi : 6 x 6,3 - (I'm not sure if it is the right term) splendid smooth iron

Hi Paul, I have a built in excuse (in fact two), Saturday I was at a wedding party till early sunday morning and last night I was at the Stade de France for the rugby match Argentina/Scotland. Still this morning, I am not sure I have gotten rid of all the bottlles drank over the WE - I spare you the details and above all the quantities