Jean

Min Lee, Wrong, for the following reason : Bishu Osafune ...is a very common mei, all depends when the sword was forged : before Onin or after. Before Onin, it can be a very good sword, after it has to be checked on a case by case basis, it is usually commonly accepted that "Bishu Osafune .." mei swords are of poor grade (Bundle swords) but they are also fine swords with a mei beginning by "Bishu Osafune .." Rule of thumb, never take anything for granted in Nihonto. I think that NMB members will gladly welcome a new thread with some pictures of your blade showing Nakago omote/ura, boshi and mono uchi with the usual inventory sheet giving blade characteristics (measurements ...) It is a very good exercise and enables one to study blade very carefully

remember that on this topic we have ruled out "Mizukage sworsmiths" as Horikawa kunihiro and that we are talking about a suriage blade. Mizukage in that way implying retempered blade

Interesting blade, I am not a specialist but I think that the question we have to answer is : What is the meaning of Mizukage (let aside Horikawa Kunihiro)? Mizukage means that the blade has been retempered, if this is the case, can a sword be retempered only on one side? I should answer no as it seems almost impossible to heat only one side of the blade to have iot retempered. Other question : How a blade can loose its tempered edge only on one side? Difficult ... Now, look at the other side of the blade at the hamachi, no sign of any Mizukage, ko ashi seem visible. On the presumed Mizukage side of the blade, the hamon is looking nioi deki and seems to be running under the Mizukage line. IMHO, I won't say this is Mizukage.

Just to add some inputs : 1 - France has had only three Emperors. 2 - The first one is well known Napoleon 1st, the second one (l'Aiglon) died very young from, the third one Napoleon III ruled France for about 18 years. 3 - Napoleon I is one of the most famed sovereign (or ill-famed depending where you were born at this time) : He has benn considered as the equal of Alexander the Great or Caesar Augustus, conquered most part of Europe and lost all. He was so feared that he has to be exiled in Saint Helene island in the middle of Atlantic Ocean between Angola coast and Brazilian coasts. His reign was very flashy and left a furniture style inspire from Roman Empire which 200 years later is one of the most aprreciated. If you ever come to France, visit l'Assemblée Nationale (French House of Deputies) which is very impressive. He has influenced Europe and is at the origin of what is called the "Code Civil" which has been adopted more or less in a lot of countries and which still rules our daily life in France. He created special rewards for the braves (Honour swords engraved with gold inlays), medals : légion d'honneur which still exists with different grades, the highest one being given to the French Republic President. Considering this sword, it is gold plated and belong to the only Emperor who matters in the French History. He must not have owned more than 3 swords (which mattered) in his whole life. This one is probably unique in its style, no others were made (I am sure he took the necessary steps no others were forged :lol: :lol: ) In fact, it is a Symbol as the DojiGiri but must not be considered as a sword

Hi, Here is another bizen wak, fully mounted (nice kodogu) of Oeï period by another Jo saku smith. http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/wakizashi/07138.html Price can always be discussed, no harm Bizen 15th Wak are very interesting and of very good quality. I am not making wak collection, but were I, I undoubtedly choose 15th century Bizen wak. All smiths making wak at this period were all (more or less) Jo saku smiths. Here is my Eikyo Bizen Kosori Yoshimitsu, this kind of Hi + bonji is typical of the period :

Just for you Brian, It is a wak by Yoshimitsu (Hawley 1290) dtd Kosho 2nd year (1456) :

Condoleance from France for his family and his friends.

Hi Mike, That is exactly what I said. The best forgery is one that shall never be detected. We had in France years ago in France, Fernand Legros who was between 1960 and 1966 the biggest dealer of "Utsushi" paintings, he sold to the greatest Museums and private investors around the world more than 400 paintings done by Real Lessard "à la manière de" Chagall, Matisse, Picasso which fooled all the worlwide experts. In fact there are 2 sorts of fakes, the one where an undue signature has been added on an artefact, the other being a mumei artifact made "à la manière de ". for the latter all depends of the intention of the maker. Kiyomaro trying to recreate Soshu swords and signing his works or an anonymous swordsmith trying to make fakes. You can be a very good even excellent forger but you shall never be a master because you lack imagination to create your own style. the only thing you can achieve is being a Master Forger. Gimei begins when you try to to make pass a copy for an original (mei)

Hi Franco, Yo have two way handling a knife : 1 - blade thrusting upward with the edge up : Used by streetfighter. Usual way when your opponent is not weraring an armour. You can slah back and forth in an easier fashion if it has a double edge. 2 - Blade thrusting downward : When using on an armour, very handy. It enables you yo enlarge the wound using it as a can opener (not the electric ones :lol: :lol: :lol: ) or even in a more practical way, using it in the same way, to free the blade from the armour if is stuck in it.

i, The blade is dated 2 month 15th year of Eisho : February 1518 The mei reads Bishu Osafune (I guess) Suke ... The hamon seems to be suguha but nearly impossible to see from the pictures, the nakago is slightly suriage. Thats all I can say from the pictures, mei could be genuine (easy strokes) but as, at this period, there were more Sukesada smiths than hair on my head, it is difficult to say more ... Please, to be in line with NMB policy, don't forget to sign your post

Hi Paul, I have a good friend who is really fanatic of Japon history since 1850, who has collected as much as 100 swords (all types and in all shapes), He is very keen on Yasukuni swords even if Shinshinto remains his main collecting field. I have another friend who is a fanatic of Mishina school. Myself, I prefer Koto swords. I am not a specialist of Yasukunito, but I must confess I have seen very fine blades by Yasutake, I wish I could have bought In collecting, everyone has his field of interest. I think that as collectors we are drawn by history, but upto us to determine which period of history we are interested in. We've got a French saying : "Tous les goûts sont dans la Nature" "All the tastes are in Nature"

Hi Henry, I don't agree with you when you write : "There is nothing nicer and more collectible than a Yasukuni sword" Yes, there is : 2 Yasukuni swords :lol: :lol:

Hi Pete, Ford and Mates, On Ricecracker website: http://www.ricecracker.com/ Sword SK14, there is an Higo Koshirae, Is this kind of Kojiri typical of Higo Koshirae? The kogai handle looks like a bashin handle

Thanks Koichi, I am salivating at seeing this Kanetsune blade with its koshirae

Hi Tom, Welcome in the fun Interesting, I have ruled out Gendaito, the nakago color seems to indicate the blade is older. What is very interesting is, as you have noticed, that the nakago seems "almost" brand new. The yasururime are so distinct ... "Does the hamon start there or run into the nakago?" I think, considering the 2 mekugi ana, that the blade is machiokuri so unless mistaken, the hamon must run now into the nakago. The Torokusho would obviously give the answer.

To All, Sorry but I have forgotten in my post the "a" of "Umabari", everybody will have corrected. I suggest to renamed the Topic : Bashin (馬針) Which is the right word as indicated by Koichi

Hi Syd, Here is a Tegai blade by Shizu : http://www.nihonto.us/YAMATO%20SHIZU%20KATANA.htm

Thanks a lot Koichi for giving us the right names

Hi mates, I am in my educational phase Following some information given by Ford, I have decided to launch a new thread on Umbari :lol: :lol: Umbari Utility : only for bleeding horses? Period of forging ? Forging location : Which province (Higo?) Are they found mainly in Higo koshirae?

Hi Ford, Thanks for this fantastic answer and I did not know about umbari being used in Higo Koshirae!!! Does it imply that most Umbari were forged in Higo? In fact, I did not know what was its difference from kogatana in its utilisation. Are Higo koshirae associated with Sengoku wars? Were they so much horses in Higo at this period? I am going to launch a new thread on Umbaris, that's fun :D :D

Hi Syd, You have pinpointed the strangeness of this more than unusual Nakago: - What seems to be the original mekugi ana is center drilled exactly on the shinogi suji!!! I have seen a few blades in my short life ( :lol: :lol: :lol: ) but never encountered this kind of nakago. Generally, for the nakago both sides of the blade are tapered proportionally to their width. Here the cutting side has been tapered twice more than the shinogi ji I am going to mail Darcy to have its opinion

Thanks Guys, Merci mes amis That is really what I call "an educational site". Another question, I have seen several times fuchi with a flattened side, Is this related to the Kozuka? (cf. the last one in the following link) http://www.aoi-art.com/fittings/350-399/05373.html

What are the characteristics of an Higo Koshirae often depicted in commercial sites? This label seems to cover a lot of different mountings

Hi Syd, I forgot the link : http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/katana/07148.html

Hi Syd, I'd say yes you are right (I am not a specialist at kantei), I would add around Tensho sue Tegai. Hosho should have been pure masame (difficult to see on your pictures), but it does not seem it is the case (you are the only one who can check it) The slightly undulating hamon is not unusual in this school and Shizu is a specialist. Nakago Suriage : Look at this link and the comment in Shape section. With two mekugi ana you always have a chance that Nakago is not ubu, the blade is machiokuri at least. But there is something very special about the Nakago which stroke me from the start and that I have only seen in Ken and Moroha (That is a big hint) and which is not natural, what it is? To answer the question have a look at Aoi Art Katana Section, none of them has this feature...