Jean

Welcome Henry John🙂

« everyone is entitled to an opinion, you're from France right? My my. » That’s the poorest answer I have ever read, My, my. This biaised opinion makes me think of opinions based on propaganda (Prieuré de Sion)

Jimmy, As a rule of thumb, nobody is entitled to state an opinion on a subject based on ear say. You don’t know the English Token, though I am French, I know it and furthermore his former chairman Paul B. Is a very good friend of mine and a fine gentleman. It is a very good association based on learning swords in hand or by lectures performed by very learned gentlemen. I am sure you can get a free invitation to a meeting. Subscribe, assist at meetings and then state your opinion, otherwise it is not worth a dime.

Though I don’t like this kind of shape, this is a masterpiece. An original osoraku tanto by Kiyomaro was for sale a few years ago at DTI by Keichodo. Price: 16M¥

II think that Nambokucho is likely to have the largest Mihaba. ODENTA (Miike school) national treasure has a motohaba of 3,33 cm Motohaba of my former Osuriage Nambokucho Tametsugu is 3,2cm

Yes, it was from Ron😄

Very sad Peter. Condolences to family and friends.

With only these elements, I’ll say : No

BTW, this subject was already treated years ago on NMB and I remember Darcy had participated to the topic, it seems that the golden period spanned from roughly 1150 to 1350

Shortened traditionally made sword, signed Bishu Osafune…. (Province of Bizen, Osafune village…)

I have not locked a thread for ages so let me do it🤣😂

Dark hada, makes me think of northern provinces. Norishige/Tametsugu lineage is a possibility or Uda school.

Real Daisho are papered on the same kanteisho.

I remember that more than a decade ago, during one of our Kokusai Token Kai meeting, Zénon van Damme brought an engraved and signed wakizashi. It was made by Naotane in Yamashiro style and had these burls in the hada. He told us that they were a kantei point to Naotane.

When one relies upon others’ judgements to declare himself elitist, problems arise…. As it has been said blades must been judged according their own merits, independently of the smiths. It is what experts do for o suriage or mumei blades in Shinsa. Quality then determine the level of the kanteisho. A blade by a Rai smith, be his level saijo saku, may never reach Juyo level. The sword makes the smith and not the opposite.

O kissaki are also found on Keicho swords. The O kissaki originated in the Nambokucho period and were in vogue between 1356 and 1368.

Question has been asked, Jacques, and I am sure you’ll answer it.

I don’t know if Darcy’s articles are still available but there was one related to the rating/ranking system. a very good shop, one of the top, if not the best one is Sokendo. You will find swords from 5K¥ upto no limit (several 10M¥).

Wonderful Nihonto for sale by Rivkin at very reasonable price👍👍👍

Another example from one of my former tanto

Very strange shinogi……..

Very wet jigane👍

Forget shinsa criteria, I know 2 historical tanto which will never pass juyo but which should be by right as unique: both are the only existing exemplary tanto : one is by the founder of the Ayanakoji school, and the other one is this one:

Just to add, often the shogun or Daimyo who had not treasure swords to offer, had a stock of o suriage mumei swords and offer them with a certificate of famous appraisers stating that the sword was forged by grand Grand Master so and so. Nobody was fooled and the blade could be reoffered a few years later and so on… Everybody was keeping face.

Except for some special events when smiths forge swords dedicated, the custom was to offer old swords made by master smiths.