Chango

The jigane is mokume mixed with itame and the hamon is sanbonsugi with a really nice crystalline outline (sorry I forget the proper term) that follows the the sanbonsugi unbroken down the length of the blade. It's in too rough of a polish to tell much more other than the less damaged surfaces of the blade shine like crushed diamonds when shined on by a light. I get the impression It's a high quality blade anyway but I'm no expert on the matter.

I've had this blade for several years now and have done a lot of learning, still think it might be a Katate-uchi from the 1520s...(length is 56 cm, btw) Looking for opinions on whether it could/couldn't be the work of such a big name and whether I've at least got the type/approx date nailed down or not Thanks! -Jason

Not one of the Koto Kanemotos.... would have more masame hada (straight grain) along the shinogi-ji if it was... that is if I'm seeing well enough from the pic.

I didn't bid, something seemed fishy about the whole thing (if it's too good to be true and all that). Guess my gut was right. Ebay is a damn minefield.

Comparing the origami to a couple of Nidai Kanemoto samples on AOI a bit closer and it looks kosher... seller posted a link to better pics too, btw. Can't imagine it doesn't have high reserve price or that a seller who knows what he's got would let it go for the stupid-low current bid...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Samurai-Sword-Magoroku-Kanemoto-w-NBTHK-Hozon/253687275045?hash=item3b10f09e25:g:3AgAAOSwn8pa-f2a What are the chances this one is real? Mei and origami looks right at a glance...

Not anymore scientific than driving different cars around and comparing their performance to each other, which includes raw data (0-60 time, horsepower, braking distance) and subjective data (this seat feels more comfortable, this car feels higher/lower quality, ect.) and then ranking which cars are the "best". If you want to do Science, you have to follow the scientific method, and that ain't exactly the Scientific Method. There are so many unaccounted for variables that can effect blade performance that it would be impossible to definitively verify which swords cut best simply by cutting up criminals. It's ultimately an artificial scenario that is not all that similar to real-life when you think about it; when swords were actually used in battle they were often subject to stresses unrelated to just cutting naked flesh and also had to perform under harsh conditions, variable weather/temperatures and less than ideal maintenance. Besides, by the time Yamada Asaemon put the list together in the early 1800's, Japan had been at peace for 200+ years and swords were more symbolic than practical weapons of war. Smiths had essentially forgotten how to make blades like those from the times of the Sengoku Jidai and before... that's why we distinguish between Koto and Shinto Nihonto, after all. Not saying it's totally useless information (just like car tests/reviews), it's not the "be all, end all" to determine which swords are "best". It's still cool to have a sword from a smith that was rated Saijo o wazamono and it certainly vastly increases a blade's value in today's market.

I see the list of Wazamono as the Edo era equivalent of all those "top 10 guns" or "Best cars of the year" type things you see in magazines or online today. Chopping corpses to figure out which sword cuts best is not particularly scientific so it probably isn't the best way to judge which swords are actually best. Don't forget brand name "panache" was a big thing for swordsmen back then too...

I'm pretty quiet but I still read the forums often, always lurking and learning. Thanks for sharing and happy new years to you all!

The Japanese had accounted for every last nuance of their swords long before any westerner had even seen one (and far better than could be done in any other language), so it only makes sense to use Japanese terminology. Besides, it's part of the fun! I keep a copy of Markus Sesko's encyclopedia of Nihonto terms handy on my phone... as I continue to learn and refer to it less often, sword descriptions look less like gobblygook and more like a simple but elegant system to describe a blade in extreme detail that would take 5 times more effort and space to accomplish purely in English.

I have a shinto blade that has been thinned down along the entire mune side of the blade (including the nakago), I wonder if it was a common-ish modification at some point, maybe to make the blade lighter and faster?

I think the distinction of "art sword" vs utilitarian sword is just semantics. The finest art swords in the world have likely (and still could) cut exceedingly well and who knows how many millions of cheap blades (of Japanese make or not) are on display as objets d'art in museums, businesses and teenager's bedrooms around the world. So since today's swords really only have a legitimate purpose as display pieces (apart from occasional kata practice/competition for some) I suppose it's not a question of whether a sword is art or not, but whether it's good or bad art.