FletchSan

Excellent. Thanks Steve!

Fascinating. I love that its an actual constellation. Makes me want to dust off my telescope and do some star gazing

Hi, I'd like some help in translating this sayagaki for my Kanemoto Wakizashi. thanks! Ben

The Tsuba is fairly small though part of a Katana Koshirae that is all original. It is 6cm x 4.5cm x 7mm. A few more images of it as part of the Koshirae.

Nothing other than it being attributed to Wakasa - Fuyuhiro. No generation is mentioned on the NBTHK papers. Looks like there were only 4 generations, all Koto. http://www.sho-shin.com/hoku.htm

Well spotted. Yes it was and Danny was great to deal with.

Thanks Piers & Guido ! I couldn't find reference to this in any of my books. Would you consider it a Kantei term or just a way of describing it in Japanese?

Ok, not technically a Daisho I know - though they do look good together The katana may be 3rd gen and signed & dated 1557 and the wakizashi also signed and is probably 4th gen. Both are papered and new additions to my collection. cheers, Ben

Hi All, I really like this Tsuba of the night sky showing clouds, stars and a silver moon and golden sun. Interested to find out more about it. Any ideas as to the period & possible school? cheers, Ben

A few more images of the whole blade showing the entire hamon on both sides.

I think muromachi - Fuyuhiro

Thanks Ken. That makes perfect sense that it was a polisher decision to keep the shinogi clear. cheers, Ben

A few close ups of where the hamon and shinogi meet.

Hi All, I'm researching a new acquisition. The hamon of this sword is gunome though it runs and flattens against the shinogi in some places. Is there a particular name given to a hamon to describe this when doing kantei or is it just considered o gunome-midare ? I've scanned part of the blade which doesn't show a lot of detail of the sword though illustrates the pattern of the hamon quite nicely. thanks, Ben

No worries - thanks for your help !

Thanks Piers! The one mekugi-ana threw me given it has three. I did some digging and I think that may be the old kanji for san instead?

Hi, I've had a go at translating the certificate that turned up for this sword. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/22456-katana-interested-in-some-feedback/ I just need some assistance for the remaining sections. What I have so far: CERTIFICATE: NTHK-NPO KANTEISHO issued 20/8/2012? JUDGEMENT: DEN KODAI KINMICHI (Later generation with some differences (DEN) ?) MEI: 無銘 (MUMEI) JIGANE: 小板目 (KO-ITAME) HAMON: ??? 互の目 (GUNOME) ?? BOSHI: ???? HORMINONO: 棒樋 (BOHI) NAKAGO: ??? ?? ? ?? NOTES: ??? 元禄 (GENROKU ERA 1688) ? Though I can't make out the other Kanji in the notes section. thanks in advance, Ben

I will post the request for help re: the cerificate translation in the translation forum. thanks.

Also figured out the jigane column says ko itame and can see gunome in the hamon column, though cannot read what else it says about the hamon. So any help with Notes, Boshi & Hamon columns would be great cheers, Ben

Hi All, Well, you wouldn't believe it - though papers have turned up for this sword. They were locked away and forgotten and are now on their way to me. Looks like it is a little older than believed and a Shinto blade attributed to Kinmichi. I've had a go at translating parts of the certificate. Please correct me if I've made any mistakes. CERTIFICATE: NTHK KANTEISHO issued 20/8/2012? JUDGEMENT: DEN KODAI KINMICHI (Later generation with some differences?) MEI: Mumei NOTES: Genroku era (1688). Though I can't make out the other Kanji in the notes section. Given the era I assume they are indicating possible 3rd generation Kinmichi? cheers, Ben

Thanks Steve. That's great. Would Suzuki then be the name of the owner that had that title ? Cheers, Ben

Yes, I can make out the 元 moto character though it is a bit hard to see through the rust. 兼元

Awesome - thanks Piers. Really appreciate that! So could be who the sword was made for? The other side of the nakago is the two character mei for Kanemoto.

Here it is a lot easier to read transcribed on the certificate. What does this translate to? I assume the squares are just the characters they couldn't read. thanks, Ben

Yes, not an easy one! Here's an enhanced version, still pretty faint though.