Roland

Yeah, that's indeed an interesting question. When I first saw the sword my spontaneous idea was: "Oh, that looks much like a Kunitoki I!" On the other hand a lot of even higher level Enju swords up to Juyo Token are classified as Den Enju...

Oh happy day… After quite some time of research, visiting a lot of dealers and talking with a few more experienced nihonto addicts I succeeded in buying a really nice papered Den Enju katana. I have to shoot a couple of photos during the next few days but for now here are the first quick impressions (no hagire to be seen on the photos, just a few tiny hairs from our cats Enjoy!

Hi Chris, that's really great news! Please don't hesitate to ask for help here in the forum. May be the one or the other will be able to provide you with university contacts if necessary.

Hi Darcy and all… Well, do I see an extremely tight Ko-Itame with ji-nie, a true Nashiji Hada? An almost wet and "oily" look? Suguha Hamon with really thick Ko-Nie? It seems so in my unexperienced eyes. Yes, this indeed could be an Awataguchi blade.

Darcy, Darcy, that's not nice to tell such mouthwatering news here Alone this Ko-Bizen… phew… Photos? Please don't put us on the rack

That's what the Kashima sisters are showing on their suriage subpage here: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/suriage.html (just scroll down!)...

If I understand it right, there still seems to be a faint hint of the original signature after someone centuries ago tried to eliminate it – may be by order of Togugawa Ieyasu, who lost several close friend, father and grandfather by Muramasa swords. Anyway it's exiting to see such a masterpiece with its perfectly mirrored hamon.

Dear friends and Nihonto addicts, That's the first time I have seen a true Muramasa for sale from a serious online shop. Even the price seems quite fair: 2,800,000¥ – what a pity that that's a bit beyond my actual budget, lol… http://www.toukenkomachi.com/index_en_tachi&katanaA040713.html

Dear friends, What would you prefer as a first time kantei paper if you want to send an unpapered Nihonto to shins for authentication – NTHK or NBTHK? It seems that during the last few years we have seen a growing number of NBTHK papering. Is the NTHK "out of the game" nowadays? What's about the relationship between both organizations? To what extent do they compete? Just wondering…

I prefer koto swords: Ko-Mihara or Aoe, Enju or Rai – both because of their calm, more conservative style, and beautiful hada and hamon; also the fascinating evolution of style from Yamato Shizu, Naoe Shizu to Den Mino and from there on to Michina school in Shinto times;

Thanks a lot, dear friends, that helps me a lot :-)

Dear friends, it would be nice and helpful if someone with a much better understanding than me could translate the meaning of this sayagaki. As it seems it's talking about a Kanesada sword…? Thanks a lot for your kind advice!

Hm, I think you hit the point, Chris!

It's no hijacking, not at all! Just in contrary. It's helpful (not only for myself I hope) to recapitulate what I'm really interested in, and what's my intention in collecting and studying Nihonto. It's not for the plain value of an object of art. When I observe my feelings there are a few works which always seem to talk to me: from the Koto period Ko-Mihara, Enju, Gassan, from Shinto times Hizen Tadayoshi and Kanemichi (Michina). It's not easy to answer why these talk to me and others don't. And though on one hand I could imagine to build up a small Koto collection with just one exemplary work from each of the five main streams of the Gokaden, on the other hand that feels a bit to academic – in the way that a strict concept like this would outrule lots and lots of involving works waiting for discovery. But isn't exactly that the quintessence of each passion – curiosity? just my five cents

Thanks a lot, dear friends, these were some really useful posts. I think I'll take a somewhat bigger amount of money and invest in a papered, well maintained and higher quality piece :-)

Dear NMB community members, I have to decide which of the following two Nihonto I shall buy. Both have their pros and cons. One is a at aoi listed Harima Daijo Fujiwara Tadakuni, macho-okuri as it seems, possibly the shodai, with all the merits the hizen swords are standing for, but (yet) unpapered: http://www.aoijapan.com/katana-harima-daijo-fujiwara-tadakuni The other one its a rare, dated Tanba no kami Yoshimichi (Kyo-sandai – 3rd gen. who died young, less known and rarely seen, but shows a lot of the qualities of shodai and nidai) with the fine Sudare-ba of the Michina-den, papered with an old NBTHK Tokubetsu kicho: http://www.toukenkomachi.com/index_en_tachi&katanaA260513.html Both swords are within my budget (which includes polishing etc. if necessary), and will be useful to study the workmanship of these two schools of sword making. But which to choose? Are there any flaws I haven't noticed with my apprentice eyes yet? What do you think? w/warm regards and perhaps a happy new year! -Roland-

Thanx a lot, guys, as it seems you confirm my gut instincts. The risks of an aquisition without having inspected the blade with my own eyes is just too high. Long live the NMB!

Thanks a lot, Joe, for your positive opinion. Yes indees, the blade has a kengata nakago-jiri and a really nice suguha hamon. Everything fits from this side. May be I'm a little bit too cautious :-) But you know yourself how compelx the matter Nihonto is – we all are just "sorcerer's apprentice"...

Dear fellows, At the moment I'm investigating a Yasukuni-to which I'm interested in. I received a lot of photos from the guy offering it. Sugata, nakago-jiri, hamon etc. would fit for (Ikeda) Yasumitsu. The blade is dated August 1938. But I'm not experienced enough in the appraisal of Yasukuni-to to decide if the chiseled mei and date are authentic. As you know the swords of the Yasukuni shrine are often faked like all Nihonto... So I would highly appreciate your comments on this blade's mei- and date-chiseling and perhaps other details you observe (chisel-marks, too mint-like condition of the nakago, whatever). If necessary I could show further photos of the blade itself. I've combined some pictures I found at artswords.com and from John Slogh's Book "Modern Japanese Swordsmiths"...

Thanks a lot, dear friends, that was very helpful. I'm indeed interested in this Yasukuni-to. It seems to be one of the better works of Ikeda Yasumitsu. What's your personal opinion about the work of Yasumitsu and accordingly the Yasukuni-to?

Dear NMB colleagues, interested in gendaito I got offered a dated Ikeda Yasumitsu (one of the better smiths of the Yasukuni shrine). My knowledge of the Japanese written language is so worse that I'm not able to decipher the sayagaki. So if anyone could be helpful I would appreciate this very much. Here are two photos of both sides of the shirasaya... (Sorry for the inconveniences! I should have turned the pics to the upright position before uploading...)

Because he has no more informations, not more than what is stated on the website. In so far I'm just curious if anybody has an idea or has headr of this smith. For me with my very rudimentary knowledge it is the first time that I'm totally unable to "locate" a smith's name

He isn't registered at Hawley's. And I were not able to find any hints about him in any books or publications I have access to. Same problem with online search engines. He seems to be shinto/shinshinto period or a Gendaito smith of WWII era. The name of the smith is Teruhisa, and he signed like this: Does anybody of the NMB members with more knowledge than I myself have an idea where to look or even knows this smith?

Dear George, your hint is absolutely correct and useful. And I now have a lot of interesting points for further investigation. As always it is fascinating to follow the historical development especially of the Mino style through the centuries. We'll see. The by Kanemoto inspired style had so much followers – Jumyo, Tashiro Gen-ichi Kanemoto, Tashiro Gen-ichi Kanenobu, Tashiro Kakubei Kanenobu, Mutsu no Kami Kanenobu, Mutsu no Kami Kanenaka, the Darani Katsukuni school in Kaga, Takada Yukinaga in Bungo and much more. The chance is big to get lost ) Thanks again for your inspiring look at this topic.

Hi Stephen and George, thanks a lot for the advise again. So it would be the same as this blade at Nihontoantiques made by Kaneko Magoroku, one of the elders of sword smiths who inherited the Mino-style (especially the one of Magoroku Kanemoto) in modern times? http://www.nihontoantiques.com/fss271.htm Though it is just a theory at the moment, I have to consider this, indeed... Hm, did modern Gendaito smiths dispense with signing their work and just produce mumei? I remember to have seen solely quite long and precisely chiseled mei like the one on the nakago of the Nihontoantiques' Kaneko Magoroku. Any idea about that?