Jacques

Hi, Always difficult to say from pictures, but it seems this blade has some flowing masake near the mune and the ha, that could indicate a smith related with the Muramasa school.

Hi, I'm very well, thanks. About your ask, i find the photograph very blurry

Hi, Here, there is a papered nidai Kunisuke.

HI, Personally, i find the characters too large and it seems missing atari in the left part of Suke. Is there ashinaga (long ashi) on this blade?

Hi, I understand what you mean. But a compositor or a painter can describe an atmosphere, or to deliver a message through his work. He has an intention to show/say something that can be religious or political etc..., in an other side, the first purpose of a sword is efficacy (have you ever wondered yourself why Shinto smiths invented the straight yakidashi)? Yes some smiths highly talented can be called artists as well like the "meilleur ouvrier de France" (best workman in France), but they cannot be compared with painters or compositor or in this case we should compare them with writers too. Personally in matter of comparison i find the "lace of Calais", cabinet-making or stone cutting more comparable with nihontô than music or painting.

Hi, I'm always stunned when i see someone comparing a weapon, even a nihontô, with music or painting. Music says something my grandmother who was a concertist always said to me "close your eyes and listen attentively, you will see that music says". When i look at a Van-Gogh (dear to Jean) for example i can see his tortured soul through his works. Can it be the same with a nihontô? I don't *think* so. Below, exactly that makes a compositor, are you able to savour it? :lol:

Hi, And why not? I'm still waiting your sources. A battle is like a boxing match, it doesn't run without break because tactic, troops needing some rest etc..., night can take place and breaks fight until the following day. Some battles can run on two or three days even more, so warriors have time enough to fit another tsuka on their blade piercing a new mekugi-ana but not enough to make a new one (and a tsuka which not fit perfectly was always better than no tsuka).... That is only an example, there are others ps, i don't think you are allowed publishing on public place that is said (by Kitsune) on our forum (reserved for members only).

Hi, Jean http://token.alldiscussion.net/generali ... o-t149.htm

Hi, I would love to know the theory about a second mekugi-ana on an ubu nakago. Surely the first ashigaru during the Onin war were rich enough to afford a sword with a second tsuka. quoted from Ashigaru 1467-1649 by Stephen Turnbull,Howard Gerrard

Hi, That is a very important point for comparison That's only your point of view, have you some reliable sources to give us? War is not only campains, or battle like Sekigahara. At that time everybody was armed at least until the first katana-gari. You speak about samurai but you forget all those who are not rich enough such ronin or bandits, you forgot all the poor samurai during the rebellion of Satsuma Your vision of the Japanese history is too superficial.

Hi, I have forgotten to specify that the mekugi-ana location depends on the lenght of the sword. On the battlefield, when a tsuka is broken, it is easier to recover a tsuka on another broken blade and to drill a new mekugi-ana to fit the tsuka than to make a new one.

HI, . No, the mekugi-ana is always drilled at the same place (by need of efficacy), it is the signature which changes of location. In others word, the smith engraves his mei contingent on the mekugi-ana and not the opposite, even if the mekugi-ana is pierced after the mei was done.

Hi, Jean, Both Shodai and nidai Tadamitsu are named Hikobei. About mekugi placement, please have a look on our french forum, Student section, General points, mekugi ana .

Hi, For you Jean :D

HI, Mei reads

Hi, There is several generation of Tadamitsu and this kind of mei ending near the jiri is a common feature for all Bizen smiths of this jidai.

Hi, No mention of a Machi-Okuri (that cannot be, if a nakago is machi-okuri it cannot be called ubu)

Hi, Jean, the two examples you provided have their nakago ubu (If i read correctly that's written on the paper).

Hi, Hard to tell something based on this photographs, i would go on Shinto Osafune, i dont' think that blade is koto (but i can be mistaken).

Hi, Simon, I you can post a good picture of the Kunihira's mei,it can be helpful to compare with this one, Yohiyuki being his first artname.

Hi, I don't think Zenon Vandamme want to polish a Showato.

Hi, Like i personnally know Zenon Vandamme, i can affirm he still polish blades. Like he is always very busy, you must be patient.

Hi, Probably the best one in Europe, Zenon Vandamme in Bruges Belgium. http://www.japaneseart.be/

Hi, Of course, Have a look below Beginning: Continuation Book is TOKO TAIKAN by Tokuno Kazuo Published by Kogei Shuppan

Hi, If it can be helpful Kunihira signed first Yoshiyuki.