Jacques

Hi, Infos about these smiths are few, below that says Fujishiro koto jiten (no oshigata): About Nihonto koza, please see below: Hirato sa Moriyoshi is also indentified in the Toko Taikan but without more info. Hope that can help a few.

Hi, for all, date reads: Koka Hinoto Hitsuji nen hachi gatsu (1847) Hinoto Hitsuji nen means the year of the boar (zodiacal calendar)

Hi, Toko taikan lists several Yukimitsu working in Kaga, this one could be the yondai (rated 340 man). The nakago jiri seems match, a better pic of the mei would be helpful.

Hi, Personally, i don't think that this mei is clumsy, though certainly gimei. Fujishiro koto book:

Hi, Mei reads

Hi, Only a real professional polisher is able to say if this blade is worthy of a polish.

Hi, Thanks Brian, I think also it reads Masaie 正家

Hi,

Hi, If you want some info, we need high resolution pics; some close-up of the blade, the boshi (each side) can be helpful.

Hi, A comment by Tsujimoto Tadao about the date.

Hi, O-Sa, Of course it is only one sample.

Hi Funny mei? Is that the same as Gimei? If so why use the name of a smith that is completely unknown? Curious. Yes it is the same as gimei. Kashu (Kaga) Nobunaga is not unknown, he was even a good swordsmith, rated josaku.

Hi, Sorry Guido, it was not my intention, i would come back to the steel color, if i'm not wrong we can find a kind of bluishness on some blade by Yasuyoshi.

Hi, Maybe you're right Jean, however the sugata and the kitae match well. I think he blade we try to kantei is a bit too long to be O-Sa's, there is one which with a nagasa of 25.5cm is considered as a sun-nobi tanto (Nihonto koza translation volume IX page F28)

Hi, Personally, i would lean toward Soshu Yukimitsu.

Hi, Jean you speak about present conjoncture (2008 sale), investment in art is not speculation, on a long time the value increase (how much was a Kunihiro worth in the fifties?) Recently was sold a saber owned by Bonaparte price € 4 000 000, if a meibutsu like the Dojigiri or the Mikasuki were for sale, it's a safe bet that it would worth a Van Gogh. There is good and less good juyo, some are attributed on a name more than the blade itself.

Hi, Why hide only the kanji ichi? he could be hide the kiku mon too and the kantei would have been more interesting; that seems ridiculous. Really, i don't like this kind of kantei.

Hi, Yes i've some Nobunaga referenced (Kaga, Yamato) but none of them matches yours. IMHO, the mei on your blade was engraved by two different persons and looks like "funny mei" Date also without nengo is a nonsense.

Hi, Jean, You compare these artworks with low/medium items sold by Aoi-art, it is a little bit "osé" dared. In fact, it exists a market for very high level swords and none of us (not me in all case) can afford to enter into it. Lately, was sold an Inoue Shinkai for the low price of yen 53 Millions, I was told one of the best collection in the world is in Saoudi Arabia. This kind of person will always have enough money to afford what they want whatever the cost. In conclusion, yes nihontô can be a good investment but only at the very high level.

Hi, Sichi gatsu just means "a day in the seventh month"

hi, neither precludes the other Stephen, still :?

really never gave it much thought but would not the slanting Yasurime all so serve in doing that? The nakago shape is finished by filing down. Yasurime is an outcome and if it is a friction with the tsuka it is not the principal purpose Always off topic.

Hi, Forgive this offtopic (obviously it's not the only one ) I wonder in which purpose Namikawa sells this

Hi, I know nothing about tsuba but on the shakudo one, it seems the "kuchibeni" (if it is one) is not inlayed but painted, that is odd for an original tsuba.

Hi, Not me, think that could come from Quebec