Jacques

Hi, I confirm, this blade is gimei, the mei is engraved at a wrong place, it should be centered on the shinogi-ji.

Hi, Rheinhard and Darcy are right, Below, an oshigata of a blade made in his twilight years, you can see that the Sanbonsuji is always very irregular.

Hi,

Hi, Just a little bemol, this signature don't seem genuine.

Hi, :lol: :lol: :lol: Sorry Mariuszk but i've found nothing about Sukeyoshi himself, but this kind of hamon seems not so uncommon in Yokoyama school.

Hi, True, but not always, as these oshigatas show; Nagayama's book gives only general points.

Hi, A gimei can be well done and sometimes difficult to discern (kajihei by sample). However, inside a mei there are, all along a career (except some scarce exceptions), unchanging features. The second kanji of Izumi and the kanji Kuni show well those permanent features. On the blade shown by Peter the kanji 泉 is too square and too regular; the tagane inside the kanji 国 are really different in location and lenght. It is only my thought.

Hi, Quote Nihonto koza (shinto volume) Edit, After some research Extract from Shinto taikan by Limura Shodai Kunisada mei. Daisaku mei by the nidai.

Hi, I Don't think it is a bokuto tsuba, i practice kenjutsu (TSKSR) since a long time; most of kenjutsu schools don't use tsuba on their bokken; and i don't think a heavy tsuba like this one can be usable (a bokken is made without machi :lol: ).

Hi, It is a fake of a nagamaki tsuba:

Hi, It is dated from Eisho ni nen ?? gatsu hi (?? 1505).

Hi, One thing makes me "trouble", the kizu on the kissaki, the metal is not broken but crushed, that could indicate that the blade has lost its hardness.

Hi, Here is a nidai Kanemoto (tokuho) mei, you can see there is a big difference with James'.

It is already in my library :D

Hi, It is because some forbidden words in the terms of the advertisement are detected by the robot. In France, i was blocked from wieving Fujishiro's books

Hi, James, Please, forgive my frankness, but always asking for help will not make you strides, i think it's time for you to learn to make your own opinion. An oshigata from Magoroku Kanemoto.

Hi, I thought Tsunahiro was known for the sparsity of his nie

Hi, Well... What is art? I think that can be interesting

Hi, I fully disagree, these two criterions can't be separated. an excellent workmanship is required to obtain art. What is a "chef-d'oeuvre"? It is the result of great workmanship. What is skill? it is the capability to accomplish the summit of workmanship. there are numerous violinists on earth how many Yehudi Menuhin or Fritz Kreisler? True, El Capitan in Yosemite park is beautiful but it is not art.

Hi, Gendai (ç¾ä»£) means modern; gendaito means modern sword. Shinsaku (新作) means new (exactly newly made); shinsakuto means new sword, (like shinto but since this word was already used...). Showa (昭和) is an era (reign of the emperor Hiro-Hito). Showato commonly refers to swords forged during the WWII.

Hi, That's right (they are weapons before every thing), but the opposite is not valuable.

Hi, Discussing art about weapons is not a single matter, but, some Japanese weapons became artworks. There were some millions swords which were forged during nihonto history. Mostly are purchased by low-average samourai class; some are by daimyo. Are they same blades, made by the same smiths? had they the same purpose? I don't think so. Many are used on battlefield, others became treasures. As well, When Napoleon wanted a portrait, who made it? Delacroix or "Tartempion Duchnock" (well known for his bad-painting). Swordsmith are classified in accordance with their savoir-faire and their skill. There are smiths who made weapons and their are who made artworks. In every times, the best are the more desired and few can afford their work. that is true for all artistic crafts.

Admin: Split from original topic that can be found here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3360 Hi, I fully agree. :D I've heard a very knowledgeable person saying About Nihon-tô: "art begins with jo-saku smiths", i agree with this too.

Hi, the blade shown by Moriyama san is Kunihiro's, this one incorporates the famous mizukage, special feature of this smith.

Hi, I think the mei reads Kiyomitsu and not Arimitsu.