Hoshi

Hi, I'd like to purchase 2-3 exemplars of very low quality swords. The worst, the better. Examples of what I'm after: - A mass produced Sukesada, showing uneven hada, ware, and nie-kuzure in segments of the nioiguchi. - A bland Shinshinto or Kanbun Shinto work. The steel should be almost muji, without any jinie whatsover, and a hamon that feels hand-drawn without any activity in the ha. Bonus points for tobiyaki that feel like they've been painted on. Chu-saku on a Sake Hangover. - Mino Muromachi, with very rough, grey-looking hada and a gunome that has no coherence. The only constraint is that they must be in good polish and in shirasaya Because a good polish is expensive, I'm willing to pay a good amount commensurate, minimum, to the value of the polish. This is your occasion to recoup your sunk costs. The more terrible the blade and fitting of the archetype I'm looking for, the better. Hagire, ware, lack of boshi, crow's beak, and so forth are welcomed, even encouraged. PM me your swords with a google drive link that contains decent picture. Best, Hoshi

Hello, The intent is late Norishige-inspired Matsukawa hada. However, the result is lacking. Aesthetically, it lacks two key qualities: unaffectedness and profoundness. First, the matsukawa is contrived: the contrast is too pronounced, the structure of the hada lacks the natural feeling we see in the works of Norishige, and of the Ko-Hoki predecessors. In other words, it gives the impression of trying hard, and as a result feels contrived. The chickei is entirely driven by the mixture of steels. It is useful to remember that there exists two forms of chickei: that which forms in the steel as crystalized martensitic formations, and that which is purely the fruit of the mixture of steel. The former is the chickei that is so respected and appreciated. Hence, the work appears flat. It lacks apparent jinie, and the 'seams' of the matsukawa lack the tiny grains of nie in the ji. As for the hamon, the structure of the hada carries all martensitic formations. There are no formations that appear juxtaposed over the flow of the grain, which again contributes to a lack of depth and reveal that this is not a work of the Golden Age. Hankei is an understandable answer. However, the this particular work is far inferior to Hankei's execution of Matsukawa, which is is rich in nie activities that imparts a sense of profoundness to his work, although the unaffectedness is inferior to Norishige - as there is a certain trace of trying that can be felt in his oeuvre. Finally, the curvature of the piece in question is inappropriate in my opinion for a Ko-Wakizashi by Hankei, where I have come to expect musori. The nie appears too weak for Sanekage. Uda? Possibly, but the hada overall lacks an antique quality, and the hamon is inappropriate anyway. My preferred idea is that it is a much more recent blade, 19th century, perhaps Ikkansai Yoshihiro or one of his students: As a disclaimer, there are perils with photos. It is difficult for me to abstract away the photographic style as I am not accustomed to it. Best, Hoshi

Hi Erik, Congratulations on your first purchase. It appears to be a nice, honest first sword. What I can say is that the shape appears sturdy, typical of the Momoyama period where the model that the smiths of the period aimed for were the (now) O-suriage Nambokucho pieces, by the likes of Kanemitsu, Chogi, Shizu, and others. Beyond that, we can't see any details on the blade itself to really comment. The fittings are better than the usual cobbled up koshirae. It's a nice matching theme, executed in iron. I hope it will ignite the passion and serve as a portal into this mysterious world. I remember my first sword. Like yours, it was no masterwork, to say the least - but it made me deeply curious about the field, and it brought me a lot of joy at the time. I wish you much enjoyment, Hoshi

Hi, I am writing a long form article on this topic, which touches at the very core of the field. It will take me much more time than expected, however - as I am very busy lately. In the meantime, It's fantastic to see good contributions! Few more questions, for those who are philosophically-minded. Paul Allman states, at the end of his treaty: Art is that form of human creation which, through beauty, leads consciousness beyond itself. Then what is it, in the process of appraising a Nihonto, that leads consciousness beyond itself? What aesthetic emotions are triggered by the appraisal of a Nihonto in competent viewers? What makes a viewer "competent"? Best, Hoshi

Hello everyone, Many excellent contributions so far. There is much left to be said on the topic, and it would be wonderful to hear from others. Thank you @reinhard especially, the comparison between the Mitsutada and the Ishido blade is excellent, and warrants its own conversation. And @Lukrez for your psychological/philosophical account of the subjective experience of encountering a masterwork. I am also an "emotionalist" when it comes to Art. This really cracked me up. Best, Hoshi

Hello, What makes a sword a masterpiece? What are the features that are, in your view, necessary, sufficient, or ideally both, for a sword to be considered a Meito. A Meito, literally “named sword” or “famed sword” is a term used to describe masterpieces. There has long been a misconception that a Meito is a sword with a name (Go). But this is incorrect. It is because a sword is a Meito that it often comes with extraordinary provenance and in some cases, a Go (name). Let's try to go beyond Ogasawara Nobuo's famous lecture on the topic. My hope is that this question will stimulate some interesting exchanges and create educational value. Best, Hoshi

Compare the hamon structure at the hamachi, and the shape of your boshi, with the oshigata below. Notice the very small tobiyaki, and the repeating patterns (3's, 4's). The only noted discrepancy from prototypical Oei works is the height of your sword's yakiba, the lowest valleys are unusually high, this gives me minor pause. I steer more towards one of the three Mitsu's, than Sanemitsu and the others. Your boshi, in particular, is a near perfect match. Juyo Osafune Yasumitsu

Spending capital to acquire valuable cultural artifacts with the intent to destroy them is categorically unacceptable from a deontological moral standpoint. This is not up for debate—it is a founding principle of this community. This principle underlies our firm stance against practices such as amateur polishing. There is a troubling pattern here, a parochial bias that coalesces into a kind of populist faction, quick to leap to each other’s defense, with very little grace and forethought. It is understandable—tribal solidarity is deeply human, but it is also hampering your progression in this field. Worst, it hampers the progression of others, as this forum is a public good. Now you know, look in the mirror. You just fell for the bait - hard - on the other side of it. With all that said, @Hokke, I sincerely wish you the best, may you find wisdom and growth. Best, Hoshi ... @Rivkin

Hi Marcus, This is an Oei bizen hamon structure, it was first introduced by Chogi and the Soden-Bizen group. You can tell by the groupings of gunome and choji formations. Specifically, notice how they cluster together in series of peaks, before receding? Another sign is the relative quietness of the ha, it is fully rendered in nioi, and there is not much activity within, this is also quite typical of these Oei blades. The three most representative smiths of this group are known as the "Three Mitsu" (Yasumitsu, Morimitsu, Norimitsu). They stewarded the Osafune school into the turbulent Oei period (1394-1428). It is very difficult to distinguish between them. There exists multiple generations that extend into the beginning of the Muromachi, but on the basis of the conspicuous utsuri, I would place it with the first generation, and Yasumitsu as the most likely candidate. There are other candidates in Oei: Iesuke, Iemori, and Tsuneie. Here is a masterpiece by Chogi ranked Tokubetsu Juyo, where you can see the origins of the hamon of your blade: https://eu.zonerama.com/Nihonto/Album/11057812 The standout midare utsuri is lovely, and indicates that the blade is in good health. Once upon a time, this was likely a proud tachi with a Kamakura-inspired sugata that Yasumitsu was fond of emulating. Best, Hoshi

Hi Dee, I know this is ragebait, but it's not healthy for the community and should still be called out. It is profoundly unwise to post such a take on a forum devoted to the preservation and study of Nihonto. * edit admin * I trust you'll get back on your feet and grow a thicker skin. Get better soon, Hoshi

It depends on so many factors, there is not a "fair" formula that can be applied to all cases. It is a matter of supply and demand, and the IRR (internal rate of return on capital) that the dealer can generate on his investment on his predicted timeline to sale. A collection comprised of a single of one of the top 100 Tokuju blades will yield a profit with a cash upfront offer from a variety of large dealers and parties. Everyone will want it, and there is room for the dealer to sell it as a unicorn for top price. It will be the dealer's pride, and a story to be told. Auction houses will fight for it, prepare a tailored sale event via private treaty, and court you will reduced fees. Competition drives better offers. Paul Davidson's Mikazuki Kanemitsu is an example, and sold for 200 million yen+ in private treaty. You can be sure that the family was inundated by unsolicited offers, and could choose as it pleased. A disjointed chu-saku wakizashi collection, while worth on paper ~100'000$, will be so hard to move that the cash offer will be in the 10% to 20% range, at best. Nobody wants to deal with this. It's 100 descriptions to write, a 100 posts, a 1000 conversations - it is a multiyear pursuit to realize the profit of this invested capital. There is, of course, a vast continuum between these two examples. A Small but excellent thematic/specialized collection that is "more than the sum of its parts" and is a once in a lifetime opportunity for acquisition may also yield a good profit, but arrangement must be made prior. Creating such a collection is very difficult to pull-off. For example, a full set of Ko-Goto Menuki in dragon theme, beginning with Goto Yujo, with old origami accompanying each item, showing the specific evolution introduced by each master, and presented in a custom-fitted lacquer box will yield more together than each individual items, and will be sold as a complete set. At the end, try to put yourself into the shoes of the dealer, and simulate in your mind his IRR given his client base and market segment. For you and the dealer, 10-15% IRR is fair dealmaking territory. Best, Hoshi

Hi, It is a trait most often associated with Go Yoshihiro, as other have said. However, it extends to the broader Soshu movement, all the way to the Muromachi. Then into Edo, with smiths who were striving to emulate Go and Norishige. It is not frequently encountered, and if you see it - you can rule out traditions, schools, and makers. It's a "negative trait" in the sense that it's presence allows you to eliminate rather than pin-point. It is less discriminant than for instance, the san-saku boshi of the early Osafune school. I wish it was that easy, but it is not. For blades without Ko-Kiwame (This is very important to control for, as a Ko-Kiwame automatically removes the "Den"), the presence of the Ichimai Boshi (~25% of all Go) is spread between the "Den Go" and the "Go" rather equally. For Go, it is not the Ichimai boshi per se that is determinant (all else equal, supreme quality of nie, clarity of the Jiba, etc) - but the tendency of the Yakiba to be both high to begin with without much higher-frequency variation in height, and to rise gently over the entire course of the blade, culminating in a higher yakiba at the crossing of the yokote compared to the average height of the lower section of the blade). With this trait present, even if the boshi is not rendered fully in ichimai, the blade will tend to be placed with Go, unless contradicted by a Ko-Kiwame, rather than say, to Masamune. From a deki perspective, the quality expected from Go is on par with Masamune. Besides Go, the other maker from the Soshu-Joko line that occasionally rendered an Ichimai Boshi is Norishige, and these tend to be exquisite Tokuju. Outside the Soshu Joko, we see it also with blades attributed to Tametsugu, Naotsuna, Ujifusa, Uda Kunifusa, Sanekage, and Muramasa, and and very rarely with the Sa Ichimon. What we can tell from this pattern is that there is a rather clean lineage of praxis that begins with Norishige and Go (who, according to tradition, worked together at some point in their career), up to the Northern provinces with Tametsugu, Sanekage, and the Uda line. There is also a bit of inconsistency in the nomenclature between widely hardened boshi and Ichimai boshi - the line between both can be thin. Edo-period makers that were following into Go's footstep tend also to exhibit an ichimai boshi. Prime examples are Hankei (emulating Norishige), Inouie Shinkai, Nagasone Kotetsu, and Nanki Shigekuni (all three had phases emulating Go). Hope this helps, Hoshi Go illustration:

Hello, The answer to this question really depends on which segment you operate in. The best strategy depends on your personal circumstances: the level of your collection, the tax policies of your country, and the family dynamics between the heirs. S Tier collection: At this level, items remain locked up post-death. Purchases are most often realized through a foundation, and items are preserved in a museum. The attrition rate on top items is driven by these types of Japanese collectors with a focus on legacy and creating persistent cultural institutions. See Sano Museum, or the more recent Token Museum of Nagoya. A tier collection: Top auction houses like Sotheby's and Christies are generally tasked with disposing of the collection (e.g., Paul Davidson, Compton collection) , but not always. Often, there are pre-agreements with the owner on the post-death sale of specific items. This is one of the only ways to access truly outstanding items, and some of the most formidable collections have been formed by placing these sort of "dibs" on items that owners would otherwise never sell. Another strategy is progressive dispersion: some owners will start trimming their collection from the bottom up early on, keeping only a few but extremely exclusive pieces for which there is ample demand, and have post-death sales or consignment agreements in place for what remains. If consigned, these truly exclusive items will be sold discreetly and without fanfare through trusted relationships with the dealer to his absolute top clients. B Tier collection: Items are usually triaged between first tier auction houses as part of a general "Samurai Art" sales and second tier auction houses for lower tier items. For example, promising items go to Bonhams, other less promising items go to Zacks. Consignments of entire collection with dealers are not uncommon here. C Tier collection: Consignments with dealers becomes the norm here. There is bargaining involved, as usually the dealers are unwilling to consign items of lower value. There can be quite some wait involved for heirs to "see the money" and this is where it becomes tempting to sell it all as a large discount for cash upfront. Partial cash and partial consignment arrangements are also possible, and should be planned ahead of time. D Tier collection: Ebay listings by family or friends, listing on the board here, and so forth. There are also major cultural differences, some of which are driven by tax policies across countries, suffice to say I won't elaborate. Family circumstances also play a major role, as sometimes heirs are distrustful of each other and auction houses act as "neutral arbiters" to pre-empt potential conflicts. Hope this helps, -Hoshi

Hello, Glad I could help. Hokkoku mono is a great vibe. If you're into wild rings of jinie and chickei with bold nie activity, they're for you. What's wonderful about Hokkoku-mono is that they're about as far away as Shinto / Shinshinto / Gendai that you can be. If you're new with Koto, these swords offer a wonderful contrast with their conspicuous jihada and activity. While certainly rustic to some extant, they exude a sense of power that is unmistakable, and along with the dark steel luster, project an ancient, fearsome presence Go Yoshihiro and Norishige, who are first class grandmaster, and are both connected to these areas as well. Difficult to tell apart based on the photos. There is a certain quality gradient at play here. For Sanekage, you want to see Norishige-style "almost" Matsukawa hada. Personally, one of the first swords that really struck a cord with me was a Sanekage. I wrote about it here. Best, Hoshi

Heed my words, They were though. Real luminaries, the heights of which would never be reached again. It may sound dramatic, but it is by no means a poetic exaggeration. We have 600 years of trying up to today, continuing to this day with the Masamune prize and the new sword competitions. It has always been about recreating the lost marvels of a Golden Age that lasted a mere 150 years. In their quest, some came very close to the Soshu-den ideals (Nanki Shigekuni with Go, Hankei with Norishige, Yasutsugu with Sadamune), one has arguably exceeded his model (Kyomaro with Shizu), but most never even got to fly close the sun no matter how hard they tried. As for Bizen-den, Naotane and others did make some progress in resurfacing this lost art, but the gap remains even wider. But to realize this you must handle masterpieces of the Golden Age in-hand, and for this you must go to Japan, with open eyes and open mind. Hoshi