Bugyotsuji

Just for the record, So-Shu Oumi no Kami Sukenao could also also do a full Hitatsura katana, early to mid Edo. (Just held one the other day.))

Steven: "we all love dragons." If I ever get born again as a dragon, this sounds like a friendly place to be.

Forgive the thread drift!

The tsuba, and a section of the naga-kojiri which has two dragons on the long edge and one on the shorter edge.

Then a *quick changeover of the koshi-ate and tsuru-maki onto the 'new' tachi arrival, ready for tomorrow's action... Tosogu is all dragons and clouds, zogan on what should be russet, but the menuki dragons are coiled around Ken. *'quick' means a bodge job as there's no time to do a proper sageo.

Here's the handachi that is going...

Well, there will be renewed attacks, that's for sure! He seemed genuinely surprised to hear that I had sent it off for papering, and it definitely changed his tune for a bit. He then asked why I hadn't gone straight for Tokuho. I casually mentioned all the things that are wrong with it, hoping that might reduce his ardour, but his brain seems to reset to that earlier resolve each time! Round 2 tomorrow morning. Steven. Photos of ... ?

Interesting follow-up story! Many thanks.

Hiromasa and Hirotsugu? I have just bought a Hirotsugu tanto. Gotta start somewhere, I guess, but it's like trying to set up a goalpost in a giant whirlpool. Perhaps it is a secret test of your character...? How far do you trust your instinct regarding this blade, even if it has a decent Mei cut into the Nakago? The paperwork is simply a random notation of the Mei, with no suggestion as to the blade's validity. So-Shu Ju nin Hiromasa 相州住人廣正　written down the middle. Down the left in smalller characters it says Raku-Yo Ju Fujiwara Hirotsugu 洛陽住藤原廣次 I would like to trust it and make a decent offer, but I would ask for a little help from your teacher first. "Come on, meet me half-way here. I do like the blade, and I do have some cash, but I am grasping in the dark." You can search for prices of Hiromasa Tanto offered by swordshops on the web. Perhaps your teacher has also done this already? I am guessing they will be around 500,000 JPY, though, but I could be way off the mark. (?) Do you have any better shots of the blade?

Sounds cool, Jamie. A sudden flurry of threads around Soe So-Shu, I see. An unknown area for me until now, so really very interesting. This morning armed with prayers and good wishes, and a little bulldog grit (thanks Brian) I got safely to first base. On offer were two very sweet and tempting blades which I would love to own in their own right, but not as a straight swap. One was a beautiful papered Bunka Nen ko-wakizashi with papered koshirae from Inaba on the Japan sea. The other was a small very pretty unpapered Fuyuhiro yoroidoshi tanto, with togariba to die for. There was also a Shinto So-shu katana in koshirae with amazing juka choji, splashed thoughout with tobiyaki which should look fantastic after a quick trip to the TogiShi. I am sorely tempted to raid the wife's savings... but I managed to look away from these goodies. Does a Bushi turn around and look back? (Oh, and I swapped out the long black handachi koshirae which I have been using for matchlock displays for a slightly shorter full tachi koshirae. All matching iron fittings and matching tsuba, though needing some TLC, as someone has attempted to remove the rust. It also needed a little extra cash to sweeten the deal, but what's cash between friends?)

Does he know you well? Does he know you are poor(rich)? Why is he offering this to mainly you? Why does the paper show two smiths' names?

Steven, John, thanks but yes, that is my dilemma. As my Japanese wife would say, "Oh, stop being so logical!" Logically there is no problem, but I owe this guy countless favors. He is the king of the castle. And this is by no means the first time this has happened. In order to get him off my back I may have to simply return it, for my own peace of mind. The sickness of collectors can be frighteningly intense... Last time I refused to part with something, he accused me of having a face like Matsuzoe, the former Mayor of Tokyo. I do have a box of evil tricks and malignant illusions that I will deploy in order to divert his attention, though. Foxes vs Raccoon Dawgs. Let's see how it goes. Please pray for me!

But now I have a problem. The guy who sold it to me now wants it back and has promised something similar in value in exchange. I am definitely not impressed.

Forgive the bloggy nature of these updates, but I just met my teacher and was able to clarify at least two points. Jean above mentioned he likes the Eisho Period. Apparently all five judges must have agreed on this, and their decision would have been based on the style of this blade, as if there was a well-defined Eisho fashion. The other thing was interesting. 'Tanto' on the paperwork is what it truly was back then and what it was designed for, a practical combination weapon to go with a Tachi. "Today's legal classification is based solely on length, though, which makes it a Wakizashi," he said, without batting an eyelid. He agreed that Sun-nobi Tanto would be an apt description.

This is what Fujishiro says, in the original. I have not seen the English version and do not know whether any of it has been revised or updated in translation. He here classifies Hirotsugu as 'Sue Koto', Sagami, works known Meio (1492-1501)~Eisho, but he is not sure whether Bunmei Hirotsugu and Eisho Hirotsugu are father and son, or just one smith.

Thanks Greg. Although it is 1 Shaku 1 Sun in length, the registration paper says Tanto. Sun-nobi Tanto, perhaps? My sword teacher said that it's a Wakizashi. Then I read somewhere that some of the Sue So-Shu smiths made Ko-wakizashi. There is also a problem for me with So-Shu (Sagami) Hirotsugu as there were apparently several generations. For eighty years, from about 1469 to 1550 there were one, two or even three smiths of this name working there, according to various sources. Could one person have been active for so long? Even Fujishiro is not clear. The offered signatures look sort of similar. I have not yet seen the returned blade or paperwork (don't want to give my cold to anyone) but if the suggestion is Eisho, 1504-1520, then I guess it has sort of been pinned down, and the experts in Tokyo must feel sure enough of their judgement to affix the NBTHK association seal to it.

Yup, works on my pc too, folks! Is this the easiest fix for iPhone photo-swing syndrome?

That seems to have worked, on my iPhone anyway. Method. Edit photo by turning 45 degrees x 4 and pushing "Done". Now it seems to have fixed itself in the correct alignment. Prayers to the higher power that it works on the PC too.

Experiment 2

The Japanese is very convoluted, meaning that the writer is aware of all the small differences between Gen I II and III, but cannot say definitively which one this is, having as it does elements of each.

John, sterling stuff! Many thanks.

Nobutoshi/Enju are different readings, equally possible, for the same Kanji name.

Hi Gasam, These are not too hard to render into Romanized tsuba terms, but they are really just simple descriptions of your tsuba and Hozon accreditation. No myth busting or attempt at explanation. Each would take a little time to transcribe; there are some deliberately old-fashioned Kanji which would need double-checking. A challenge for someone who does not mind getting a little egg splash on their face. Would you like to start with Enju?

Wow, only 10 years. It feels as though the NMB forum must have been here for ever.

Try us!