Apercus

I am curious to know if anyone has looked at the option of holding a sword show in conjunction with a large event such as the Japanese Festival in Atlanta this weekend. If it was part of the Japanese Festival there would be an issue with large numbers of inexperienced people (and kids) to contend with. In that case precautions would need to be taken for those with tables. Perhaps it could be separate yet connected or not allow young children. Just a thought. It would increase the number of people attending a show and might start more interest in the next generation of collectors. Anyone look at this before?

Tamahagane is produced without melting the iron to a liquid and carbon is introduced through carburization of the iron sand in the atmosphere of the tatara to produce steel. Nickel rich iron ore sands can be used to produce a steel that will harden with heat treatment even with relatively early primitive technology. There are specialists in archeotechnology who have made legitimate suggestions that not all ancient blades were made from meteorite iron. We could perhaps find out if the archeologists were ok with having their precious artifacts cut up and tested. I’m open to the possibility of some of the dates being pushed back a bit. Perhaps time will tell.

I’ve thought about this difference between the appearance of choji on each side of the blade and proposed a possible explanation years ago. I believe the early application of choji in some schools was created by a different process than latter attempts. Instead of using clay and a differential quench a blade can be heat treated by a differential application of heat. I have heated a long block of steel/iron to a bright yellow heat and used it to introduce heat to the edge of a blade. I quench the blade when about 1/3 of the blade width is past the transformation temperature. This also tends to produce utsuri if the exterior steel has a medium to lower carbon content. Utsuri, which I believe is banite, forms at a lower temperature than martensite. If the blade has had deliberate hammer marks left on the surface (think small round ball peen hammer marks) then a choji hamon may appear after heat treatment and polish. The martensite will form at differing depths because of the depth of indentations. There is also the influence of how and where the vapor barrier appears in a water quench. There are ways to enhance this effect which would require too much space here to describe. When you hammer indentations on one side of a blade and then flip the blade over to hammer indentations on the other side some of the profile of the first side is removed and the appearance of choji will lessen on that side. I’ve done this at a forge and seen the results I have described. I’m sure the smith would be aware of the effect and I would expect the best choji to appear on the side with the signature. Sorry for the long post. This was just the results of my own speculation and experiments a long time ago ShannonHogg

I don’t have the background for this so it’s just what appeals to me . I like the steel in #3 best. I like the hamon and steel in #5

I’m already mentioned mine, the juyo Ichimonji from the kamakura period. It was the second Japanese sword I had ever seen and I bought it sight unseen for a $10 trade. I didn’t know anything about swords but I was overwhelmed with the metallurgy I saw. I’m glad I didn’t cut it up to examine samples at the time.

Thanks. That helps. I don’t have the references yet but I will be purchasing them soon.

https://imgur.com/40UhWiM https://imgur.com/wXUglWk https://imgur.com/AYCXvdu https://imgur.com/lyDxHNf https://imgur.com/mKiMkjR https://imgur.com/m7PYVwd https://imgur.com/hyDRxBw https://imgur.com/MXSZq4v https://imgur.com/KLAQLVp https://imgur.com/uKnRdWd https://imgur.com/lDeAay8 https://imgur.com/uQoeliN I've attached links to a katana I'm trying to find more information on. If I have translated it correctly, it's signed "Mino ju Shige Hiro". There may be a date on the opposite side but it's not distinct enough to read (if it's actually there). I have not seen a signature with the Hiro written this way. I'm trying to identify a time period and verify my translation. My best guess so far is Edo period. The nagasa is 26.25 inches. The steel is dark and the file marks on the nakago are take no ha. At some point it looks like the nakago was struck by a bullet or shrapnel and poorly straightened. One of the last owners began to "clean" the nakago unfortunately. The blade is solid and I like it. It's probably not worth having it polished but I think I might have it done anyway. It's one I think I will keep and it would look good in polish so it's worth it to me. I don't have access to a lot of books and I'm not that familiar with Mino swords. Any help would be appreciated. Shannon Hogg

Interesting. Everything you say about historical blades sounds right. There may be multiple and differing things we call utsuri or multiple ways to produce it. I only did a limited amount of experimentation and I no longer have access to X-ray diffraction and an electron microscope or the energy to work long hours at the forge. I can only say the method I use to reliably produce banite/utsuri is by heating only the edge of the blade past the transition temperature and by alloy selection. Yoshida Yoshihara describes this very process in “The Craft of the Japanese Sword”. There’s not a lot else written about it that I can find other than some technical journals about banite formation. Maybe someone will experiment a little and publish results. Shannon Hogg

Sorry, I forgot to sign again. Shannon Hogg

Back when I was examining the metallurgy of Nihonto I came to the conclusion that most utsuri was a microstructure called banite which is almost as hard as the martensite at the edge but much tougher. It would give the blade improved strength and hardness. Banite forms at a slightly lower temperature than martensite which means the blade was not uniformly heated to the same temperature. I found it was more plentiful on medium carbon content steel but I can’t say that is true for all alloys. I believe many of the older koto blades were San mai with medium carbon content in the outside layers. It’s just my speculation but perhaps that’s why utsuri is more common in some schools and periods. All of that is just my two cents worth from a little bit of experimentation a long time ago. I’m sure there are more knowledgeable people here.

I had the tachi with me at the Florida show but didn’t really get to show it around. I’ll post more photos when I get time to experiment with lighting and another camera. Perhaps this weekend. I still stay too busy with work. Shannon Hogg

https://imgur.com/aqEIc8X Maybe I have it right this time Shannon Hogg

First image was incorrect. Try this one. https://imgur.com/aqE1c8X Shannon Hogg

There is kawazuko choji and tobiyaki in the hamon. The tachi closely fits the description Albert Yamanaka gave for the work of Moriie and I did get a shinsa attribution to Moriie from Kajihara years ago. The NBTHK shinsa was simply to the Ichimonji School but I’m very happy with that. I will work at getting better photos and I will be getting professional photo word done in the future. Shannon Hogg

https://imgur.com/aqEl8X https://imgur.com/iKWsRMy https://imgur.com/E8kGp5V I’m not sure I did this correctly. Let me know if the image links work. The photos I took unfortunately don’t show much of the detail. I will work with a better camera than my cell phone and try again Shannon Hogg

I will work on getting photos posted this weekend. I am also arranging to have professional photos made of the tachi and will make them available when they are ready.

I’m still figuring out how to link images. When I get back to my laptop tonight I’ll work on it and take some better images of the Ichimonji. I’m at work and only have the cellphone. Shannon Hogg

I have to change my profile and add my name. I keep forgetting. Shannon Hogg

The Nagasaki was approximately 29” or 73 cm. The sori is 2.4 cm. The hamon is choji midare with onti utsuri. The nakago is ubu. It most closely resembles the work of Moriiye of the Hatakeda school and Kajihara gave an attribution to him at a Shinsa a long time ago. The NBTHK juyo papers just stated Ichimonji. I don’t have any photos with me but I’ll post some tonight if you like. I plan on having professional photos made and post them to this site as a reference to anyone interested. If there is another place where photos could be posted for study or reference I think it would be useful.

My first sword is no Japanese national treasure but it was for me. I paid $10 for it sight unseen and sent it off for polish and papers six years later. It came back with juyo papers and an attribution to the Ichimonji school (mid Kamakura). I still enjoy it 20+ years later. Shannon Hogg

I’m new to this forum but not to the study of Japanese blades. I know many of the members here but I’ve let life keep me too busy to do the study justice. I consider myself a novice. I’ve invested mostly in books and not so much in swords. Most are out of my price range. I had an accident last year that left me with titanium rods and screws holding my back and neck together and a bit of paralysis. That has left me with more free time than I’ve had in quite a while. I dusted off my books, dug out a few swords, and bought a couple more on eBay. I plan on attending the Tampa show and will bring a few interesting blades with me that I might need help with. If you see me hobbling around with a cane or in the wheelchair flag me down and say hi. Shannon Hogg