DoTanuki yokai

Did someone actually saw neon genesis evangelion ? I did many years ago and i have to say that there are no swords in this. The spear is the only authentic item at this exhibition. The only piece i really like is the "2nd Impact" Tanto, sadly you dont have pictures of it in your album Francois. But your pictures show that even this anime themed Koshirae and Nihonto are of very high quality. For the demon slayer Blade i would say it fits the descripton as an art sword perfectly, i think on a checklist for art pieces you can check off frequently "practically useless". So why we stop looking back in long past times and enjoy how the future will bring us an equivalent of streetart in nihonto. While you wait you can check how the time pass by on your [G]assan-Shock watch. https://watchesbysjx.com/2019/09/casio-g-shock-gassan-interview.html

Thanks for the photos Jeffrey, its always nice to see a good bizen blade. I would love to see more detail but i remember that it took me like 5000 pictures to learn how to photograph nihonto.

Hi, nice blade do you have pictures in more natural light. From what i see on the auction site it looks like it would also get Tokubetsu Hozon but im no expert. You dont have to take photos just for me wanting to see more of the blade

Mhh, i could imagine that the blade is osuriage and this is a horimono.

I knew that we had this thread some time ago but couldnt find it. I think they look obviously not stamped. Thanks Bruce I also want to add that in my Opinion the Mei is well chisseld and i cant see why someone say it is poorly made. Im not saying it is legit and im like others not an expert.

This is from "The Art of the Japanese Sword" Grade 1 C 1.31; Si 0.02; Mn 0.01; P 0.017; S 0.003; Ti 0.002; Ni 0.001; Cu 0.01 Grade 2 C 0,77; Si 0.01; Mn 0.01; P 0.022; S 0.004; Ti 0.004; Ni 0 ; Cu <0.01 Grade 3 C 0.31; Si 0.02; Mn 0.004; P 0.021; S 0.007; Ti 0.003; Ni 0.001; Cu 0.01 And this is from Usagiya website. In the furnace, a big iron ingot is produced. It includes various qualities in parts. Then, it is broken into many small pieces. Then, the small pieces are classified into various grades by the terms of hardness and sizes. For example, hard and proper size is highest price, grade 1A (8,250.yen /kg). After it 1B. Some is the too hard (cast iron, 3,300.yen/kg). The steel pieces are classified more grades. And the last pieces are these lowest priced tamahagane. Some people say that this grade of tamahagane is close to the material in Koto period. So some smiths intentionally use this tamahagane. After tamahagane is not homogeneous i think this are all more tendencys then facts for all the sorted pieces. When i have read interviews with different mukansa smiths and they got asked about what the best tamahagane is they all gave different answers. I think every smith has his own experiences and methods and prefer different things.

The Raden Brian https://www.urushi-watanabe.net/en/shopping/mart/find.cgi?sort=4&word=・Mother of pearl

Shinto mino is my first impression. EDIT: Thinkin about it i think late muromachi kanefusa is a possibility. Maybe it is the lighning or the condition but would acid not also increase the visibility of the muneyaki ? (i think i see muneyaki) But yes it looks courios without any hataraki visible but the whole hamon. More pictures will hopefully tell us

If you only want it translated "Bishu Osafune KatsuMitsu". Im not sure with the Katsu because it is very faded.

Think what you want, but dont ruin other peoples forum experience for the things you alone take responsibility for. If you want to tell me something you can send me a pm.

Tsuka points in the direction of the door to strike down incoming enemys faster ? Nice work, what is the thing between the antlers on the wood ? You also made this yourself ? What did you use for the red color ?

I just want to say that even if the signature is gimei it could be attributed kanemoto when the signature is removed in my opinion. Nice sword

This is the First thing that should be checked with orikeshi mei in my opinion. I think this is also an information found in facts and fundamentals. But also if it is really folded it could also be a folded gimei. I think even if the signature is gimei it could be attributed to kanemoto without it.

When I first read the question I also thought about this Tsuba in the seven samurai. I think Akira Kurosawa movies are good but not 100% sure about the historical provenance.

I think we had a similiar discussion some time ago about hitatsura/ tobiyaki hamon and chinese fakes. There is no answer but the same things are happening I think the blade is Japanese shinto.

I would not try to remove this "tsuka", i think you will break it.

This shape looks shinto, but it could be also an old sword that indeed lost most of its sori that could have been koshizori due suriage. Ofc it could also be mumei shinto with little changings to the nakago to look like O-suriage. Even if the habaki is original to the sword i think that means nothing for the potential value of the sword. Based on this pictures i can not say what it is. You should try to see what the Boshi and the Hada in Shinogiji is doing, maybe you can make something out with it in hand and the right light. I would also check the inside of the lower mekugiana for a difference in rust, i think it would be different if it is significantly older.

Video if you want to buy this blade, you are unlucky it was already sold in the sales section here. but you are also lucky the seller is selling many other of his well preserved nihonto right now here on nmb. The sold one

Hi maybe not what you are looking for but actually for sale here.

Kuniie - Yoshihara Soji is the older brother Another blade he made https://www.toukenkomachi.com/index_en_tachi&katana_A090818.html He is also the swordsmith in the "The last Samurai" movie. I dont know much about Seto Yoshihiro but i read that thread yesterday For the price i think the year when he became a mukansa wont mean much, some (dealers?) say they put more effort in the blades for the contests to become mukansa.

What i also think is always a usefull information but not visible on most pictures is if the shinogi is low or high. The first examples here show one with low and the 2nd with high shinogi.http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/styles.html This can help attribution to a school but i would say you check the "Connoisseurs Book" on that subject. Also check out the kantei series of sesko if you dont have already https://markussesko.com/kantei/. I think Useful could be a picture of the kissaki with the yokote visible. I think your blade has a kanbun shinto sugata and from sesko "a Kanbun-shintô-sugata is one of the more easier recognizable sugata". https://markussesko.com/2015/04/03/kantei-1-sugata-6/ Without the blade in hand i would say it is easier to show hada and hamon for more than the time frame.

Sue soshu tsunahiro is my best guess now.

Hi, nice blade, I think there is no signature on the tang because the blade is shortened. The blade is from mino province and maybe from the late Muromachi - early edo period. The hamon pattern looks like sanbonsugi but I would like to see more pictures Pictures of the whole naked blade and the tang. Also a close up picture of where the hamon starts and what it looks like in the tip. Thanks Edit: I added pictures that show what we need to see (not the best ones but That’s what I have on my phone now). Play a little with the lightning, it’s not easy to photograph nihonto.

Looks like nobody has a clue or is too afraid to be wrong. Maybe you can post a little more pictures to get the ball rolling.

Yes, that is what i think.