waljamada

Hey Stephen, I'm curious about the story and wonder how the other's blades came out. I'm having a blade polished currently with Woody and asked for sashikomi as I'm just not convinced with the hadori style. Heavy hadori seems like painting over fine lines with a fat brush. I hope the hamon still shines through at the right light!

With this blade using the anti rust steel, is it similar to the arsenal anti rust naval blades in that the hamon is cosmetic and no real visible hada? Or was it made with traditional methods and just an untraditional steel? You say it has a visible hada etc...?

Wanted to ask when someone receives their shinsa papers could you please post here? Want to know when they start coming in, and if after some time passes and mine don't arrive, know that I should perhaps follow up on them. Adam

Remembered coming across a type 98 with lacquered bohi blade on eBay maaaany moons ago. Dug through my "sword" screenshots and actually found the pics!

Greetings all, Hoping for some assistance and thank you very much in advance for any help. The description mentions it was special ordered and wondering if this is reflected in the mei. The ad lists swordsmith Bishuju Mano Kuniyasu as the maker and mentioned as one with a small body of work. Anyone heard of this smith? Please see photos below.

That sayagaki alone is a piece of art!

Bruce, I think it was a lacquered saya but I don't remember the details. It was on eBay years ago for 2k and no one bid on it. Haven't seen it since.

Bruce, Yeah it seems to be a "it was done" and "they do exist". I don't know if anything more will be found out because as you said it may have just come down to choice and whims. The only historical connection I've come across was that mention in one of the descriptions mentioning a 1938 Campaign in China during which I'm sure they didn't just use fully leather fittings as it would then be a wider known attribution....so perhaps "it was done" will do.

This one kinda fits. Nagamitsu blade in mostly type 44 fittings.

Chris, Yeah came across it on eBay. Blade is in kind of rough shape but the koshirae is in wonderful condition. The ridged wood and leather wrapped tsuka actually has a solidly good grip on it so it is definetly function over form.

Did find this. Mentioned leather tsukas as part of a 1938 campaign. Could also be as simple as just repurposing a tsuka wrap as a full tsuka.

A few Chicago Sword Shows back I bought a wakizashi in "gunto" koshirae with a fully leather koshirae including tsuka. Never really saw another one until coming across one today snd thought I'd check to see if anyone else has one. Always figured it was just a simple utilitarian build out of either need of assembly speed, lack of resources etc... For example the tsuka construction is simply just ridged wood wrapped in the leather sheath. Used to think it was possibly a "tanker" variation but I think the latest opinion on that is that category may or may not even exist. Is there any additional info on such koshirae? Are they acknowledged as a "type"? First pics are from one on eBay I just across. The tsuba is obviously not gunto. The tsuba on mine is a smaller gunto tsuba. Second sword pics are my wakizashi. Has a mumei blade but NTHK papered to 2nd gen Nobutaka.

Small thing I've learned on the photo resizing bit is if the picture is too big of a file size and it's on your phone then take a screenshot of it to decrease the file size. Quick easy and painless.

So posted this on another forum but this seems to be the more proper home for it: RESULTS ARE IN: 1) The Kanekuni failed shinsa and was ruled as gimei with a wider possible attribution to Mino Den. It was kantei'd to be from the Oei Era. I didn't have a strong faith in the signature on this one and the age via the shinsa was a bit older than I originally thought it was. I pegged it as late 1400s early 1500s, so I was close. 2) The Kunitsugu passed shinsa with 73 points to Etchu Uda Kunitsugu also from the Oei Era. Out of the two I'm glad this was the one that papered. This was my favorite of my unpapered blades. Ōei (応永) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, "year name") after Meitoku and before Shōchō. This period spanned the years from July 1394 through April 1428. Reigning emperors were Go-Komatsu-tennō (後小松天皇,) and Shōkō-tennō (称光天皇). So had a 50% success rate on the Meis but I'm still glad that the Gimei Kanekuni at least has a "confirmed" age. Also the NTHK point system was unfamiliar to me so I had to research it. It seems a 73 pointer to be a lower level "important" ranking. Below is a pic of the Kunitsugu blade that passed.

Thanks Steve and John, Thank you both for your input and kind statements. This for me was to do my little part in helping out the nihonto in my care and well worth the experience. Was cool to see the shinsa team at work, all the efforts of the organizers come together, all the vendors and the enthusiasts coming together.

Really enjoyed the show! Lots of vendors, lots of wonderful things to see and met some great people. Had a shinsa buddy that I met going up to the room and then went to get our results together. (He had 4 passes and I had 1 out of my 2 blades pass) Made a friend of mine go with me to show him the nihonto ropes and saw familiar vendor faces. Always fun to see which guys bring what and getting a sense of their "eye" for blades. Didn't end up buying anything this year but loved just being there.

RESULTS ARE IN: 1) The Kanekuni failed shinsa and was ruled as gimei with a wider possible attribution to Mino Den. It was kantei'd to be from the Oei Era. 2) The Kunitsugu passed shinsa with 73 points to Etchu Uda Kunitsugu also from the Oei Era. Ōei (応永) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō, "year name") after Meitoku and before Shōchō. This period spanned the years from July 1394 through April 1428. Reigning emperors were Go-Komatsu-tennō (後小松天皇,) and Shōkō-tennō (称光天皇). So we had a 50% success rate on the Meis but I'm still glad that the Gimei Kanekuni at least has a "confirmed" age.

Well not quite as pro level as Mr. Paul Martin. But It'll do.....it'll do...

Welp, time to paper saya up and prepare for my Sunday trip to the Chicago Sword Show. I decided to go with the Kunitsugu and the Kanekado. My logic goes as following....1) With so many generations etc..it takes someone with knowledge and/or resources to narrow things down. 2) I personally have the most curiosity about those 2 blades 3) The traveling shinsa team may have more resources on hand that may cover these two smiths unlike... 4)The Michimisasa being such an "unknown" smith I think would be difficult for a traveling shinsa team without full resources at hand. 5) I want to take the tsuba to shinsa one day and I wish IWell, just purchased three slots...but I'd personally rather have the blades papered (if things go well) than the tsuba. So next time! Thank you to all those who weighed in to help me navigate this! I greatly appreciate it. Will post an update after the judgements.

I've emotionally prepared myself to be dissapointed but still optiministically hopeful at the same time. I view all my submission options being able to go either way.

John, The tsuba is definetly tempting because of the name attached. I don't have any papered tsubas but do have a nbthk white papered koshirae which I do enjoy. That tsuba came on the Ashu Ju Michimasa blade and I actually love the koshirae of that blade so having the tsuba authenticated would be a nice treat. The tsuba never did inspire much feedback on relevant forums/groups which maybe says something though. I do want to try and get the items that would best benefit from a shinsa done and I dont know enough to decide if the tsuba would shine a bit brighter being papered. As to the tsuba itself I did receive some help with some of the translation. "I think the inscription on the back is 寒山行旅 kanzan kōryo, meaning “going on a trip to cold mountains”. Engraved are 秋江 (shūkō) and 帆彩？ (hosai?), which I think allude to a Chinese painting, or a common theme in Chinese painting. I think it says 秋江帆影 shūkō han'ei, which is an actual theme for Chinese and Japanese classic pictures." Then I did find one verified signature of this maker on a kozuka I'll post below next to the mei on the tsuba and they have differences.

Neil, love the grouping and variety of a smiths work!

Hey Steve , From the seller and I believe from the seller before him whom I believe was a dealer. So it's a pass down of unknown origin. Google searches are zilch for the smith but I do perhaps remember someone looking him up in a book for me and found those two active periods for a smith going by Ashu Ju Michimasa. It's been quite a while. Also I noticed you were the one who shared/translated who the maker of my tsuba with me many moons ago. Thank you for that. Adam

Mark and Chris, Thanks for the advice! Just to share some of my internal debate; I was also thinking the first two blades. The main reason i still feel tempted by the Kanekado is because that blade and the Kunitsugu, with so many generations and potentials, increases the difficulty for me personally to "verify" or narrow down facts around them. The ashu ju michimasa in sheer numbers is much less therefore easier for "amateur verification" within a higher degree of certainty. I am also unsure if the current state of polish of the blade is good enough for shinsa as I have no experience submitting and don't know required parameters. Also, I am in the que with Woody Hall for the Michimasa to be polished. So right now I am still leaning towards the first two blades, Kunitsugu and the Michimasa. I believe the tsuba is pertaining to be made by a well known maker but I don't know enough to feel strongly about it. I know none of these are "heavy treasures" but I look forward to adding a bit more shinsa light to my little Nihonto corner to where there was none before. Playing my part in helping some of these items in my care.

Mark, thank you very much! Don't think there could of been a more perfect resource video! Adam