Lewis B

Yep that thread became a deep dive for every signature nuance and subtlety associated with Shintogo Kunimitsu and his acolytes. I hope the information deposited there, distilled down to a few key points, will be enough to sway the Shinsa panel. If not then the quest will continue. Question now is does the forging meet Shintogo's very high standard. The togishi seems to think so.

And there are even doubts that 'Midare-Shintogo' is Shoshin. Its been suggested its the work of Yukimitsu signing daimei-daisaku.

I would say opportunity missed. The mei looks good to me for Sadakazu. He was also known for Katakiriha-zukuri For 42500 JPY someone stole it. Better to buy first and ask for forgiveness later.

Just to get you started. Check out the Mei on this signed Shintogo Kunimitsu dated 1315 that was part of the Sano Museum exhibition in the early 2000's. Several of the kanji are shared by your tanto and this example. Note the atypical style of 'mitsu' carving.

Interesting. Whats the nagasa measurement? Mitsu or iorimune?

Links not working for me.

Wonderful opportunity for seasoned collectors and novices alike. The more exposure we have to nihonto the better for the hobby. Word of advice. Gloves should be worn when handling the blades in shirasaya or displayed with a tsuka. Bare hands when holding the nakago.

Thats what I thought. Might the simplicity of the overall tsuba design and rough cutting of the open hitsu ana suggest its a provincial piece? The current sizing of the nakago ana fit my short Senjuin sword perfectly. This understated tsuba works nicely with the blade and doesn't detract. Now I just have to find a tsuka to complete the set.

I picked this tsuba up a while ago. My first one. Its simplicity and 'honesty' appealed to me and that it was mounted at least 2 times. Apart from the mokko gata shape the only other adornment is quite an intricately designed and execution of gold inlay in the filled hitsu-ana. The vertical lines scored in the material (I assume its lead alloy) are reminiscent of stems and the gold representing the flower heads eg iris. Could this embellishment have been added at a later date? Any ideas regarding period and maker/school?

It was more common during this period for short swords to be left mumei by the smith. Off the top of my head, Sa School (Sa Kunihiro), Masamune for example. The explanation I hear is that these could have been commissioned works and so the customer preferred not to have the name of the maker chiseled on the nakago I would make a purchase decision on a case-by-case basis. Requiring a signature and you might miss out on a Masamune .....

Attractive blade that appears to be keenly priced. Just wondering why its consignment as the photos don't show major condition issues and the attribution (excluding the misinformation) is not controversial. Not a fan of the koshirae but that's just personal aesthetics. Some interesting info on the 2 smiths here https://nihonto.com/hasebe-kunishige-and-hasebe-kuninobu-長谷部国重＆長谷部国信　/

My first reaction is that the monouchi and kissaki have been reshaped. Possibly it had some damage. And that could certainly account for the poorly defined yokote.

Like the tax collector?

As the saying goes, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing

Could this be the higher priced TJ Yukimitsu? Dealer had it priced at 38mil 2 yrs ago https://www.tsuruginoya.com/items/f00665.html