Lewis B

Assuming you purchased it in Japan, and it's still there, why not use a Japanese togishi? You will have far more options. btw welcome and it looks like you have a very interesting tanto. Does it have NBTHK papers?

Thanks John. I saw that thread when I searched gyakutagane. Interestingly there is very little discussion about this feature, but it could turn out to be a decisive argument, if confirmed, for daimei-daisaku by Norishige. The impression I get is that to be sure, the mei has to be examined in hand, since all we see in photos and oshigata are a 2D representation. A shadow effect for incised chiseling is often cited as being indicative of sakatagane but would depend on the direction of the light source and need to be off axis. To my uneducated eye the feature that shows promise are the numerous areas where the yokan-iro either side of the strike marks has been worn away because they are raised above the metal surface of the nakago.

Why is this an important characteristic, especially when discussing Etchu vs Sagami smiths in general, and Norishige in particular? According to AI using historic Oshigata references, together with extant work, the following is stated:

Is it possible to determine if the mei is in gyakutagane (reverse chisel/raised edge) left to right style, as opposed to sakatagane, from these photos?

Yes, decided to get it. Negotiations ongoing.

Too many Emperor's not enough ashigaru. Shoutout to all the Daimyo's.

From Markus' swordsmiths NOBUIE (信家), Ōei (応永, 1394-1428), Bingo – “Bishū-jū Nobuie” (備州住信家), “Nobuie” (信家), he lived in Bingo´s Kusado (草戸), wazamono

Looks like a cut down long blade. Maybe the previous incarnation was damaged so a shorter Tanto blade was engineered.

Well, like you say this appears to be a replacement part. The bone might have been stained in a previous life to mimic aged elephant ivory which would account for the uneven coloration. I would expect a 3D printed part to be more uniform in color.

I don't get the impression this sword was oil quenched but I do wonder if it has been acid etched to augment the hamon.

From the appearance I wonder if it could be bone.

Larrin has a PhD in metallurgy and his father is a famous blade and kitchen knife maker in the US called Devin Thomas

I was quoted over 4 months to make a shirasaya for a tanto or 1-2 months if I was prepared to pay a 60% premium.

And if anyone was wondering about the current market price for a nice mumei Yukimitsu tanto, 10mil JPY

Gamechanger for me was discovering the dark background setting.

The Shintogo DNA is very clear in this tanto attributed to Yukimitsu. Beautiful forging consistency throughout the jiba. Good example showing how the detail in the nioiguchi and hada are emphasized in these photos. https://eirakudo.shop/172803

Good time to be buying in Japan with such a strong Euro at the moment.

Agree. Unless you speak Japanese, calling is a waste of time. Tried that route once when I was briefly ghosted during negotiations for the Kunimitsu Tanto. I'm actually quite happy he's slow to follow through on plans though. Otherwise the Mei on the tanto would have been removed and the blade polished by who knows who, in the interim 6 months between negotiations breaking down and my being able to acquire it.

Someone needs to introduce them to spell checking and proof reading. So many mistakes. The Aussies should be ashamed

Quite different. I think the OP's Yoshimitsu is a later generation Tosa Yoshimitsu with a signature stylistically similar to this example. https://www.toukenkomachi.com/index_en_tachi&katana_A111223.html Very nice looking blade for the asking price.

For those who are unable to visit the museum in person this might be a worthwhile watch. 2.5 hours split over 2 videos

My TH Senjuin was shipped from the dealer to me in Germany a year ago. I was levied 19% importatation fees. I tried to justify the lower 5 or 7% duty but they wouldn't budge even with documentation and statements supporting the over 250 year old artifact. I was told to get the lower rate the sword must have 'special' and specific significance or historical importance eg blade made by the founder of a school, daimyo owned big beast etc. Seems like there is some room for interpretation. In the end I was given a 100 euro refund, based on a discrepancy in the calculation. In reality since the dealer removed the 10% Japanese consumption tax from the sale price I effectively paid 9% extra to get into Germany. Not too bad.

Thats the one I've been using. Probably the best one I've found online.

Outside Japan the Berlin Samurai Museum is the best permanent venue in the world (IMO) to see nihonto, tosogu and katchu. Beautifully organized and presented top level pieces such as this Kiyomaro. Puts other venues like London's V&A to shame. I will be sure to revisit over the winter.

Never seen anything like it. Unusual construction?