Lewis B

Or Paul Kremers, who has a business in Tokyo and offers these types of services. Just remember getting Tanobe to write a Sayagaki is not automatic. He is quite selective and if he accepts to do one, charges about 50,000 yen. If you need someone based in the USA to handle things, perhaps Mike Yamasaki or Ted Tenold would be the ones to contact.

Of course historically there was a gradual commercialisation of the supply of iron sand. It's my understanding one reason, besides being close to their sponsoring Daimyo or clan leader, that the smiths settled where they did in Bizen, Kaga, Kamakura, Sagami, Yamato, Etchu etc because the source of their iron was on their doorstep so to speak, in the rivers and along the coast. Whether they personally collected it is debatable, but they would have known where it came from. And because they sourced locally any unique characteristics or properties in terms of elemental variations in the iron sand would be incorporated into their blades. Hence why I mentioned that Northern makers during the Kamakura and Nambokucho eras had steel with a blacker tonality and is a Kantei feature for Tanobe and Shinsa. Moving into the Muromachi and Edo periods the supply of iron sand and possibly tamahagane was more centralised (controlled by the ruling classes?) and those unique differentiating features in the steel of the earlier smiths were lost. At least this is how I'm reading the history.

I was referring to the raw material from which the iron is smelted.

Hi Tumi, I see your point. Often I see these items exhibited all together in a diorama. It would make sense to put less significant blades in these displays where closer examination isn't completely necessary to enjoy the subject matter. Hopefully those museums that exhibit significant blades from important makers and gokuden will have a dedicated space for optimal, critical viewing, will have curators who are sensitive to the lighting, blade angle, height etc and can accommodate. These displays could have blade optimal lighting, it just takes a little thought. With the example of the Muramasa, a QR code could be printed on the info card and then the content described in the selected language. Can I suggest the VoiceOver used by YouTuber "Historyofkatana"... it's perfect for Nihonto and Samurai art.

My guess. Poor quality uchiko

Good point. It's not like modern smiths are ordering tamahagane from Hitachi with full elemental analysis. Still made from iron sand, just like in older times. Following this thread what is it about iron sand from the Northern Provinces eg Etchu and Kaga being noticeably different (darker) than from say Yamato?

How would the swordsmiths of the age be able to make 'lower' and 'higher' quality steel. There was no metallurgical analysis possible, obviously. Would there have been different possessing eg faster, going on that would lead to lower quality material? I have read that the (b), (e) and core steels were of equal quality and processed similarly in the Kamakura and Nanbokucho periods. So much so that even when the Shigane is exposed it shows a crystalline structure.

What would this feature in the jihada be called? I have a similar feature in a couple of areas on my blade (Yamato Shikkake) and thought it was Shintetsu. But it has a ji-nie in the centre and is not a featureless black patch that is usually associate with exposed core steel.

That would be the right era. More Ko-Ichimonji sugata. Tiny kissaki with some taper to the blade. It was short around 60cm if my memory is correct.

This has been bugging me since June and I kick myself for not asking, but does anyone who attended the show remember the smith who made the Kamakura (possibly Heian) era blade that was showcased on the Samurai Museum Berlin stand?

Take a clear closeup photo with the correct orientation and I'm sure some knowledgeable types will assist.

Word of advice. Never touch the polished blade with bare fingers. This one seems in quite good polish and sweat residue will leave fingerprints and marks.

It's 15 months until DTI 2025 and I plan to attend as many NBTHK-EB meetings as possible, the next Japan Art Expo in Utrecht and the Samurai Museum in Berlin before I leave. Hopefully this will educate my eye and help me separate the wheat from the chaff. I know immeasurably more than I did 6 months ago. And there is no substitute for seeing blades in person, which is the most important aspect of nihonto connoisseurship. I hope I will have learned enough to make an educated choice and know the market well enough to not over pay.

True, but many blades are acquired from older private collections and may not have been submitted. It's time consuming to submit, even if easier for a local, and the dealer may just want a quick turnover. Or the blade might have failed one particular year merely because the competition in that Shinsa year was especially tough. The dealer may not be inclined to resubmit a year or 2 later.

One of my earliest influences was Red Sun featuring Charles Bronson about a pledge to hunt down a famous missing/stolen Japanese sword. In my first year at University when I was 18 I attended a Kurosawa film festival showing 3 of his movies back-to-back (its amazing the stamina we have in our youth, as they're not easy watches). All this reinforced an appreciation for the culture and representative collectibles eg netsuke. Japanese swords were way out of my budget but I always made a B line to see them in museum collections. Interestingly I was never as fascinated by the historic swords from my own Anglo Saxon culture. Exception might be famous Ulfberht blades, which have a mystical origin and interesting metallurgy.

I just translated the kanji on the display case. All 6 blades are from the private collection of one person, Zenjo Kazumori, CEO of Zero Home (hopefully Google Translate was accurate

I plan to attend with the aim to purchase a mid to high end Koto blade (TH with Juyo potential or preferably Juyo). Is it worth talking to the dealers ahead of the show to ensure a blade they have in stock will be in attendance? Is there a list online of the participating dealers? I particularly want to meet the guys/gals at Eirakudo, Katana no Kura, Samurai-Nippon and Touken Komachi. I am hoping that if I do find a blade I can do what others have done, pay a none refundable deposit for the dealer to hold it and transfer the balance when I return to Germany. Then have it shipped after the registration/export docs are processed.

Yet to attend a DTI but plan to in 2025 so I'm interested in the responses, especially from those who have purchased from the participating dealers. My impression from previous reports is that some good deals can be found, but the higher end pieces are generally offered at retail price. With 70+ dealers the selection should be awesome. Based on my experience at the Utrecht event in June at least one of the dealers on a stand will speak some English. A translator app or gadget should fill in the gaps, albeit a little clunky. Unlike events like this in the West it seems there is less pressure to be first through the doors to find the best deals ala Black Friday. What is the etiquette regarding bargaining? Do the dealers negotiate on a sticker price? Or do the Japanese dealers find this impolite, borderline rude? Are they a bit more negotiable towards the end of the Show? I successfully negotiated a sizeable discount in Utrecht, but I waited until the last day to make an offer and ultimately I think both parties were happy. Was this a fluke? I get the impression from online dealings that prices are fixed (maybe they offer free shipping), unless it's a consignment piece but I have limited experience here.

I think the numbering is a little confused. Eg blades #3 and #4 (with the Futasuji-hi) are mixed up in different photos. Maybe start again?

You only list 4 makers plus the mystery. And there are 6 blades. Here's what I've got so far 1. Kotetsu 2. 3. Shigetsugu 4. Nakago looks very Muramasa like. And the Hamon (Hitatsura?) 5. Masamune 6. Yamato, possibly Taima

Ah yes, forgot about the export permit. Thanks for the reminder.

What a character.

For those who have attended DTI, is this a good venue to find quality Koto blades? Are the prices generally retail level? Will the dealers ship internationally or is it better to take back to Europe as checked luggage in an appropriate case? I plan to fly Singapore airlines and the reason I mention this is that I think JAL will not check blades. The 2023 show had 70 vendors which is mind boggling. Seems like a far better way to visit many different dealers without having to visit each location individually. And then if a dealer has something special at their shop, they could be visited in person.

I plan to visit next year. Although shades might be advisable with all the gold on display.

This to me is a good example of a poorly executed Atobori bohi. I'm a bit dubious of sellers claims its Ubu too. https://www.catawiki...ura-period-1185-1333