Lewis B

Definitely not netsuke. Just decorative items. If real ivory they don't appear to have much age based on the lack of patination.

Get the pdf edition for $40. If the printed copy is $800 on the secondary market (assuming you can find one) its sort of a no brainer. And I prefer a pdf copy of reference works for search capabilities.

Pickup date was 5 weeks ago so I would put that in the overdue category. You should have received at least the tracking number. Try calling.

Did you see this katana on Choshuya? It doesn't list on NW but worth highlighting as its seems to be relevant and long blades by him are quite rare https://ginza.choshuya.co.jp/sale/gj/r7/012/02_masazane.php

You also have to consider the lighting. The pre polish photos appear over exposed and this will obscure a lot of subtle detail. To compare, the same light source plus angle, and camera settings/lens should be used.

Impossible to know by casually viewing the blade as many kizu could be below the surface and would only be detected using specialised equipment with x-rays, ultrasonics etc.

Could be Nanbokucho. Founder was Kaneyuki and he started in Ōan (応安, 1368-1375).

Made me smile. I wouldn't be surprised that happens more than we know or like to admit. Some schools/smiths had very weak nioi-guchi activity (early Soshu and Yamashiro Rai for example)

I was going to say exactly the same thing Sam. Another telltale is that all the mekugi-ana appear to be the same size on the odachi, made by the same punch and thus more likely they are all contemporary to one another. The same suspicion applies to the OP's blade image. The kuro-sabi on the odachi also looks too evenly toned and gives the impression of being an application of colour.

Perhaps kirikomi might be an indirect measure of a blades ability to withstand structural failure. Hardly scientific but provides a degree of competency by the makers. They were fully aware of what manufacture methods leads to an effective and resilient sword under the harshest of battle conditions. Afterall it was in their interests for their patrons to return home alive. The Ishida Masamune has signs of a couple of massive impacts to the mune yet survived. So I'm not sure I fully agree with Kevin's statement "shinto/shinshinto/gendai sword would just about break any elegant chu/hoso suguha koto sword". Perhaps a late koto blade when quality of manufacture generally took a dive due to the increasing need to supply the Sengoku period conflicts.

I know an Ichimonji with 8 mekugi-ana. Thats the most I've seen on a blade.

I think your nagasa measurement is incorrect. Should be 2 shaku 3 sun (69.7cm)

I'm curious why NW shows my Senjuin as Juyo when it has TH papers https://nihontowatch.com/artists/senjuin-SEN12?listing=4317

16 years later. These replies are never too late. What a wonderful story mirroring a little my own journey into the crazy world of Nihonto, albeit I'm still cruising the bunny slopes. The post about not wanting to invest in 'dusty tomes' was funny reflecting the motivation of most noobs, who are only focused on getting their paws on the real deal, research and knowledge be damned. I appreciated the discussion on the bohi, especially around signs of atabori and carvings ending in front of the yokote. Now with 16 years experience under your belt, what are your thoughts? The style of bohi carving is also found on some Yamato Cho-Senjuin swords from late Kamakura period like the TJ Mumei ubu blade in the Nagoya Museum collection I posted recently. Any plans to have it officially papered?

While still retaining a decent motokasane measurement of 0.61cm the hamachi is almost non existent. The motohaba is quite narrow too at 2.55cm. The offset at the hamachi and munemachi is a little concerning. Even so a couple of bids have been placed for the sword and it'll sell because it has a signature, NBTHK papers authenticating the Mei and its ubu.

Many thanks to @Jussi Ekholm for linking the Nagoya Token World sword database. https://www.touken-world.jp/search/ Fascinating collection of survivor blades, many signed, from the Koto era. Condition is optimal for study and I appreciate the effort they have put into documenting their collection. In that collection I came across a very interesting mumei TJ Senjuin blade that is similar to my kodachi. An offshoot of the Senjuin school migrated from Yamato to the Hokuriku region (encompassing the Prefectures of Ishikawa, Fukui, and Toyama). It is believed that Go Yoshihiro emerged from this group and that would correspond to the geographical region where he is said to have lived and worked and the location of Matsukura Castle in present day Toyama Prefecture. This particular example in the Token World collection bears strong resemblance to my Senjuin in terms of sugata and jitetsu, even the application of the bohi carving and ko-kissaki are quite similar. However the museums blade lacks the nie-deki forging style, chikei and fine ara nie often associated with Soshuden and Go in particular. Historically my Senjuin, with its Soshu and Yamato features, was attributed to Go Yoshihiro and as a possible transitional piece from Go's early swordmaking period, before fully embracing the Soshu style, is worthy of further study. https://www.touken-world.jp/search-noted-sword/tokubetsujuyotoken-meito/6370/ Video

Here is an even earlier one, dated the first day registrations were possible under the modern system. Apparently there was a provisional registration in effect from late 1950. The number is 2048 so that confirms each prefecture had their own registration system and the numbers are by no means indicative of a nationwide order.

Very early. April 1951. The new Torokushu registrations started 31/3/51. The 'Sa' on the other hand is up for debate No excuse not to get modern papers for such a big name attribution....unless you know it's no good. Looks nothing like the Kosetsu Samonji

Looked like a nice package back in February. Now not so much. Sad situation if the mounts were original to the blade.

And whats up with that offset munemachi and hamachi?

Fraudulent Sayagaki are a thing, as are spurious blades being married to genuine Sayagaki to boost value.

Ticks many boxes for a potential collector of Ichimonji. Certainly a rare, early tachi with Yoshimochi Nijimei. Starting price seems way under market. Are the condition issues dragging it down, tired, little ko-choji midare activity? The usual references offer minimal info about this smith. https://www.aoijapan.com/tachiyoshimochi-ichimonji-school-nbthk-tokubetsu-hozon-token-nbthk-certificate/ YOSHIMOCHI (吉用), Kenchō (建長, 1249-1256), Bizen – “Yoshimochi” (吉用), Fukuoka-Ichimonji school, according to tradition a student of Sukeyoshi (助吉), there are relative many blades of Yoshimichi extant, most of the tachi have a slender, rather small and refined sugata and only a few are larger and have a wide mihaba, the kitae is a very dense and finely forged itame with midare-utsuri, the hamon bases on suguha and shows regular ko-chōji, in some cases he also hardened a pure suguha, blades which are dated around the Shōō era (正応, 1288-1293) are attributed to a supposed 2nd gen., the bōshi ist sugu with a ko-maru-kaeri, the tip of the tang is a kurijiri and the yasurime are katte-sagari, his niji-mei ist quite small and chiselled on the shinogi-ji of the tang, jōjō-saku ◎

The sword was part of the Tsukamoto Sozan museum collection and had an historical attribution to Go. The excerpt you highlighted gives some credence to that possibility. The more I study the few early Go pieces with Yamato (Senjuin) and Soshu influence, the more I think it has a chance.

Hi Kevin, Not a Ko Mihara but a very nice Mihara signed Masachika. Kanzan liked it a lot. Very unusual vermillion lacquered Hi. https://www.toukenkomachi.com/index_ja_tachi&katanaA060426.html