Toryu2020

It's upside down... -tom

Ran into this on the Military Channel - The challenge is to improve upon ancient weapons, things like a repeating crossbow. There is one episode on the Katana watching it as I type so have no idea how this will turn out. Does feature Paul Martin. Look for it since it will be in current rotation, apologies if this was posted previously as this was a 2009 episode... -tom PS and now for something a little different; http://tinyurl.com/ce5nkj

Grey - This name does not come up in an internet search, probably no one famous. There was a Daimyo family of Amagasaki Han that used similar kanji in their names, see Aoyama Yoshitoyo and Yoshihide... -tom

The following is from an article in that appeared in the NCJSC newsletter on Okayama; After Sekigahara Kobayakawa Hideaki, 小早川秀秋, was granted the lordship of Bizen he then dismantled outlying Ukita fortresses and castles and used the material to rebuild, repair and expand Okayama-jo. Hideaki died suddenly and without heir, the Tokugawa then installed Ikeda Terumasa 池田輝政, lord of Harima, but unfortunately he was not lord for long. Terumasa’s son, Tadatsugu 忠継 after him was lord of Okayama for only two years before he was killed at the battle of Osaka castle. His son, Tadao 忠雄, enlarged the omote shoin, remodeled the otemon into a masu-gata mon and added three yagura, including one of the last remaining original towers at the castle; the Tsukimi-yagura. After 18 years, Tadao had to swap lands with his cousin, Mitsumasa 光政, who was brought down from Tottori and installed at Okayama where this branch of the family ruled until the Meiji Restoration. http://www.ncjsc.org

Not sure the footage is from a Japanese documentary on sword production, more likely homefront news videos showing war-production. I believe the arsenal photos and movies that we see full of women hard at work on swords is from the Sasebo, arsenal. That it least is what one knowledgeable individual passed on to me... -tom

Grey - Very cool habaki - I believe the Takitsuse is a go for a "swift moving" sword, but I could be wrong. I would look at Inoue as your best candidate for the maker of this, an interesting find and a wonderful exercise thanks for sharing it. -tom

Piers - Since you are in Japan, I found that the best fix for loose fitting saya was a small shim made of "Hyogi". I am sorry I do not know the kanji, but it is paper thin slices of cedar that are used to line packages at the fish-shop. I found a single sheet is enough for years worth of repairs. A small patch inside the koiguchi applied with rice-paste or simple white glue does the trick. Make sure any glue is thoroughly dry before reinstalling the sword/habaki... -tom

Eric - Thanks so much for posting this, a thoroughly enjoyable exercise. -tom Kajihei?

I'm gonna vote for B3 - but I gotta say after looking at Naotane mei all day I don't know how anybody can see similarities in any of his signatures... -tom

Heres the announcement we are still putting the finishing touches on the webpage; The Nihon To-ken Hozon Kai (NTHK) is pleased to announce The 2010 NTHK San Francisco Shinsa August 20th, 21st and 22nd, 2010 San Francisco Airport Marriott Millbrae, California Yoshikawa Eiichi, polisher and curator of swords for the Imperial Household Agency, curator of swords for the Seikado collection and the shosoin repository, will head a team of select appraisers from the NTHK Tokyo home office Submissions $100.00 certification $150.00 fittings must be submitted separately swords with koshirae must be submitted as separate items Email your request for registration information to; nthk2010@toryu-mon.com Note: this is the same location and same weekend as the ncjsc san francisco to-ken taikai

Eiichi - looks to be in terrific shape, the koshirae and handle too, with the company grade officers tassel. One point of confusion is that the Bag, The box and the card do not agree. You have three names; Matsuoka, Nakayama and what looks like Tashiro Masao on the bag. It may be that these things were all put together before being sent to your grandfather. I wonder is there any info on the sword written on the bag or box that would tie it to any one of these names? Regardless, you have a fine legacy there, how nice that you have the chance to research and preserve it... -tom

Welcome Oliver! A student of Eisenack Sensei now? Always nice to see another Iaido-ka on here, let us know how your search goes for a nihon-to, -tom

Eiichi - Interesting piece, would be nice to see the blade and fittings - not surprising your grandmother may not be familiar with some of the conventions of reading sword signatures - at the cost of presuming here and perhaps giving offense to her I would offer the following; 濃州関天秀作 Which I would render; Noshu Seki Amahide Saku or "Amahide of Seki in Mino made this" Note the Shu is presented in more cursive style and so could look to some like Myo The character Ama can also be read as Ten so shes on the right track Hide may also be read as shu so again her reading is correct unless you know that this is the swordsmiths name. The stamp is a flaming jewel as posted by John, and this stamp and it's theme was covered here recently you should be able to find it archived Begging pardon from Grandma... -tom

FWIW- I would want to see the jigane to see if it says Bizen. That said to my eye the chisel is too heavy in the longer strokes both horizontal and vertical. The short strokes in the SHU seem very heavily punched. The spacing seems off and the characters do not "stack up" on a straight line. The Tsuki in the date character looks wrong with that long tail and the HI seems heavy. Given the small number of control examples likely all of this could be accounted for so yes, it needs further research and even if the mei proves wrong the blade shows plenty of promise and needs to be well cared for. M.Lee you have some mighty good luck it seems... -tom

Erik - Steer well clear of Pavel Nowak and his many aliases - if you know anyone else getting his email I would advise them as well... -tom

Dan - Don't forget the NCJSC meets the third Sunday of every month in San Franciscos' Japantown, no need to wait till August - visitors are always welcome and you have the opportunity for hands-on examination, where you can receive a number of opinions and help with your research. A very lucky find indeed! -tom http://www.ncjsc.org

Lee- Based on the photos I would say mid- to late-1800s for the sword and the fittings. Not much else can be said about the blade since the polish is in such a poor state. You might try close ups of the kissaki and the habaki-moto. Just out of personal interest I'd love to see close-ups of the kurikata and the koiguchi. Hira-zukuri and other older shapes came back into fashion during this time, it is nice to see something that is not a shinogi-zukuri wakisashi... -tom

Well CP, it don't look like it is the menuki either... -tom

CP? clearly not the blade he was after, maybe the menuki, the fittings on the handle, if you aren't too tired of taking photos I would be interested to see. Otherwise your photos show a pretty standard Showa-to with civillian mounts. A shame that so many out there, including us "experts" don't know the true value of these swords... -tom

　John A is correct, Seki Kanetoshi, wartime production from present day Gifu-ken in Japan. Looking forward to more photos, be sure to show us the scabbard and handle as well. I wonder how old your "translator" was? Not a lot of young Japanese know the rules of reading sword signatures but certainly most should be able to make out these kanji! and 10k was a great offer, if we are having fun at your expense don't take it out on the deer... -tom

My understanding is that they had a factory/workshop where they did most of the work and the blades were finished at the shrine in the presence of the gods. For the most part these were machine made with a few supposedly "Han-tan" or half forged, hand-finished. Definitetly Showa-to since they were made in that era, not true Gendaito as they never used 100% materials and methods as some other wartime forges did... -tom

and I forgot "Jidai Oan koro" Period (circa) : 1368-1374 -tom

Klaus - George sussed most of it out, here is what I see; 無銘　伝中島来　時代応安頃　刃長弐尺壱寸有之　昭和癸丑如月上浣　福永酔剣（花押） mumei Den: Nakajima Rai Hacho: 2 shaku 1 sun kore ari Showa Mizunoto-Ushi Fukunaga Suiken (Kao) or Unsigned In the tradition of: Nakajima Rai, Length: 2 shaku 1 sun (Executed) early February 1973 (by) Fukunaga ... The order of the kanji is Aru Kore but should be read Kore Ari - "Den" is not as strong an attribution as just saying Nakajima Rai outright but still not a bad attribution to have. Would love to see pics of the sword itself should you get around to it. -tom PS my stupid computer refuses to learn the old kanji so some of these are the simplified versions...

Most definitely not Suishin-shi Mashide Can't see the photos unless I join the Wermacht... -tom

Bill - Just to add my bit, none of which hasn't been said already really; 二つ同　小川重良（花押）分石　斉藤長式所持之 Omote - Futatsu-Do (Cut) Ogawa Shigeyoshi w/Kao Ura - Bunkoku Saito Nagamochi Shoji Kore Most of which has already been rendered as; Ogawa Shigeyoshi (cut) two bodies (with this sword) Bunkoku Saito Nagamochi Carried (owns) this As has already been said your inlay appears to be recent and the presence of all that red rust suggests recent "aging". The To character (藤) if it even is that is rather poorly presented as are some of the other kanji - The Bunkoku is likely a Go, or naming for the sword - a very odd choice. Doesn't seem to make sense if you say Bunseki or "separated rock" but that is a literal translation and not how it would be written in Japanese - 石割　or Sekiwaru would be more likely as in "Rock splitter". If we consider this as "Koku" a unit of rice it might make sense in Japanese but I can't seem to make it work which suggests this might be a clever fake by someone who knows kanji but maybe not Japanese... -tom