sabiji

Hi Paul, this is really a great idea! I would love to walk through a Japanese flea market again. The last time I went to the Kawagoe Antique Market was in April 2019 and I actually found a nice tsuba quite cheap. Good luck and most of all have fun on Sunday! Maybe you post some photos for all who can't be there "live". With a few nice photos of the flea market, you can dream of Japan again at home...

Adam, there I feel also addressed, since I criticized the sword quite. But there is nothing to regret! Even if my best friend would have been extremely interested in this sword, I could not have recommended it with a clear conscience if he had asked me for my opinion. You can find the reasoning in my response at the time above. Ken is right, think about what you really want. After all, an o-kissaki still includes the rest of the sword. The development of the nanbokucho sugata in katana parallels the development of the soshu den. The Sugata change can be seen very well in Masamune blades. His disciples not only spread the Soshu characteristics in Japan, but concomitantly spread the typical Sugata, which peaked between 1340 to 1370. Other traditions also adopted the Sugata independently to at least some extent. Besides this origin, the most important renaissances of this style occurred during Tensho/Keicho, in Shinshinto, and in Gendai with a focus on Soden-Bizen and Kiyomaro-Utsushi. But also in between the style appears again and again. If I see a blade with typical Nanbokucho sugata that is not original to the period, I consider the extent to which the swordsmith is addressing the utsushi of a particular school in addition to the utsushi of the form. Can I see characteristics of Shizu, or Kinju, Hasebe, Sa, Soden-Bizen? Here is an example: https://www.nipponto.co.jp/swords7/NT331311.htm A rather short katana. Although some mune-fumbari can be seen, the shape fits to imitate O-Suriage Nanbokucho. But according to the dimensions of the Moto and Sakihaba, it remains an impressive and proud appearance. The strong kasane is typical of the time and would be too strong for an O-Suriage at this point of the blade. Sadakiyo is not among the top of Hojoji swordsmiths, but from personal experience I can say that many Hojoji smiths have worked to a very uniformly high standard of quality. This can be seen here. Hada is really typical of Edo-Hojoji. The quality of the deki is right for hojoji. Perhaps the interspersed ko-gunome is a bit too "excited" for this school, but it is also not unusual, and it fits the overall concept of a Nanbokucho utsushi, if Sadakiyo wanted to imitate Naoe Shizu. The nioiguchi is even and controlled, and the blade appears quite healthy. A nanbokucho utsushi would not really be typical of the period around Enpo. If the trend of sugata is not really in line with the taste of the time, it is very likely that the sword was purposefully requested that way by the customer. Possibly as a direct copy of an old sword owned by the client. No, the blade has no paper and the signature would have to be checked, but from the features of the blade I would not doubt Edo-Hojoji. It's a nice and solid blade. This is what I mean: proceed like a pilot before taking off his plane. check if everything is coherent and fits. The more you learn, the more your view widens and at the same time focuses on very essential and important aspects. This also includes recognizing, appreciating and enjoying the quality of swords that you do not own, or (also financially) can never own. If you go this way, you are more likely to regret buying a sword that at first glance is an impressive weapon, but on closer inspection does not fulfill you. Your budget is very tight, you will probably have to expand it. But it is not impossible to find something suitable that will give you lasting pleasure. Excuse my bad english!

Adam, I can understand you completely. I was no different. There are always a lot of emotions involved in purchasing decisions. But emotions must not cloud the view. Even today, after more than 30 years, I am not free of them. If I am extremely enthusiastic about something, I leave myself a few days until I have cooled down a bit. Often one sees then things, for which one was blind in the first enthusiasm. I like the shape of the sword. The blade has a proud, confident shape. And if the shape is good, that's always a good sign for the rest of the blade's qualities. That's why I was surprised myself that the Nioiguchi presents itself so weakly on the reflection pictures. It just doesn't fit. Sue-Seki smiths in particular usually have a dense, strong nioguchi hardened - even if not always in luminous appearance. But with this blade, I can't shake the suspicion that the strong hadori is meant to cover up the weakening hamon. Why this is so, I do not know. Possibly due to external influences, such as heat. But this is speculative and can not be judged only from the photos. And as I said, I think that this blade, especially with the existing Koshirae was used by a Iaidoka and I fear that this sword is essentially aimed at clientele in this area. Finally, a word of advice, especially when it comes to the high cost of appropriate quality! Why necessarily Katana? With a little patience you can find for the price of this presented Katana quite a very good Wakizashi from a possibly quite well-known smith or school.

Honest opinion? Yes, the Toushin and the dimensions look impressive. The Hada very soshuesk, but also fits for Sue-Seki. The strong Hadori makes the blade very showy. But the reflection photos make me think and do not fit the first, exuberant impression. The nioguchi seems very thin and powerless and has no luminosity. Also, the Ji seems quite dry, as if hardly Ji-Nie is present. I may be wrong based on the photos, but I fear the blade looks more than it really is. Also the mount seems typical to me that it was last used in iaido....

I'm really going out on a limb here. The Hada is nice and clear and has a good portion of Soshu in it for me. In the area of the cutting edge in Nagare or Masame. The nioiguchi seems to be fine, loose, but dense nie, interspersed with fine sunagashi and sharp kinsuji. The hardening appears very controlled. The gonome seems rather restrained and elegant. Some peaks seem pointed, but I'm not sure if it's really togari. The boshi appears yakitsume with some hataraki. The shape is hard to determine from the pictures. The kissaki is a shu-kissaki, somewhat elongated. The tapering of the blade is difficult to judge. But considering the shortening and loss of material in the monouchi, it could also fit in time. So pants down. The blade reminds me of Kinju. Ur-Mino. Maybe still Kaneyuki, but actually prefer Kinju. Anyway, I would be happy if it is one.

...if the Habaki was made for this sword at all. I also think it is a Shinto sword. And O-Suriage it does not have to be. Maybe it's really just missing the actual nakago jiri because the cut went through a hikae mekugi ana of an ordinary Shinto nakago.

Michael, please let me give you hope as well. I have been addicted to the hobby for 30 years. I have already experienced a lot of adventurous things regarding payment and shipping to and from foreign countries. Especially in the earlier times. Unfortunately, the reliability of shipping has deteriorated again in recent years and just by the pandemic. Last year in February, a tsuba from Grey (here in the forum) took a whole 2 months from him to an airport for export, making a nice USA round trip (which others can only dream of). Arrived in Germany it went then fast. Personally, I had long since given up on the shipment. BUT, so far everything has always arrived somehow with me! Always! Even a package, which had simply disappeared for 2 weeks at the German customs and was then claimed as a loss, suddenly reappeared. I keep my fingers crossed for you!!!

Interesting thesis. But not mine. Sure, everyone has their preferences and that's fine. But what is more beautiful in this hobby than when your heart is filled with joy when you can study an excellent blade, even if it would be so Ooooo-suriage. As for this blade in particular, you would have to be able to examine it personally with your own eyes if you want to dare a restoration project. Then one should be clear why one wants to do the project with all its risks. Are you willing to invest more money than the restored blade would be worth on the market, because the quality of the blade convinces you and should become part of your own collection? Or do you play poker and invest in the blade in order to earn a bonus at the end of the sale? Well, in that case, this blade would be unfit! Because even if after a restoration a roaring beautiful Nanbokucho sword would be the result - bad luck - the serious collector would be the sword much too short!

That would have been the first thing I would have done anyway. But from the photos alone, it's pretty much a Hagire.

But the kaeri of the boshi is good to see! And at least on the Ura it retreats in connection with Muneyaki far over the Mune. Also I mean to recognize a very weak Sori. Nice to look at are the Chikei in the Ji. The blade looks very much like Momoyama or early Shinto.

Forums like these are wonderful platforms to share knowledge, seek help and give help. I think many like to help simply because it brings them joy. Because they enjoyed being helped themselves in the beginning and now they can pass on their own knowledge or skills (translate). When I started there was no internet and therefore no forums. With appropriate books I struggled many, many hours with texts and signatures. But even today I still fail. Only weeks ago I asked here for help. Despite all efforts I simply came to no result in the Nengo of a dating of an Oshigata. Markus could help. It was a very unusual spelling variant for Showa. Without this help I would still puzzle today. So it is much easier today to get appropriate information and help. In the past it was a few people in the "neighborhood", today it is dedicated enthusiasts of the matter all over the world. And this resource is very valuable and good. But it does not replace the circumstance to penetrate into the matter and to acquire the knowledge by oneself (of course also with support of others - but just from own engagement). And help is important when you can't get any further with your own knowledge and skills. Jiri, please don't be angry with me. But I can understand Valric. If you spend a lot of money on an important blade, ideally you should know exactly what you are doing. And it just doesn't give the impression if you don't know what is written on the saya or in the Juyo certificate. BUT! I also know that many professional translators of "modern Japanese" have their problems with the specific texts of ancient Japanese blades. Which is why you are in good hands here again!

I would also be more interested in the Setsumei than the Juyo certificate.

I can tell you what is wrong with the Kunikane. According to Tsuruta's description, the katana is not even 1 centimeter wide at the saki A roasting spit! Otherwise... honestly? Uninteresting.

Sandai Tadayoshi :-)

Hi Mauro and Curran, thanks for the interesting links!

@Bruno, thank you very much! @ Dale, yes, that is exactly the Kozuka. I bought it from Alan in 2016. It was an impulse buy because I liked it - although I am not a Kinko collector. I was hoping, if available, for more detailed info.

Would be happy if anyone has information in their records or books about an artist named Suzuki Ichirin (period of activity, affiliation with a school). I would also be grateful for pictures of his works. Best regards, Thomas.

I think the shape was deliberately made this way and not accidentally as a result of post-hardening. Also, Ara-Nie, of all things, are not a prime example of Saiha, and Saiha hardening does not start so far behind Ha-Machi as in this example. Basically, though, I can't rule out it being Saiha either, certainly not from the pictures. How to make blades look nice and old in later times, here is a nice example: http://www.kanshoan.com/english/swords/h41_kanetora.html

Just turn the tables and ask yourself, who would have done such a thing in the Kamakura? I can't think of anyone. If you look closer, you can see an almost straight monouchi. That's more like a heian-sugata. This sugata was also picked up again in the Oei, Sue Koto and Shinshinto. The hamon lacks the "self-evidence" and "lightness" of early koto, and even late koto. I would expect more sparkling and loosely sprinkled ko-nie. The hard Ara-Nie seen here belongs more to Shinshinto. It all seems very intentional, and here and there the concept of hamon seems to slip away. Then there's the boshi, the crowning glory of any good blade. This boshi is midarekomi, but - please excuse me - clumsy and unimaginative. Everything really screams for a very late blade.

I am waiting for a sea freight which left Japan on January 30. And I think it will take a while. When my daughter was in Japan for 1 year, she sent heavy packages by ship twice. They usually took 3 months to reach Germany. It was not possible to track the shipment. That being said, I recently waited two and a half months for a small package by air from the US. Despite tracking - hadn't been much use - you could only wonder why it was criss-crossing the USA and lying around at airports for ages before it went across the ocean.

Hi Markus, yes, it was a long time ago indeed. I hope to see you sometime, somewhere again. I am all the more pleased about your help. I had already flirted with the Kanji "Sho", but I just couldn't explain Kanji 2 anymore. Does this unusual "wa" mean the same as the "simple form"? Thank you very much, Markus!

Hi Mark, yes Kinoe Inu in the 9th year of the era ??. The dating can't be that old, and most of the younger Nengo are less than 9 years. And if it does, the kanji don't match. It doesn't make sense to me.

Usually this is my "favorite sport". But this time I gave up. Maybe someone has more experience ... I cannot assign the first two Kanji to any Nengo I know. Then comes the 9th (year), then Kinoe Inu, then the Kanji for year, then?, Month ?? Thank you in advance!

I would like to learn. I'm sure I'm wrong, but to me the insert does not look nunome, but very flat hirazogan. At the edges to the mon, the material of the tsuba seems slightly raised. In Tony's enlarged pictures (thanks for that), you can see a fine groove even on the left Mon at the missing part at 12 o'clock. And why shouldn't stencils have been used earlier for efficient work? Such tsuba were certainly not unique, but were produced in small series. For me, the tsuba seems quite normal as a work from the Bakumatsu or early Meiji.