Franco

The measurements are not in question. What they mean may be another story. Regards,

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/45691-need-expertise-and-advise-please/?do=findComment&comment=473503

Jussi, your research is always much appreciated and revealing. Has it been determined how old this sword is? Has it been decided if this sword is naoshi or not? These measurements raise questions about this being a nambokucho period sword. Is it live or is it memorex? Regards,

Normally I don't comment on swords like this. Quick opinions. Sword looks oil quenched. The oshigata of the nakago looks very amateurish at best. Regards,

Yamanaka's Newsletters revised talks about and describes various forms of utsuri.

Ware can be found almost anywhere on a blade including within the hamon. I'm not exactly certain what this line is or should be called. If this line ran down and extended to the ha, that would be an issue. Seeing that it does not, it may be just be a matter of living with it. If you really want to know, ask and talk to a polisher about it. Regards, https://www.Japanese...rdindex.com/kizu.htm

A sword with good [but limited] potential. Be certain to ask questions as they arise. When in doubt ask. Use the search feature here to read threads on sword care. Regards,

Many blades are copies of earlier styles. Study the history. Time to build that nihonto library. https://studyingjapa...tag/kannmuri-otoshi/ Regards,

Suspect there is a shirasaya, it's just not being shown/displayed. Regards,

Nioi, nie, hamon pattern, jigane (forging pattern, ji nie, utsuri, niku), materials, essentially it's the entirety of the sword and the combinations found therein that result in the effectiveness and durability of the sword. The advantage the early Koto smiths had were uninterrupted teaching lineage, direct feedback loops, and materials gathering.

Ed, Thank you for posting these additional images. Is it possible that you could follow up with these numbers? Moto-kasane? Saki-kasane? Moto-haba? Saki-haba? Additionally, it would be helpful to know what the width of the nakago (kasane) is at its widest point? Images here would be great, too? Thanks. Regards,

Not to raise false hope. However, I know of one signed sword that had no fewer than 6 differences in its mei from all 12 verified published examples of the mei. To make a long story short, that sword passed both the NTHK and NBTHK shinsas with flying colors. Why, because the sword was a textbook example of the sword smith's work. The sword confirmed the mei and not the other way around. And on that note, the importance of the polish cannot be overemphasized especially for a highly rated smith. Not all polishes are equal. p.s. the importance of the polish probably goes double for a mumei sword.

We cannot control what happens at the NBTHK's or NTHK's or NTHK NPO's end of the shinsa equation. However, we can control our end of things and that's where our focus should be. We are in control of analyzing and learning from the results we are given (attempting to understand why and how the shinsa team reached their conclusion). We are in control of our sword selection. We are in control of selecting the right polisher to a great extent. We are in control of our educational materials and support and the amount of time we dedicate to studying. Nihonto collecting experiences are often difficult, costly, and, yes, disappointing. But through determination those experiences can be successful, rewarding, and even enlightening. We should not expect shinsa to do our homework for us. Shinsa simply grades how well we've prepared. Nihonto collecting should be thought of as an open book test. As for gimei. Alan H. Pressley wrote an article or two about the 1989 NTHK shinsa. I believe that one of the articles gave stats on pass/fail/gimei, but I'm still searching for it. In the one article I have found, more than half the swords submitted that year were bounced for being substandard (a number between 60% to 65% sits in my memory), and of the signed swords that failed more than half of those failed for being gimei. Even knowing how many swords were submitted that year (anybody ???) might begin to shed some light on numbers. Buyer beware.

The excerpt quoted below was taken from a paper written and presented by Professor Arnold Frenzel as part of a RSG study session on March 27th, 1993, Titled; KANTEI NYUSATSU Further; Shinsa judges are advocates for the sword maker. So, when a signature on a sword is determined not to be genuine for any reason despite correctly naming the sword's maker, it will get bounced. We are not talking about proper attributions here. And, again, please give us an example of a sho shin mei getting bounced? While there are legitimate criticisms and concerns to be leveled at shinsa organizations. Those criticisms need to be accompanied by actual examples that are applicable to present times. Coming onto a forum open to the public and citing what amounts to hearsay without presenting actual evidence is irresponsible. Desire is the cause of suffering. Regards,

Let me put it this way; citation required? Humans that error on the side of caution. Your statement demonstrates a lack of understanding. If uncertain they will not issue a paper.

That is an irresponsible statement! If anything these shinsa teams error on the side of caution. If they are not absolutely certain about a mei, they will not pass it! And, remember, the sword confirms the mei. Which is one reason why you will see an out of polish signed sword not paper. Regards.

There are any number of factors why the same sword may receive different attributions. Not the least of which is that the current polish does the sword no favors. A sword can only be judged by what the shinsa team is able to see. Not what they think they can see. Not what they think might be there. An improper polish will unsurprisingly draw indefinite results. As for the judges themselves, ability is a fixed factor, while skill is learned. Think about what that means. This emphasizes the importance of submitting a sword for judgment in the best polish. That, along with the importance of selecting a shinsa team that it is up to the task. Also, it is important to choose the right sword. An experienced knowledgeable collector will be careful in their choice of swords. Think of this entire exercise as a test.

Sorry, no. Although this piece mimics mainline, the quality is not on that level. Regards,

There are steps that can be taken to learn something from this sword rather than just giving up. The simplest first step (nothing comes easy when it comes to nihonto) is to work on determining who this sword smith is and if the mei is shoshin or gimei. In the meantime, please do not attempt to restore anything else, just practice proper maintenance for now. Avoid using uchiko so as not to cause/create scratches (hiki). Another step is to begin recording detailed measurements and descriptions. Questions, ask. When in doubt ask. Get that far, and then figure out what comes next. Regards,

https://markussesko....kantei-introduction/ https://markussesko.com/kantei/ Keep in mind that while kantei is a proven method to identify the maker of an unsigned Japanese sword, an origami, or a sayagaki in this case, is a rendered opinion (generally, but not always, by a recognized expert). Keep in mind that even expert opinions are not infallible, that is, 100% correct all of the time. Thus, it would be wise to proof such opinions of mumei swords and not simply accept its conclusion at face value without supporting evidence. "The sword verifies the mei and not the other way around." Regards,

Without clearer images it is not clear what this blade is. Kantei begins with shape. It is essential to determine what shape changes, if any, this piece has undergone in order to determine whether or not this is actually a naginata naoshi katana? Is there a turn back in the boshi? Images? Is the nakago ubu, suriage, or O suriage? Further; Who is this Mitsuhiro supposedly? Full dimensions of this blade? Regards,

Jacques words are worth repeating. In the end, as students, we must search for and seek out what is truth and reality vs myth and delusion. When someone like Mr. Tanobe renders his thoughts and opinion, our homework is beginning all over again. It is important to learn and understand things for ourselves, and not simply accept something just because .... . How well do you know your own sword? Regards, "The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy

The nanako suggests something other than Ishiguro. What, I can't say. Enjoyable piece, thank you for sharing. Regards,

Look forward to reading how Mr. Tanobe addresses the gold attribution, and possibly the NBTHK paper, in his sayagaki. You might also wish to ask Mr. Tanobe for his thoughts about submitting this sword for Juyo consideration. Congratulations! p.s. don't forget as Darcy revealed, Juyo shinsa is a contest.