kkeeps

I am reminded of the Umetada Myoju held by the Tokyo National Museum. He inscribed the blade with the message "This should not be given to others". Perhaps he thought of this sword as his own masterpiece? https://emuseum.nich.go.jp/detail?langId=en&webView=&content_base_id=101110&content_part_id=000&content_pict_id=0

Beautiful hada indeed. Perhaps they are referring to the this Munetsugu? https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/MUN538

Just be aware the paperwork does not explicitly state "Wakas-No-Kami Ujifusa" Just "Ujifusa" This could mean another generation as well.

I'm sure no one would object to owning this sword with a custom inscription added by a previous owner: https://japaneseswor...e-yoshimoto-samonji/

Understood, but what happens with the papers if they do change attribution from hozon->TH->Juyo->Tokujuyo, do they return the previous paper to the owner along with the newer paper? or do they destroy the previous paperwork?

So assume this was put up for tokubetsu juyo and they grant tokuju papers to Yukimitsu, do the juyo papers to Masamune get destroyed or returned to owner along with the tokuju Yukimitsu paper? I assume the owner would just keep the Yukimitsu papers and sell the blade with the juyo to Masamune given the difference in value.

Thanks Kirill, I was pushed more towards Mino with the yahazu and masame in the shinogi, but it seems to have strong Soshu elements. I observed a large loop style hamon also seen in a Seki Kanefusa blade. https://www.sanmei.c...4912_S2682_PUP1.html

Am I totally off base with this blade? I was looking at Shibata Katsuie's naginata and Hiraoka Yorisuke's katana https://nihonto.com/4-1-23-2/ and noticed similarities with my sword . It is signed "Waka" on the suriage nakago and has remnants of katte sagari yasurimei. The hamon seems to be midare and widens as it approaches the monouchi. Kissaki is chu and boshi is yaki ga fukai (almost ichimai) with slight kaen and hakkikake with a strong kaeri. It has a tight nioiguchi in nie deki. hada is itame. Has yo, tobiyaki, sunagashi, yahazu, hotsure, and tall reaching loops. Would this be way off base?

I I believe this is an example on a Mino blade.

There is a shinsa in Florida next year at the Orlando sword show. https://nthkamerica.com/ Cost with should be about $450 if you send it off and it receives papers. That will be your cheapest option, the cost and work to send it off to Japan goes up from there.

23rd generation Kanefusa? I would see no reason to doubt the signature considering the nakago condition, chisel strokes and yasurimei. https://www.Japanese...dex.com/kanefusa.htm

It has a shallow midare in an old polish that definitely doesn't emphasize the hamon, but the major rises in the hamon are an ogiba shown below (it is very hard to photograph but if you follow to the left of the light source in the gif maybe it is visible?) and a forward leaning spike on one side and a house shape similar to the Ogaki-Masamune oshigata. One side of the blade has a chogi pattern in the monouchi ji and the other side doesn't it seems. It has an utsuri towards the monouchi and towards the base has nie-utsuri.

I kinda thought Aoe as well, but the chikei and nie seems to push me away from that direction .

I posted my sword because I noticed the similarities in the chikei, here are the areas I'm comparing to. Also included are the original photo and oshigata (maybe someone has a higher resolution?) My first photo is a pic of ji-nie? I imagine a true Masamune blade would have more obvious nie than this. I have been bouncing around between Yamato, Yamashiro, and Soden. Of course kantei from photos is a poor substitute to blade in hand. I do plan on sending this one to Ted Tenold when finances shake out. Just thought it was an interesting pattern to see in a random sword.