Matsunoki

Hello all, I would greatly appreciate opinions, views and if possible some help on this silver mounted Aikuchi Tanto. On a previous post “Nobody” on this forum very kindly translated the Mei and inscription as - 應藤原▢邦求作之 – Responding to the order from Fujiwara something-kuni, made this. 萬延元年八月日 道俊 – Man’en 1st year (1860), 8th month, Michitoshi (＜ー smith name) frustratingly the critical kanji of the person who commissioned this Tanto is ruined by an ana. Does anyone have any idea, bearing in mind the important Fujiwara family name…..who this could be? Could it be something to do with what happened in the Manen nengo? The nengo was I believe for just a single year marking a major fire at Edo castle and also a famous assassination? I am also struggling with the smith. In this case his name appears below the date which threw me totally and I am unable to identify which Michitoshi it is. The Michi kanji confuses me. Hawley lists 3 smiths around that time. Help! …..and with profuse apologies for so many questions…..can you comment on the unusual (to me) blade features. The polish is a bit tired but the hada is flowing masame, the hamon is a wide wild suguha/midare with some notare undulations. Looks full of sunagashi…….but I am puzzled by the dark streaks running the full length of the ji …..is that bo-utsuri? Apologies for poor images. many many thanks. Basic dimensions nagasa 28.5 cm (40.0 overall) motohaba 28mm motokasane 8mm

Best reason for buying anything……because we love it. I applaud. Only the sword can tell us exactly it’s history and It cannot speak. I also like it……it exists…..we are so lucky.

I think the blossom depicted is Cherry because of the indented ends to the petals. Plum has rounded ends? That probably doesn’t help much…sorry.

Hello Will, welcome to the world of Japanese swords. This interest can become a passion that can stay with you all your life. The subject is challenging and complex and never ever boring. It can generate great debates! Real Japanese swords (Nihonto) come in many sizes, styles and qualities…..from breathtaking works of art to functional fighting weapons. And that is just the blades…..wait until you encounter some of the stunning fittings that can come with them. In my opinion (hopefully shared by all on this forum) the blades are the finest cutting weapon ever made by us humans and some of the the fittings defy you believe that we humans actually made them. You have not got off to the best start…..not many of us did. I certainly didn’t. You have found a Chinese fake. There are probably millions of them all over the world. Don’t let that put you off. Get on Amazon and buy a few books. Anything you read will start to build knowledge. Take your time. Find a reliable dealer. Read what kicks off on this forum. Don’t buy anything else (one fake is enough!) until you get some of the “basics” and you find someone you can trust. Later you will be able to make your own mind up. Above all buy what you like……not for investment but for pleasure. (No doubt I will be contradicted here!). Good luck! Bon voyage. Colin

Hello Raaay and Bruno thank you both for your time and your helpful comments….greatly appreciated. I’m going to think about it all for a little while. I’m not keen to wait ages for anything nowadays so might just live with it “as it is”. I am confident it is “right” and thus it’s a pleasure to own an item by such an important modern/Showa smith. Bruno…..how does Chris Bowen know about this Tanto? I have not heard from him directly but it’s extremely reassuring to have such a definite opinion. If you read this Chris….thank you. Finally ….everyone…..PLEASE don’t let this thread become a debate about “togishi”! All the best to all of you……out there somewhere on this planet. Colin

Hello Bazza, if I grow much older it’ll all be over! Wise advise, thank you. I have travelled this Nihonto road before. My first collection had over 100 blades of all variants, ages, qualities etc from a lovely Heian tachi in Muromachi court mounts to Yasukuni shrine examples. I sold them all 35-40 years ago (I try not to think about it). The intervening years was spent on Meiji works of art…..cloisonné, mixed metalwork, Satsuma, okimono…….but I’ve just sold my entire collection to return to where it all started…Nihonto. Trouble is my knowledge (what there was of it) lies buried deep in some redundant brain cells and my library is definitely out of date. The trouble over here in the UK is that the required restorers are few and very far between not mention waiting lists of years apparently. It’s very frustrating but I would never take short cuts. Good swords are in short supply as well…..and the worlds postal system seems to have broken down so that hampers things as well as does our current Border Force attitude . Heyho….it’s still great fun. Thanks for the contact. All the best. Colin

Brian…..I totally agree it needs a lovely shirasaya, polish and shinsa. Trouble is stuck here in the UK…..no chance really unless I wave goodbye to it for a few years! If anyone can suggest a way this can be done given these chaotic times and dodgy postal systems I’d love to hear from you. I doubt its value would justify using an agent? I acquired it from probably the most knowledgeable UK dealer who I’ve known for over 35 years…..he was totally sure. lonely planet….thanks…I’m with you! I’d bet my house it’s right (if I was a betting man)

Hi Lonely Planet thanks for looking and commenting. As this is not really a military sword I also listed it under the Nihonto forum (maybe not such a bright idea but it has a foot in both camps). The link is below and a few have posted. In it is a comparison nakago to one made for Hitlers ambassdor with exactly the same nakago sugata and yasurimei and very close calligraphy. There is also one on P53 of slough listed as shoshinmei with near enough exactly the same calligraphy……and the same “Seki” kanji…….imo! I’m not sure if the calligraphy is “rough as guts”. I think it is certainly very very bold but well cut. I would welcome your views if you have time to look at the other post and Slough. All the best. Colin.

Much better than my second sword! Well done. Enjoy.

Thanks Alex. I know it’s tricky. It’s tricky even when you have sword in hand sometimes! I have no current intentions to part with this one, not because I think it’s worth a fortune (which I seriously doubt) but because it’s interesting. I was very lucky once to have a mukansa togishi visit my home when he was in the uk many many years ago. During an enjoyable evening he confided something along these lines …….”unless standing next to swordsmith when he made it we can never be absolutely certain” I remember it was said with a smile whilst looking at yet another problematic sword typical of those found in the UK…….mistreated, rusty, been in a garden shed etc etc. Thanks for looking and commenting. Regards. Colin.

Hello David. A few weeks ago I know JCMilitaria had a large shrine blade in shirasaya. Don’t know if it’s still there. It had a few condition issues but it was a good looking thing. Good luck. Colin

I’ve seen that image before…..it’s very clever. As for the position of the nakago shinogi…….I’m lost and confused. I’ve had a PM from Jacques…….quite insulting. Didn’t expect that on this forum.

Thank you all for further comments…..I do truly appreciate your time and I respect your knowledge and expertise. What puzzles me is why we focus on a nakago that has been totally ruined by (several) reworkings. In hand it becomes a bit more obvious and my images are not great……sorry. It is (imo) o- suriage….you can see where it was just partially chiselled and then snapped off at the jiri (sorry I didn’t image that earlier) the last time someone butchered it leaving half an ana hanging off the end. The nakago also already has two (maybe 3) different age patinas on it and the large ana is obviously drilled…..you can see where the drill chuck hit it. All it tells me is that it tells me nothing useful ….so we default to the blade which tells us a lot more in my opinion. Similar Kiri yasurimei now cover the whole nakago but are obviously (imo) not original. There is a deep scour horizontally caused by reusing (imo) the old habaki at the last “refit” which now does not fit so snugly. My money is on the last refit being into Gunto mounts…..reusing old habaki, nice fresh large machi, nice big ana badly drilled……but at least it still has a nakago. I’ve seen worse though🙂😖 Anyway…..it’s a good debate

Jacques, thank you for your further comments. We must agree to differ. I cannot see how the size of the machi or the nakago shinogi tells us anything when an obviously already o-suriage nakago has then later been so extensively reworked. I think there is a very good chance that this blade emerged from WW2 koshirae so indeed it could have had anything done to it then. I go back to what I said earlier….what features of the blade make you think 20thC? The sugata is appropriate for Nanbokucho o-suriage including o-kissaki and deep motohaba. The visible hamon and hada look appropriate, there are many suguha hada openings- some quite large, the boshi which is quite complex also is appropriate etc etc.

Alex, of course it looks to have little age. There is absolutely none of the original nakago left so looking for a Nanbokucho nakago sugata or patina is pointless. For o-suriage koto (?) blades the nakago is often of little use in Kantei especially if it has been heavily reworked/reshaped as well as suriage/machi okuri. The nakago mune is sometimes seriously altered to allow the overall new blade sugata with a new tsuka fitted to look “right” ie the tsuka fits at the desired angle. I believe this blade emerged from WW2 koshirae……anything could have been done to it at that time. The remaining blade sugata and visible forging/tempering details are far more useful in forming an opinion…..in my opinion🙂

Brian, how about a comparison with the Mei on this one - https://collectorsmilitaria.com/a_tanto_presented_to_the_german_ambassador_to_japane_Eugen_Ott_051208s.htm regards Colin Brian….it looks spot on to me compared to Page 53 of Slough. What do you think? Colin.

Brian, how about a comparison with the Mei on this one - https://collectorsmilitaria.com/a_tanto_presented_to_the_german_ambassador_to_japane_Eugen_Ott_051208s.htm regards Colin

I am not sure if I should post this here or in the Military swords forum as it has a foot in both camps (so I’ve posted it in both…hope that is ok) It is not a military sword but is (I think/hope) by a good Showa smith. If I have got it right it is signed “Seki ju nin Watanabe Kanenaga Saku”and dated 1937. It is in terrible polish….remains of perpendicular scratches etc and is in a shirasaya that someone has adapted to hold it. There is thankfully no serious damage though. They are not great images but I used the lighting that at least showed some of the visible activity. It certainly looks lively but it’s “had a life”. Personally I’ve never seen nie that “heavy” or pronounced(if it is nie) There are also clouds and streams of fine black konie that won’t show in the images scattered in the ji. The polish obscures the hada. Any/all comments or observations greatly appreciated. I’m just getting into later blades….there are some still left in the UK! Nagasa 28.5cm (39.2 overall) motokasane 6.22mm (6.29 at thickest part of nakago)

I am not sure if I should post this here or in the General Nihonto forum. It is not a military sword but is (I think/hope) by a good Showa smith. If I have got it right it is signed “Seki ju nin Watanabe Kanenaga Saku”and dated 1937. It is in terrible polish….remains of perpendicular scratches etc and is in a shirasaya that someone has adapted to hold it. There is thankfully no serious damage though. They are not great images but I used the lighting that at least showed some of the visible activity. It certainly looks lively but it’s “had a life”. Personally I’ve never seen nie that “heavy” or pronounced(if it is nie) There are also clouds and streams of fine black konie that won’t show in the images scattered in the ji. The polish obscures the hada. Any/all comments or observations greatly appreciated. I’m just getting into later blades….there are some still in the UK! Nagasa 28.5cm (39.2 overall) motokasane 6.22mm (6.29 at thickest part of nakago)

Baba Yaga……I can only apologise for images. I have tried many different lightings ….natural, LED, halogen, daylight bulbs, bright, dim etc and at every possible angle…….but worn/old polish makes it nearly impossible to get good pics. There is a lot of hataraki that you can see with eye but it simply won’t image. Very frustrating. Thank you for looking. All the best. Colin.

Jacques, that is a very bold statement. Please can you tell me the features of the blade….hada, sugata, jihada, hamon, kissaki, boshi etc that make you think 20thC? The nakago (with all its confusion re the ana and machi) has obviously been so heavily modified that in my opinion it isn’t really much use in Kantei anyway……so we must look at the original work of the smith in the forging and tempering? However I know the condition is rather difficult…old worn polish etc.