Matsunoki

Hello again Joab i don’t think your Tanto is the the top section from another sword. It looks like the hamon ends correctly at the ha-machi. If it was a repurposed piece the hamon would continue into the nakago. The overall appearance and style of your blade with a rather ugly nakago is very reminiscent of Tanto that were made quickly and cheaply during the Meiji period to sell to the Westerners who were then in Japan. I’ve seen many similar. The Koshirae also looks from that period. So, it’s not a fake but it’s probably not that good either. All the advice given above is solid. You have to see good things to recognise bad things. You need to read and study and examine……books, museums …..anything. The material on this Forum should keep you busy for a few years!! Happy hunting. All the best. Colin

Kirill, many thanks for taking the time and trouble …….lots for me to think about. Kind of you. Colin. Hi Bruce…..likewise I’ve never seen one anywhere. Hi John, maybe it’s my images that don’t quite capture it but I know what you mean. I think it’s just that the bearskin makes it look cumbersome and unbalanced and the sword is very substantial anyway thus the koshirae are oversized. I believe originally (early Koto) it was to prevent the saya rubbing on armour whilst on horseback but later, in Edo they became a bit of a status symbol. I guess we don’t see many (any?) because they simply fall to bits…..the skin on this one is so dried and crusty that the fur is simply shedding and has lost all the lovely long darker haired top layer. A rare survivor??? I have found a few images and info……

Not sure if these images are any better

Hello again from the UK. Apologies for posting another sword but as usual I’m asking for help both on the blade and the koshirae. The age of both puzzles me. Usual non-mint UK as-found condition. I’ve done my best with the images. Please do give me your opinions. Firstly the blade. Very heavily forged in predominantly a quite loose flowing masame with the odd itame area. The hamon is suguha with very mild midare and gentle sunagashi in places and sprinkled with dark ko-nie. The boshi is O-Maru (almost squarish) one side and slight hakikake the other. The ubu mumei nakago looks shinshinto although the mune edge is far more heavily aged. I am obliged to give an option even if totally wrong, so……to me the forging and hardening look more koto (loose masame with quite a few fine hadaware)but the nakago looks shinshinto. So I’ll go shinshinto. Nagasa 77.7cm (overall 98cm) Motohaba 3.8 cm Sakihaba 2.6 cm Motokasane 1.1cm Sakikasane 0.6cm The koshirae is also heavily made to support the large blade. The blackbear skin is a shadow of its former self. Age has taken a huge toll and only the “under fur” is left with a few traces of the much longer outer black fur. It is coming out in handfuls…..but is original and has obvious age. The understated heavy mounts all appear to be of thick shakudo with a beautiful shakudo habaki. The Ito is very faded as is the silk brocade. I think both were once more gold in appearance. There is considerable wear to the ashi and I have had to repair them a bit (one was hanging off) One Tokugawa mon is missing. This probably isn’t the first koshirae that this blade has had (two mekugi ana….only one in this tsuka). So…….is it the real deal…a late Edo period Samurai Tachi, or maybe a shrine sword? It’s not flash enough imo to be a Meiji creation….not smothered in gold mon etc. What do you all think??….please chip in. Many thanks. All the best. Colin

Hi Alex….just a few rambling thoughts- If you were a Samurai of some rank or importance I’m pretty certain you could have just about anything that you wanted if it was within the abilities of the smith. After all, swordsmiths depended on the military class (or sometimes shrines) for their livelihood (until the wealthy merchants started wearing flashy Wakizashi and Tanto etc). True, schools had their own characteristics but even they changed with current fashions or as smiths moved around and gathered around the castle towns. I feel the same could be said if the customer was a merchant…..I doubt many would turn down a lucrative commission just because it didn’t fit their (current) preferred style of forging. However if you were an impoverished rank and file samurai you probably had little choice and thus had whatever was going cheaply at the time….unless you were so poor that you had an armoury weapon issued. The same basic economic rules have always applied at all times worldwide………MONEY TALKS!…..VERY LOUDLY! Just my opinions. All the best. Colin

You did well Ian. Congrats. Nice to hear someone has had some good luck. All the best. Colin

Too true Michael! It’s a horrible possibility that a polish uncovers something really nasty and then there’s no going back. I believe the risk increases a lot with older blades although I recall a beautiful genuine Sukehiro wakizashi in one of the old London “famous collection” sales in a super shirasaya where the mint polish had hit a gruesome blister!……just shows even the best smiths got it wrong. All the best. Colin

Hi Ian I bet you didn’t buy the swords you mention recently in a UK auction 🙂? All the best. Colin

Hi Paul, pm sent.

Jean…..what happens to the hada and other hataraki…..is it affected by the re-hardening in any way? Do all the original nie/nioi disappear? Does the old hamon leave any trace?…..it’s interesting. many thanks Colin

See Jean’s comments above. I think he is suggesting that it is entirely possible.

Hi Bruno The workmanship in the pearl inlay doesn’t look anywhere near good enough to be Japanese. Their perfectionist approach would ensure everything fits perfectly….in my opinion. The mother of pearl looks like someone has taken a load of wisteria leaves from a piece of shibayama and adapted them to fit in. My money is on later but not recent. what does the reverse look like? All the best Colin

Hello Jean I did spell it right in two places! Two out of three is pretty good for me nowadays!🙂 Thanks for the explanation. All the best Colin

Just a thought….to me those don’t look like “typical” hagire. Most hagire I’ve seen are fine hairlines but these ones look as if they have opened quite a bit….and there are many of them. I wonder if the large missing chunk is a clue? Could there have been (several?) severe sideways impact which caused that damage and at the same time caused the blade to “flex” thus causing the group of hagiri? Never seen anything quite like it before. Does it show any compression “wrinkles” elsewhere? All the best Colin

Hi Jon Yep, I’d be up for in the right location etc. Might take a bit of organising…….. Maybe start a separate post to see who else there might be. They might not pick up on it on this post? All the best Colin

Can I just ask another question please? At what stage in the creation of the blade are the machi actually finalised? Before or after quenching? - because that could certainly affect the hamon termination point if done afterwards. Also the hamachi is (I believe) just about the weakest part of the blade apart from kissaki tip so if damaged in quench a small Machi okuri would be needed..again possibly affecting the termination.

Sorry Piers!! As Thomas says…it’s much clearer in the link I put in. Genuinely appreciate your kind help, thank you Apologies for any eye strain All the best Colin

Hello again Lee Quite a few swords regularly crop up in various UK auctions. Very often they are crap or worse still Chinese fakes so you need to very very careful. Don’t take what the auctioneer says as being correct….build your knowledge first. Having said that a good way to find out about all such items is to use the search facility in www.the-saleroom.com. This is an online platform used by most auctioneers to enable online bidding etc. Hundreds of catalogues are always online and you can search them all in a few seconds. Don’t just put “Japanese sword”, instead use the specific sword words ie katana, Tachi, wakizashi etc. You can also set up your account to save everything you’ve looked at and thus see what pieces made etc. You’ll have to play with it a bit to figure out how it works but you will see lots of swords. You don’t have to actually bid to use the system. Also keep an eye on Bonhams Japanese sales and Thomas deal Mar in London. Also Holts auctioneers often have swords. Don’t be afraid to ask the auctioneers for more info on things like condition, provenance etc and if they are uncooperative then walk away. Trouble is ….everyone else will find them as well so don’t expect bargains and don’t forget the damned auctioneers commission. The safest and most enjoyable way to buy is from people/collectors that you know and trust where you can handle the sword and “have a deal”…..build your network! And don’t be suckered by trusting images/photos. They will never show you the true sword. A polishing technique called Hadori can sometimes hide a multitude of “issues”, and it’s usually impossible to see the true hamon in images where that style of polish is used? ……and don’t be afraid to ask this Forum for advice before buying.….. Happy hunting. Colin.

Thank you Thomas. Very kind of you. All the best. Colin

Hello again from the UK I have the sword in this link posted on the Nihonto Forum Apparently there is little known of this Bakumatsu period smith allegedly a pupil of Gassan Sadakazu TORU2020 has kindly sent me an image of this page from a Japanese book. Sadly and with apologies I am unable to read it and wonder if anyone can pick out anything that tells us more about the smith? Obviously I am not asking for a full translation…..just anything that gives us an insight into him. Any help gratefully received! It’s a lovely sword….shame to not be able to “flesh it out a bit” All the best and many thanks. Colin

I believe this large katana to be an example of what is sometimes called a Kinnoto sword allegedly carried by Imperial loyalists in the Bakumatsu period. Often characterised by exaggerated nakago length and a sugata rather lacking in sori. The Mei reads (I think…please correct me) Heianjo ju Horii Ryuunsai Minamoto Sadamitsu Tsukuru Kore Dated Genji 1st year a day in April (1864) (thanks to help from Manuel COD on this forum with the date) All I can find out about this smith is what my old Hawley tells me….(SAD505)….Student of Gassan Sadkazu. PLEASE CAN ANYONE ADD ANYTHING ELSE? Nagasa 79.3cm (overall 106.2cm) The forging is flawless and very heavy Hada is a very tight and dense itame…..quite difficult to discern even in hand Hamon is chu suguha with very light/subtle midare. There is clear suguha utsuri visible along large sections Boshi is suguha komaru with short kaeri The koshirae is very utilitarian….the tsuka has been borrowed from another sword and is barely long enough to accommodate the nakago, the saya is a roiro lacquer and the tsuba is large in iron with a very stylised design of Kirimon….possibly interesting…I’ll post it on Tosugu for comment. Iron F/k with basket weave design. All comments/help gratefully received. Many thanks. Colin

Hi Tony Be very interested to see what Ford says but imo it is the same tsuba as in the book, it is nowhere near good enough to be Natsuo from a workmanship and artistic perspective and thus the book is wrong. That’s not unusual……many museum collections/ref.books contain many mislabelled and misattributed pieces. I await Fords ruling….gulp. 🙂

I should have added that real swords or daggers were not permitted in the tea ceremony so these “Bokuto” took their place. Also, for flower arranging versions search for Ikebana knife. That will head you in the right direction. Both are a separate collecting field in their own right and some can be spectacular quality. Some also look exactly like the real thing….but they are rare. happy hunting best. Colin

Have a look at this link - on this forum. You could search for Bokuto or Chato.

I agree the carving of the fur is very well done….and the bear does look like he is hooking a salmon out of the river. I don’t think it’s got much age though so perhaps even a post war souvenir item?…..but ultimately the only thing that matters is that you like it …..that’s the best reason to buy anything. Enjoy it!