cisco-san

Togishi meant, ko-bizen utsushi

many thanks! :-) This is what Chris wrote, just based on the Nakago picture ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The only smith I find listed who signed Tadayoshi with these kanji in Showa was a Suzuki Tadayoshi. I can not find any examples of his work to compare with... The nakago is well shaped and finished, the signature well cut. Most likely a traditional blade and I would bet it is of good or better workmanship. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hello, Some weeks ago I bought a blade which is signed Yamato [no] kuni Tadayoshi (大和 国 忠義) and is dated Shôwa Jû Shichi Nen Shi Gatsu Kichi Hi (lucky day April Showa 17 (1942)) 昭和 十 七 年 四 月 吉 日 nagasa 69 cm sori is 2 cm motohaba is 3,2 cm sakihaba is 2,3 cm motokasane is 7 mm sakikasane is 6 mm Unfortunately I can not find any information about this smith. Except that most probably the smith was/is Suzuki Tadayoshi (based on information from the well known Chris Bowen). I got this information when the blade was offered to me months ago. I tried to find information about this smith in many books as well as on Web, no no luck Any further information would be great... :-) Another interesting point is that the month is written as "Shi"... which is unusual, at least for me?! Many thanks Klaus

see also https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/TER17

many thanks!!

I guess date is 昭和 二 十 年 春 Showa ni ju nen haru (spring 1945) http://www.japaneses...com/kanji/zodiac.htm

from Markus book: KANENOBU (兼延), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Nōshū-jū Niwa Kanenobu” (濃州住丹羽兼延), “Nōshū-jū Niwa Shūji Kanenobu kore o saku” (濃州住丹羽脩司兼延作之), real name Niwa Shūji (丹羽脩司), born April 5th 1903 as second son of Niwa Kanenobu (兼信), he started his apprenticeship under his father at the age of twelve, he was an excellent horimono carver and became an intangible cultural property of Gifu Prefecture in 1973, during World War II he worked as a rikugun-jumei-tōshō, he lived in Tomida (富田) in Gifu´s Kamo district (加茂郡)

Hello, Hawley lists three Shigetsugu

Hi, from Markus book: KUNIMURA (国村), 1 st gen., Shōwa (正和, 1312-1317), Higo – “Kunimura” (国村), called Enju Tarō (延寿太郎), son-in-law of Rai Kuniyuki (来国行), he is considered as founder of the Enju school, he was according to tradition the son of Hiromura (弘村) who is regarded as ancestor of the Enju school, Hiromura had moved from Yamato to Yamashiro where he became the student and son-in-law of Rai Kuniyuki (来国行), some say that Kunimura even signed with Rai Kunimura (来国村) during his stay in Yamashiro, towards the end of the Kamakura period, he moved to Kikuchi (菊池) in Higo province where he founded as mentioned the Enju school that was named after his first name Enju Tarō, we know blades from the Shōwa to the Kenmu era (建武, 1334-1338), they have a tachi-sugata of the late Kamakura era with a somewhat elongated ko-kissaki, the jigane is a dense ko-itame with fine ji-nie, a tendency to masame, and shirake, the hamon is in general a suguha but can also show mixed-in ko-midare and/or ko-ashi, his hamon interpretations remind of Ryōkai (了戒) and of Rai Kunimitsu (来国光), the tang has an ha-agari kurijiri and kiri or slightly slanting katte-sagari-yasurime, jō-saku ◎ KUNIMURA (国村), 2 nd gen., Enbun (延文, 1356-1361), Higo – “Hishū Kikuchi-jūnin Kunimura” (肥州菊池住人 国村), first name Shirō (四郎), according to tradition the son of the 1 st gen. Enju Kuniyoshi (延寿国吉), hoso-suguha, komidar KUNIMURA (国村), 3 rd gen., Ōei (応永, 1394-1428), Higo – “Hishū Kikuchi-jū Kunimura” (肥州菊池住国村), “Kunimura” (国村), “Tōzaemon no Jō Kunimura” (藤左衛門尉国村), first name Tōzaemon (藤左衛門), according to tradition the son of the 2 nd gen. and grandson of the 1 st gen. Enju Kuniyoshi (延寿国吉) KUNIMURA (国村), Bunmei (文明, 1469-1487), Higo – “Kunimura” (国村), Sue-Enju school

--> WII era

A pic from Nagamitsu or Emura is a big mystery... many would like to have incl. me :-) Attached some pics from my Nagamitsu

seems to be a very nice package!! I guess you already know this link http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/naga.htm

show us the other site of the Nakago

seems to be a very nice collection

sorry, I don´t, but maybe others

see also https://nihontoclub.com/view/smiths/meisearch?type=All&mei_op=contains&mei=陸奥守藤原兼

Hello, I have seen this video long time ago as well and I indented to go to Steyr to the City Museum see this blade - but not done so far.. Here the link to the Museum - https://www.steyr.at/Stadtmuseum regards Klaus

from John S. Slough´s book - "medium grade showato":

good point @Ray Singer, many thanks! I hope that I will see this blade in hand in May, latest June... and will of course post some pics.

Hello, I almost can´t believe, that nobody here has some information about the smith Suzuki Tadayoshi many thanks Klaus

Hello, sorry to reopen this old thread but I have a question concerning Suzuki Tadayoshi. A friend offered me a blade which is signed Yamato (no) kuni Tadayoshi (大和国忠義) and dated Showa 17, 4th month lucky day (April 1942). Chris Bowen told me that the only smith, he is aware of, who signed with 忠義 is Suzuki Tadayoshi. But unfortunately he has no more information about this smith available. Therefore, I kindly ask if anybody (maybe @PNSSHOGUN) has some information about this smith. Many thanks in advance. Klaus

eBook from Markus Sesko - very useful! https://markussesko....wordsmiths-of-Japan/ https://www.lulu.com...an&page=1&pageSize=4

from Markus book: NOBUYOSHI (信吉), 2 nd gen., Enpō (延宝, 1673-1681), Yamashiro – “Shinano no Kami Fujiwara Nobuyoshi” (信濃守藤原信吉), “Rakuyō Shinano no Kami Minamoto Nobuyoshi” (洛陽信濃守源信吉), according to a theory it was the 2nd gen. who bore the real name Takai Kinzaburō (高井金三郎), he lived in Kyōto´s Aburanokōji (油小路), we know blades from the Enpō to the Genroku era (元禄, 1688-1704) and he also worked in Ōsaka, chūjō-saku

As I know, there is a guy in Poland as well. I don´t know him directly, just via another guy (Arek - arekkk1@o2.pl) who made a new Saya for me .

Hello, has anybody an update on the Gendai book project from @Markus ? thanks Klaus