CSM101

The artefact is now part of the Samurai Art Museum in Berlin. And I think it is worth the price. Uwe G.

A very good friend brought me the catalogue. And it is amazing, what you can see there. Not only the Mikazuki. Aizu Shintogo, 13 Awataguchi Yoshimitsu, Rai Kuniyuki, -Kunitoshi, -Kunimitsu, -Kunitsugu, Hasebe, Masamune. Several blades with Kokuho. Whatever you want. If you have the chance, go visit the museum. Otherwise buy the catalogue. Uwe G.

Ko-Mihara Uwe G.

I have 646, 647, 650, 651, 653-662 Uwe G.

And I forgot this one: https://www.nihontophoto.com/arbeitenfuermuseen Uwe G.

Dear members, this time I want to do it a little bit different. Because sometimes we have to remember, why we are here, It is because we want to learn. And sometimes our education is a circle and we have to go back to the basics. Shape, steel, hada, hamon. Three things are obvious. But "steel" is not. And it is the hardest part to see and recognize a good steel. "If the steel is good, the rest of the sword is good." That's what I have learned. So, let's take a look at the steel: The kitae is a beautiful dense koitame-hada rich with ji-nie and chikei. You can find a fine nie-utsuri. (all three points are an indicator for high quality steel). The kitae is kenzen. The hamon is suguha with konie. It has a slender and elegant appearence with a high shinogi. With a description like that it is clear that is must be something very, very good. And then you have to think like me. Okay, at first you would loose 30 IQ-points. But that's not what I mean. I always choose a blade that is a typical example for time, province and school. I would never pick a Kamakura Bizen Nagamitsu in Soshu-style or a signed and dated Go Yoshihiro. Next point: when I write: "The blade is not in the blue book." then I mean "The BLADE is not in the blue book." But the maker is. An elegant sugata, koitame, suguha and high-class-steel brings us to: Yamashiro, end of Kamakura. And whatever you pick, Rai, Enju or Ryokai is not important. Important is, that you pick the right time and province. "We don't have a time machine so we will never be sure." = Darcy Brockbank. Nothing else to say. By the way, it is a Rai Kunitoshi - Juyo Token. I don't want to write here much about Rai Kunitoshi. Markus Sesko did that and who is better? https://markussesko.com/2016/01/28/kantei-4-yamashiro-16-rai-%e6%9d%a5-school-2/ https://markussesko.com/2016/01/31/kantei-4-yamashiro-17-rai-%e6%9d%a5-school-3/ But let´s come to the results. And in the end I can understand most of the answers. Rai Kunitsugu and Soshu Yukimitsu, Miike, Reizen Sadamori. Unji has at least mokume in the hada and for the rest is the difference the quality of the steel. I made photos of another Rai Kunitoshi (the katana in the blue book) This one is even closer to Miike. Just one more point, because Stefan brought it up: Color in a nihonto photo. Just forget that in the future. I could write 3 pages about color managment, calibration, sRGB, AdobeRGB, whatever.. In the future I will do it like aoiart. The tang in color and the blade b&w. Or I invest in a EIZO ColorEdge. Maybe then i can present a color that is close to reality. Now I have a Talisker waiting for me. Cheers! Uwe G.

Boshi is very faint and I already "enhanced" this area. But I put a third photo on my site and I hope this one is more helpful. Uwe G.

Dear members, Back again. And I hope you missed me. So, here is another kantei: Katana, osuriage - mumei - nagasa appr. 69 cm You can find the photos here: https://www.nihontophoto.com/kopie-von-tamahagane. First click on the photos. In the left upper corner ther are two arrows. Use them to enlarge the photos. Have fun and I will give the answer next Tuesday. A small hint: No, the blade is not in the blue book. Uwe G.

An exhibition of tsuba is coming: https://www.samurai-artmuseum.com/samurai_news/ Just scroll down. Uwe G.

Two exhibitions are coming... Uwe G. (the other Uwe)

Dear Manoo, I think most of your questions were already answered in an other forum. By very experienced people with a high reputation. Even with your swords in hand you will hear the same: Try to give the swords back. Uwe G.

+1 Uwe G.

Dear members, first of all I have to apologize: I promised not to show a photo of the whole blade. The full size image you will find in a catalogue. Or maybe online. Copyright, rights of use, you know…. And I thought, this would be simple, because itame-hada, suguha-hamon, nie-utsurie = Yamashiro. And we discussed the problem Enju/Rai-boshi several times: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/21757-enju-blade/?hl=%2Benju+%2Bboshi http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/17445-when-is-a-boshi-worth-15000/?hl=%2Benju+%2Bboshi&do=findComment&comment=179873 So this is indeed a Tokubetsu Juyo Token - Rai Kunimitsu. And as Darcy always mentiones: an archetype Rai Kunimitsu. If you are confused by the marumune, this is probably the only one known with it. Most European collectors had a chance to hold and study the blade in Berlin. You have now the possibility to compare with “Selected fine Japanese Swords from European NBTHK collections”, page 82- 85. Since you only got a part I will not make any further comments about the blade, school, what are the points in kantei, etc. You all did great with your comments. Next time hopefully a whole blade again. Or not… Uwe G.

C´mon, Jussi! Don´t be so shy. Uwe G.

Oooosuriage, mumei, kinzoganmei Uwe G.

Dear members, this time it is a little bit difficult. Because you only get a part of the blade and the measurements. Have fun and I will give the answer on friday. Uwe G. Katana; nagasa 71,4 cm; sori 1,7 cm; motohaba 3,1 cm; sakihaba 2,5 cm marumune

I think that we should discuss the whole situation in Utrecht. Many of us will be there (I still hope for that). And then we should decide, what to do. Money shouldn´t be the problem. Uwe G.

My question is: What do I have to do to get a catalogue? Uwe G.

I would say: "Let´s wait and see!" Just because I am one of the first victims in a case like that. Uwe G.

Hi Marco, when it comes to Macro you have to learn how to stack a photo. Your depth of field is very small. 2-4 mm at it´s best. Uwe G.

Dear Cerjak, in the end it is the question "What is it and what is it not?" It is a katana, osuriage, mumei (shortened and unsigned). Judging by the shape and the tang it is not ShinShinto or Shinto. So it is Koto. And end of the Koto period = Sengoku. Hada is ko itame (pic 4). It is not Ayasugihada. For comparison 2x Gassan. You cannot find some special traits in the sword because it is a kazuuchimono (mass production). And most swords came either from Bizen or Mino. I think Mino is more likely. The defects in pic 3 and 6 are fatal. So the value is less than zero. From a collectors point of view. Sorry, if I got you depressed by now. But don´t worry. My first sword was even worse. Uwe G.

"Can this sword be identified on the basis of these high definition pictures?" Simple question, simple answer: No. And I think that even with the sword in hand you will only get time and province. My best guess would be something Mino-related. Sengoku. Uwe G.

Jussi Ekholm ; Tampere, Finland Uwe G.

I think most of you already read the new article by Darcy. But here is a not so well known photo. And I think now you can see, why Sanchomo is such a powerful and graceful sword. The article: https://yuhindo.com/ha/ On the other hand there is an utsushi by Ono Yoshimitsu and you see he is very close to the original. Uwe G.

Here is new post from Darcy´s website with a request for stories: https://yuhindo.com/ha/ Seems so that I have to put some stories together about "The vampire from Munich". Uwe G.