SwordGuyJoe

Thanks for the well wishing gents! Yes, I am swordless, but looking to dig into some new smiths… at least some not from the Ikkansai group. Still love them, but I would like to focus outside of them. Nice tip on the Miyairi group. I had a wakizashi by Fujiyasu  Masahiro and absolutely loved it!

He was a part of an interesting group of smiths called the Genmon no Kai that I only brief researched there prior to my hiatus. Should be interesting at least. 

Hey there all! It’s been a wild couple years that now find me swordless… but, some journeys include a step or 18 backwards. 
 

I am looking to recast a collection and was first hoping to say hi to some virtual friends and get some feedback and some tips on who to take a look at. 

First, I would like to stay post war. Second, from the Ikkansai group, my favorite aspects were their soden bizen work and enjoyed their horimono. So my ideal smiths would be excellent horimono carvers and many excellent examples of soshu den. 
 

A couple example smiths I’ve enjoyed are Tanigawa Moriyoshi, Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa, the Enomoto Gassans, and a few others. 
 

Any recommendations in addition to looking into different schools of smiths?

Most things Ikkansai are excellent.

For post war, No one has mentioned Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa and I’ve always enjoyed Ozawa Masatoshi’s work. +1 on Enomoto works, Moriyoshi, and it’s tough to beat Horii jigane.

Sold

And the sales page from Tsuruginoya

短刀 酒井一貫斎繁政｜日本刀専門店 つるぎの屋.pdf

More pics.  Professional picture credit to Tsuruginoya.

All,
Here is my last offering for a little while. It is an absolute masterpiece of Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa. I have handled or viewed no less than 50 Shigemasa swords and NONE have been of this quality. Am I biased? Of course. But I am also honest.

I have attached the sales page, including the asking price, to show the price in which I paid, as I snapped it up as soon as it was listed. I don't recall the exchange rate when I purchased it, but today, the exchange rate is Approximately $7,800 (USD).

SOLD

Sword Information:
Type: Tanto
Sugata: Hira-zukuri
​
Mei: Sakai Shigemasa shin tan kore o horu (truly forged and carved by Sakai Shigemasa)
Date/Era: Showa go ju nen hachi gatsu kichi sho bi (A good and lucky day in August, 1975)
School/Den: Kasama Ikkansai Shigetsugu Mon
Tradition: Soshu
Authentication/Papers: NBTHK Hozon
​
Sword Details:
Nagasa: 28.3 cm
Mihaba: 2.6 cm
Kasane: 0.65 cm
Nakago Jiri: Ubu, Kurijiri
Yasurime: Kiri
Mune: Iori
Jihada: Ko-Itame
Hamon: Active Gunome, with Sunagashi and Kinsuji
Boshi: Komaru, w/ Short Turnback
​
Smith Information:
Rating:
- Toko-Taikan: 2 Million Yen
- Gendai Tosho Ninki Banzuke: East Block, Maegashira
Smith Details:
Shigemasa (繁政), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Tōkyō – „Shigemasa“ (繁正), „Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa“ (酒井一貫斎繁正), „Tōtō Jōhoku
ni oite Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa kinsaku“ (東都於城北酒井一貫斎繁正謹作), „Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa“ (酒井一貫斎繁政), „Sakai
Shigemasa hori-dōsaku“ (酒井繁政彫同作), civilian name „Sakai Hiroshi“ (酒井寛), he was born on August 19th 1905 as third son of Sakai
Yasujirō (酒井安次郎), the younger brother of Miyaguchi Shigetoshi (宮口繁寿), in Shizuoka, in 1925 he started his apprenticeship as a
swordsmith under Kasama Shigetsugu (笠間繁継) and became independent in 1932, he signed his name first with the characters (繁正),
during World War II he worked for the forges „Nihontō-tanrenkai“ (日本刀鍛錬会) and „Ōkura-Nihontō-tanrenjo“ (大倉日本刀鍛錬所),
later he lived in Tōkyō´s Itabashi district (板橋), as his master Shigetsugu he too was an excellent horimono carver, he died 1995 at the age
of 91, during World War II he forged ten tantō for Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku (山本五十六, 1884-1943) who rewarded several persons
with them for their merits in assisting the attack on Pearl Harbor which was also co-planned by Yamamoto
From Markus Sesko's, "Index of Japanese Swordsmiths"

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And here is a picture of the Mune-ware that I mentioned in the description.  As you can see it is on the peak of the Mune. While I believe a polisher could close it based on where the steel opened, it is there.

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I’ve seen a few of these blades at shows and more online. Just my opinion, but the price and reputation outpaces the quality - pretty handedly. Don’t get me wrong, on average, I’d say it’s better than your run of the mill gendaito, but not by a large margin. Pay $10k for a sword that has the quality of most $5k swords without a kikusui mon? Pass. They are rare. That is the one quality that I would acknowledge that rightfully drives the cost up.

Again, just my opinion. Feel free to ridicule

All of ‘em

There is no accounting for bad taste