Zoglet
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Definitely. I find it particularly interesting, and honestly, I'm surprised that this blade isn't thrown around as much (at least where I communicate about tanto) compared to other Kunimitsu works like Aizu Shintogo, which more represent his "textbook" style of swordsmithing (leaning more into the Awataguchi School traditions, with hints of Soshu-den elements, like the clusters of chikei or rare burls of chu-mokume along the ji). At least for me, it definitely stands out as one of the more historically relevant early Soshu pieces to study.
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Ah, thanks, Chandler!
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That's exactly the theory that I read. The radical on the "mitsu" character is more Yukimitsu-esque, and, in general, the clustering of the nie along the habuchi does appear similar to Yukimitsu's work, at least to my eye. Generally, Kunimitsu's work seems to have a thinner clustering along the nioi-guchi. Cool to see that, if this is a Yukimitsu daisaku-daimei, then Yukimitsu is also capable of working in okina-no-hige along the boshi. Thank you for the references and added opinion from Tanobe! All the Best! Zoglet
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@Jussi Ekholm Thank you so much!
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Hello everyone, I've been reading more into Shintogo Kunimitsu lately, and I keep hearing controversy on the blade "Midare Shintogo" from the smith, particularly on the topic of its legitimacy as a signature. If anyone has an oshigata or a photo of the dagger, I'd greatly appreciate the chance to see this piece finally. Thank you, everyone, for your time! Best Regards, Zoglet
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Feel free to be the first then! Best Regards, Zoglet
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Hello Everyone! After 1.5 years in my possession, the kodachi I had acquired is now being sent for shinsa! Wish me luck as we anxiously wait! In other news, to celebrate this occasion, I took new photos of the blade. Feel free to send your thoughts! All the best, Nich
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Hey folks, sorry for replying nine months later, but as an update, finally sending the sword for shinsa. Also took new photos after more time to practice. Can't wait for the suspense to be over. All the best, Zoglet
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I find it incredibly suspicious, especially looking at the condition of the nakago and the fact that the blade appears to be shinogi-zukuri, that the blade would be anything over 200 years-old, if even that old or unaltered. So far, I've only seen one example of a short blade in that shape, being a shinshinto Kaifu ko-wakizashi with a nagasa of 34.85 cm. I'm sorry to burst your bubble on this one. Best regards, Zoglet
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At the end of the day, due to the low resolution of the pictures, it's difficult to tell for certain whether the straighter grain truly is masame or merely running o-hada, however, masame doesn't always indicate Yamato influence, as we also see it in examples of Awataguchi blades from the mid-Kamakura Period, namely Kunitsuna, who may have instructed Shintogo Kunimitsu on sword-crafting. As such, it may be early to jump to Hasebe Kunishige, although Markus's suggestion may indicate that Shintogo Kunishige may be an earlier form of Hasebe's work, so that lends some credence to your suggestion. Overall, I'd stay more conservative on this issue until I can more readily see the jigane on this piece.
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Looking at the oshigata you sent, Kunishige seems a bit promising, especially looking at the "Kuni" character. A lot closer to the standard horizontal three-line radical we see in works from the Awataguchi and Rai Schools. The angle of the diagonal radical also appears correct compared to the angle of the Fujishiro Koto volume tanto (the DTI one), at least to my eye. Thanks for sharing, Lewis!
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As an added reference, was also able to locate a mei of a ken signed "Sahyoe no Jo Fujiwara Kunimitsu" and dated to either Showa 1 or Showa 10 (mei is corroded at the date) with the similar features to the atypical Shintogo Kunimitsu mei. Photo is displayed below.
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I completely agree. I was just replying to this comment by Michael. Thanks for commenting! Nicholas
