cabowen

It bears keeping in mind that they can't know everything about everything. Each shinsa team has its strengths and weaknesses depending on the members. Members change and with those changes areas of expertise change. When you focus down on specific artists, often times the best authorities are people who have made a life long study of that particular area. You won't often find these people on the shinsa team usually because in many cases they are too specialized. A good shinsa team is usually composed of people with breadth of knowledge, not always depth in a narrow specialty.

Yes, per the revision: "The length is a little over 18cm."

Thanks- an oversight now corrected....

You are most welcome. Thanks for the add....

Just a heads up for a nice tanto with koshirae, tsunagi, shirasaya, and box on the bay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tanto-Gassan-Sadakazu-with-koshirae-and-kantei-sho-Wow-/171726009885?

Thanks for the kind words! Glad you both found it interesting. Not much information out there on Meiji/Taisho smiths. I was able to locate several obscure sources for info not generally available, which made it a great research project....

Yes.

According to the Meikan, it can be pronounced either way...

Wrote this for Bill Green's magazine but though it might be of interest to those not on the sword show tour... Meiji Taisho article.pdf

Maybe I am wrong but wasn't that sword displayed at the Yasukuni Yushukan? Blade was by Miyaguchi Yasuhiro.....

It is possible that the armory simply put out these as generic work, perhaps made by students. They were Army and could do what they wanted to as far as the stamping is concerned. There were a few good smiths known to have worked at the Kokura Zoheisho but looking at the poor quality of the nakago finish and the almost amateurish way the mei is cut I would say this is not the work of one of the better smiths like Sadashige.

Zodiac cycle and to the left, 仲夏 [ちゅうか: CHUUKA] (1) midsummer ･ (2) fifth month of the lunar calendar

Excellent! I am hoping to tour around and see lots of potters when I am in Japan this summer.

That's wonderful! I have admired her work for a while...don't own any... yet! Yup!

Think I know where you got those! I almost bought either that guinomi or one very similar. Fukushima is another of my recent favs...The iga tokkuri I posted above is by him!

The "streaks" are visible layers of steel. Sometimes they become visible when there are slightly incomplete welds and voids opens. Sometimes these are there from the beginning, other times, after many polishes. Usually the steel in the shinogi is quite thick so it takes a lot of metal removal to "tire" a blade in the shinogi. Other times, using acids when polishing will etch out the softer layers of steel and make the "grain" more visible. If the blade doesn't appear to have been polished a lot, it may be caused by the latter explanation above. Hate to see people learn this way that amateur polishers are about the worst thing you can do to a sword...

Ok, hope no one minds if I post a few more..... Two kuro tanba by one of my new favorite potters (Onishi Masafumi) and one iga...

Nothing. Many times though an older box has issues that render it unfit or less than ideal for its intended purpose. Wood warps and shrinks, joints become loose, insects chew holes, cracks develop, etc., all of which can cause poor sealing.

My feeling is Muromachi. Just doesn't look Kamakura old to me...Lots of Muromachi period blades still around, not so many from the Kamakura era.

皇紀二千六百三年三月吉日 Yes, Koki 2603, March, lucky day....

I think it would be admitted but from what I understand, it is something that seems to be frowned upon in some corners. It is a loophole that I am surprised has yet to be formally closed. If more took advantage of it, it probably would be...

Dated March, 1943. Decent smith.

Nice pots! Thanks for sharing.....

You guys are good! You got it....Here are some others of his....

Sorry, but I don't have any of them here yet so I can't take a photo!