Subayai Kitsune

The sugata is indeed delightful and the kissaki, particularly so. As Jussi Ekholm pointed out, the jihada is great even in its current state. I can feel your disappointment but once it’s received a sympathetic polish (with some Brasso and a few Brillo pads 😉) I think it’s going to look fantastic! Keep your chin up in the meantime.

Very interesting topic, nicely explained. Do the ‘official appraisers’ have to undertake blind identification of already authenticated swords as part of their training and in ‘continuing professional development’ as medical/science people etc are required? A few years ago, a group of influential wine connoisseurs were asked, under strict conditions, to taste the previous year’s top ten wines including the bronze, silver and gold medal winners and place them in order. Their efforts were no better than random rankings and they especially couldn’t identify the gold medal winner 😆 No doubt that was due to particularly high solar activity or a ‘skeptic present in the room’ during the tasting!

I am, indeed, a beginner which is why I’m here on this board; hoping that more experienced people will impart their knowledge to me and others like me and pretty much, most people have been very kind in sharing their knowledge rather than just unhelpfully pointing out the blatantly obvious fact, that I am a beginner. Politely challenging other people’s ideas is part of the Western process of education and in the context of a forum, initiating debate. If you object to this, for whatever reasons, please block my posts or at least don’t respond to them.

Ah OK. My assumption was that simply moving the ha/mune machi position forward by a few centimetres might produce geometry changes that might be indistinguishable from a smith’s ‘individual preferences’.

Would you care to elaborate?

Yes, I’ve seen that one before. It’s very interesting.

An interesting idea, but I’m not convinced by the thesis. After all, can you tell a blade has been shortened without removing the tsuka and inspecting the nakago? It doesn’t seem so thus who’d know other than the owner of the shortened sword and thus make a shortened sword widely ‘taboo’? It’d take very little effort to reshape the nakago jiri into an aesthetically pleasing form so it seems more likely it was a conscious choice, but why? Is a new tsuka easier to fashion with a cut-off jiri? I don’t think so. Is the balance of cut-off jiri more advantageous. I can’t see how such a tiny length difference would be perceptible in the hand. Could it just be lazy swordsmiths who simply couldn’t be bothered refiling the nakago’s shape after the careful rejigging of the ha/mune machi especially when very few would actually see the nakago? Having a bit of an understanding of human nature, I think this is a more likely, albeit disappointing, scenario!

I think we all watch too many videos about Japanese swords! I wonder why it was frowned upon? The repurposing of blades kept them in use, but reduced new orders, I suppose… I’d still expect the meticulous Japanese to do it ‘beautifully’.

When a sword underwent shortening, why didn’t the swordsmith reshape the nakago jiri so it looked like an unshortened nakago? Why just snip it off at a less aesthetic right angle

Are there any resources out there about the metallurgy of Japanese sword making? I’m really interested in data such as the rate of change of temperature during yakiire across the blade width (under the different thickness of yakibatsuchi) especially at the nioiguchi, rate of nie crystal formation of different sizes etc. The more technical the better 🤓 Surely this stuff has been investigated and published by metallurgists?

Oh how embarrassing, this book is on my bed stand. I’ll check the edition and then maybe I should read it ☺️🙏🏽

To aid my learning, I’m trying to find a resource that describes/defines the characteristics of the gokaden, preferably a book but website is good too! Can anyone suggests such a resource?

Ah brilliant! I saw the term ‘sakanashi’ for ashi that slope backward rather than straight down to the ha, but I wasn’t sure if it applied to saw a choji-type hamon that leans backward! Thsnk you so much 🙏🏽

Is there a Japanese term for the backward leaning hamon peaks that I’ve occasionally seen?

I’ve had the same issue with Border Force. A 2.5 shaku sword made by Japanese smith Kanehisa in 2017 in Gifu prefecture and sold to me by Tozando Sword Shop in Kyoto. A similarly long and convoluted story with BF refusing to believe the sword was made by traditional methods despite the Tozando giving credence to the idea. I pulled out of the court appearance due to the risk of £2500 costs. I used to be a magistrate and this figure seems at odds with anything we order whilst on the bench. A letter followed saying I could no longer appeal and the sword’s seizure ( they didn’t say that forfeiture was part of withdrawing from a tribunal) would it would be destroyed. Then I received and email saying a further review of my case would be carried out and I should supply more evidence if I have any, by 23/10/24. I obtained a letter from the swordsmith’s son (the original smith as since died) saying his father made the sword, he was his father’s apprentice, and it was made by traditional methods by hand (one of BF’s own exemptions from seizure). A well respected British antique sword dealer very kindly agreed to supply a letter stating the career history of Kanehisa, the prizes he’d won for his work and that he only made swords traditionally and by hand. I also showed them my membership of the British Kendo Association’s Iaido bu, my grade and evidence of third party liability insurance and that I was going to used the sword for swordsmanship training (another of BF’s criteria for import seizure exemption). Thus, I presented two of their criteria for the sword’s release to me. The review arrived yesterday and are going the release the sword to me (assuming it hasn’t been destroyed as they said they would) and I’m really happy about that and I’m pleased with BF’s considered and full review. It seems some in BF simply do not listen to the circumstance of one’s case. Their minds are set after seizure and the even say they rarely change their decisions. I had to jump through hoops to obtain the required evidence but constantly feared they’d say, ‘we don’t believe your evidence’. I would’ve taken this to court had the review decision gone the other way since I feel a set of three magistrates would see the illogical behaviour of BF and see in my favour. I was willing to lose £2500 to have my day in court and I was carefully crafting my court deposition using the C.R.A.C method. I’m pleased it didn’t come to that and BF saw the error of their ways in my favour. Incidentally, BF will not accept the argument that the sword is an ‘objet d’art’ or a collectors item that was one of my mistakes and I think the OP’s.