Natichu

Now that is quite the stunning piece. Not to sidetrack from the original topic too much, but would you mind posting the measurements of the Sukesada?

Very interested to see what the more experienced members think, but just on their face they seem quite different pieces, while both gorgeous. A large and wide Enbun-Joji sugata Yamato style katana vs a rather elegant katateuchi-seeming Bizen blade (at least to my beginner eye, given its short length, narrow width, and shorter nakago). I like them both, but would enjoy hearing what draws you to each of them.

Phenomenal, thank you very much! That is extremely helpful and greatly appreciated.

Hi Michael, Yes, it should be Hoki Province with work in the Shinshinto period (Ansei era ish), and one of the smith's names was indeed Shimizu Yoshiyuki (apparently after being adopted by another swordsmith it seems). I think you have found him there.

Just to close this particular loop, on pages 154-56 of Paul Martin's Japanese Swords and Armor, the author has included photos of several pieces of tosogu attributed to Miyamoto Musashi, as well as a bokuto attributed to him. With respect to the bokuto, Mr. Martin states the bokuto "was made by Miyamoto Musashi at the request of the lord of Matsui Castle, Matsui Yoriyuki. He asked Musashi to make a bokutō...to the same dimensions as he had used in his last duel on Ganryujima. The bokutō is of faulty standard dimensions ensuring its ease of use, just in an extended length ." (italics omitted)

Thanks so much for the photos. I can't quite tell from the photo, but was the boshi on the Kiyomitsu ichimai? Looks like it flares out at the yokote, but I can't quite tell if I see a maru and kaeri or if it's just all hardened.

Many thanks for the thoughts there Dee! Just caught my eye as aside from some of the shinshinto kinnoto, I don't know that I've seen many measurements of quite those lengths for more standard shinto katana (not that they didn't exist I'm sure, and assuming the ronin weren't carrying long ubu koto tachi).

I believe there is one of his bokuto featured in Paul Martin's latest book, but will double check when I get home. There also a few fittings that the NBTHK have certified as having been made by the man himself (including at last one set of menuki). As to the original list, what seems odd to me is the length of quite a number of them. Several of the katana are listed at 2.8 shaku, 2.9 shaku, and 3 shaku, which seems out of keeping with most Shinto era pieces. Does anyone else feel like these measurements might have included the nakago?

Thank you very much Michael! Will have a search and see about picking up a copy. If you're able to look up the smith when the book arrives, I'd very much appreciate it.

Have checked with Matsumoto Touken, who have indicated the information is from Nihonto no Kenkyu To Kantei (Shinto volume) by Tsuneishi Hideaki. Have started a thread to see about getting my hands on at least an extract but we'll see how we do!

Hi all, I'm hoping to see if anyone has access to the Shinto Edition of Nihonto no Kenkyu To Kantei by Tsuneishi Hideaki, and in particular the extract in that book about the Shinshinto smith Shohoken Yoshiyuki. I may well put up a "want to buy" thread in due course either way (I have already emailed Grey Doffin as I see he previously had a copy for sale), but figured I would see if anyone was able and willing to provide the relevant extract for my current research purposes. Many thanks in advance!

https://www.samuraishokai.jp/sword/25157.html Just in case you're still looking.

I would just say that on the boshi front, if it is Jizo boshi I do note both Nakahara and Nagayama due list Mino, and in particular Sue-Seki, for that boshi type.

The funbari on that piece seems quite something!

Thanks Oli! Glad to hear I wasn't the only one eyeing it, as it definitely caught my attention from go. I'll likely ask Matsumoto Touken in the coming days in case they have some documents to share. Will update this thread if anything comes from it.

Hello all, I've recently purchased and taken possession of a Tokubetsu Hozon Shinshinto piece by Shohoken Yoshiyuki. Details here, and hopefully pictures attached: https://www.touken-matsumoto.jp/ja/product/shousai/KA-0740 Currently just studying the piece and getting used to owning it. All things told thus far I couldn't be happier, and my experience with Matsumoto Touken was excellent. That said, I did have a question in terms of research. Matsumoto Touken in their descriptions says "Later Shohoken moved to the city of Osaka where he learned Bizen-den." ("のち大阪に出て備前伝を学び..."). The smith is not discussed in Markus Sesko's Shinshinto-shi, but is in his listing of smiths where he states: "YOSHIYUKI (吉幸), Bunkyū (文久, 1861-1864), Hōki – “Hōki no Kuni Fujiwara Yoshiyuki” (伯耆国藤原吉幸), “Hakushū Yonago-jū Shohōken Yoshiyuki” (伯州米子住曙峰軒吉幸), “Shohōken Yoshiyuki Un´han ni oite” (曙峰軒吉幸於雲藩), “Hakushū-jū Yoshiyuki” (伯州住吉幸), “Hōki no Kuni-jū Yoshiyuki” (伯耆国住吉幸), real name Shimizu Tōshirō (清水藤四郎), he was the son of a certain Yamazaki Hei´emon Yoshihiro (山崎平右衛門吉広) but was later adopted by Shimizu Masayoshi (清水正吉), he signed his name first with the characters (吉行) and used the gō Shohōken (曙峰軒), he came originally from the village of Osa (小佐) in Izumo province and worked for the Izumo fief (出雲藩), later he moved to Yonago (米子) in Hōki province and died on the 21st day of the ninth month Meiji 19 (明治, 1886) at the age of 75, we know blades from the Ansei era (安政, 1854-1860) to the ban on wearing swords in the year 1876, dense ko-itame mixed with mokume and fine ji-nie, the hamon is a gunome in ko-nie-deki, the bōshi is sugu with a ko-maru-kaeri, the yasurime are gyaku-sujikai with keshō, he chiselled his signature close to the mune of the tang, chūjō-saku" No mention is made of a sojourn to Osaka or learning Bizen-den. That said, to my limited understanding the blade does seem to have the Shinshinto fukkoto Bizen style at least in terms of hamon (nioi-deki gunome and choji midare). The jihada is quite subtle and so harder for my beginner eyes to assess. Does anyone know of the smith and any ties to the Bizen tradition, or have suggestions as to other materials to review for more information on that point? Any assistance or suggestions would be very much appreciated!

I assume this is our gentleman, from Markus Sesko: MORIKUNI (盛国), Kanbun (寛文, 1661-1673), Musashi – “Izumi no Kami Minamoto Morimasa” (和泉守源守正), “Izumi no Kami Senju´in Minamoto Morikasa tsukuru” (和泉守千手院源守正造), “Kōshō Kunnai ni oite Hachiman´yama Senju´in Yamato no Kami Minamoto Morikasa saku” (於甲州郡内八幡山千手院和泉守源 守正作), “Izumi no Kami Senju´in Morikuni saku” (和泉守千手院盛国作), “Izumi no Kami Morikuni kore o tsukuru” (和泉守盛国造之), he was a late smith of the Akasaka-Senju´in lineage and came originally from Kai province, later he moved to Edo where he studied according to tradition under Izumi no Kami Kaneshige (和泉守兼重), he signed in early years with the name Namen Morimasa (守正), from the point of view of workmanship we can see common elements with Kaneshige, Kotetsu (虎徹), and Kazusa no Suke Kaneshige (上総介兼重), he signed in a peculiar manner with noticeable wavy and rounded-off strokes, ō-saku.

Dream koshirae that one with the leather sageo, I have to say.

All I can add is my guess is Kanbun era Yamashiro shinto. Not a great guess, but I'm running with it. My apologies for not using the hidden text, still not entirely sure how to make that work from my Android phone.

Makes sense. I figured there was likely a workaround, but one that simple clearly makes it a non-starter.

Possibly an unpopular suggestion, but I would think limiting searches for non-gold members would be a helpful way to monetize things. While the ongoing conversations are always good to follow, as several have pointed out one of the greatest benefits of NMB is the huge amount of information that is readily searchable for research purposes. Limiting search rates is one thing, but if non-gold members were limited to a total number of searches per day/week/month, that may well encourage sign ups. It may also have the knock-on effect of an increase in basic posts that can be answered by a simple search rather than starting a new thread, but that seems like a pain that might be worth bearing to help leverage the forum's greatest asset - its knowledge base.

Hope we get to see pictures of the new arrival in due course! From what I've seen of their site they have some stunning pieces.

Many thanks for that link, those are phenomenal!

I appreciate there's been some animosity as of late on the board, but I'd implore some civility. Mine was truly a genuine question (or set of questions, more accurately), and having more threads dragged into attacks and ultimately locked furthers none of our pursuit of this hobby. There have been some very insightful posts on this thread and I'd like to see that continue personally. I don't mean this as an attack in any way on you @Hokke, and genuinely appreciate your contributions to the board as well. It just seems like tempers are running a bit hot as of late.

Many thanks for the interesting thread and the food for thought; as a beginner I very much appreciate it. I suppose I have a few questions for you - you say that you would rather have saved to spend more now that you have ended up further in your understanding and collection. But without those 100 some odd purchases, do you think you would have ended up where you are? How many of the mistakes have added meaningfully to your understanding and appreciation? Are there any in particular on reflection you think we're worthwhile even though you've now moved on from them? I appreciate many may not have contributed much, and those that have might make for expensive lessons. But I have to imagine they've contributed something in their own right.