klee

Thank you for the tip @PNSSHOGUN Been trying to find a good one with a similar signature but I do recall seeing ubu Moritaka swords where their longer mei looked unusually low on the tang or more centered. Maybe someone here has a sample image with a " Kongo Hyoe Moritaka " or "Kongo Hyoe Minamoto Moritaka"

Hi @Rawa I tried looking very hard but they all look eaqually old. The patina under the futasuji bi actually looks very old as does the mei

Hi @Rawa I just purchased it from him last week. Arrived yesterday

Good Afternoon Just got a new blade I ve been looking for and was curious if there s a reasonable way to tell how much machiokuri was done based on the Hi placement ( Futasuji - bi in this case ) and mei placement. Tokubetsu Hozon Katana Mei : Kongohyoe Moritaka Saku Blade length: 69.7 cm. Sori: 2.0 cm. Motohaba: 3.2 cm. Motokasane: 0.75 cm. Sakihaba: 2.32 cm. Sakikasane: 0.55 cm. Additionaly , any suggestion and discussion as to what time period it may be would be greatly appreciated. My inital thought based on the katana mei was muromachi but the nagago and mei looks older Thank you Kevin L

Axel Woody Hall is a Hawaii based Togishi who apprenticed under Robert Benson. Robert Benson apprenticed under Living National Treasure Kokei Ono and has the distinction of being the 1st foreign polisher to win an NBTHK award. Woody Hall has also won an NBTHK award

Just sharing another great work by Woody Hall on a TokuHo Ko-Kongo Hyoe blade This blade was important to me and I was very skeptical if this would be worth a shiage with how rough it came from Aoi but he has again exceeded all expectaions above an beyond. Cannot recommend him enough to anyone on the fence about restoring their blade. Pretty wild what a great togishi can do with minimal work.

Hi Hoshi Just posted this a few days ago and it lookslike it might fit your 2nd criteria. https://www.ebay.com/itm/136668151875

Thank you so much 🙏🙏🙏 much appraciated

Hello, been looking for a Kongo Hyoe katana for some time. Specifically an ubu preferably signed from the muromachi. Thank you

Regarding the blade and polish if the topic isnt too far gone. Personally, I never consider resale or financial equation when it comes to sending a blade for polish. It is true that you ll almost never recover the cost of the polish in added value to the blade. The polish is for my own enjoyment of the blade and satisfaction of seeing it restored to it s maximum potential. And also, you would be astounded at what a good polisher can do to blade that may seem too far gone. So if you love the blade and would like to have it restored, by all means send it in and have it evaluated and polished. All that matters in collecting is how much YOU like the blade and want to invest. I believe the creation of nihonto is a sacred process and in a perfect world, every blade should find an owner willing to restore/preserve it. Every single blade I ve sent in for polish would be considered a waste of money by the standards of many ( most ) on here but it s honestly some of the best money I ve ever spent.

Hello , still working on boshi identification and was wondering if anyone knew what to call this on a newly aquired blade ( Ko-Kongo Hyoe ) Hakikakke ?

The nakago might have been cleaned a while ago but might be Muromachi. Hard tell with the old polish but looks like a solid sturdy blade

My purchases is somewhat backward. My first nihonto is still today my favorite and most cherished piece. And most expensive as well I fell in love with Kiyomitsu and my first prurchase was a Tokubetsu Hozon "Bizen Koku Ju Osafune Kiyomitsu". Was a bit more than I wanted to spend but I had to have it. 70cm and a very heavy 850gram. Had shiage togi done by the great Woody Hall and it s even better than it was. Found another one earlier this year . A Hozon "Bishu Osafune Kiyomitsu" dated Eisho 10 . Lovely blade but nowhere near the raw quality of the 1st one. I look through the net for Kiyomitsu almost everyday and Eisho 10 is the earliest I ve ever seen. So naturally as Kiyomitsu collector, I had to have it. Currently with Woody Hall for Shiage Togi. My Latest which is still with Aoi and waiting export is Tokubetsu Hozon Ko-Kongo Hyoe. One of my absolute favorite school. Even with suriage it is personally the most beautiful blade I ve even seen on Aoi. So I absolutely had to have it. Dont really care much about resale. They are from the smith/school I love and in my price range so thats all I care about

The Connoisseurs Book of the Japanese Sword Amazing book that I keep going back to all the time for reference. It s a great read but you ll never absorb all of it. It s a great book to use for reference when you find a blade from a particular school / smith and want more info

I always have and will respect Rayhans input whenever I post on here but I think the mumei/suriage guideline can be specific to what the collector is interested in. I particularly fall into this category. While mumei/Ubu is always prioritized, many of the school/smiths I want to collect will be mumei/suriage when its early muromachi ( Kongo Hyoe, Sue Bizen, Naminohira, Mihara, Hokke, any smiths connected to temples ). On a side note,I firmly believe Sue Bizen should always be signed ( even better if dated ) And many blades by buddhist smith will be mumei even if ubu and is not a guage of quality in any way. This is mainly due to the buddhist beliefs ideals against egoism and respecting the sword. Many begining ( and old ) collectors tend to fall in line and get comfortable with a narrow way of thinking( I was 100% one of them ). This is only natural as we are bound to become more comfortable with what we most familiar with. I believe open mindedness and pushing past our own bias is essential in appreciating this art more so than others. There s an almost infinite different paths to take in this hobby with a near infinite amounts of knowledge. Saddly we will all only live enough to touch a fraction of it

I ve bought swords from Aoi and they take 4 to 6 weeks for the permit. But I ve also bought from Touken Komachi and they have always had it ready in 2 weeks.

"Has the magic passed?" Not at all. Changed ? Definitely The seasoned collectors and key players who have passed were once begining collectors and novices as well. And while a great deal of knowledge passed on with them, there ll be a new generation of passionate collectors and future experts eventually. This is not just nihonto but almost every other form of art. Today, It is easier than ever to gain knowledge and learn about anything. Nihonto included. So those who fall in love with the hobby and are willing to learn will have no shortage of resources. It s similar to people who are passionate about sports or music. Those who played/watched in the 70s 80s 90s 2000s will all swear that their era was the finest but this is simply not true. We are unable to process change/ evolution because what we consider "best" is limited by our own experience which shapes our prespective.

And like I said in the other thread. You need a starting point. Any of the swords Rayhan has posted will make a fine 1st purchase. Then start your collection from there and develop your collecting philosophy. EVERYONE has a million different reason for purchasing and collecting swords. This is why you cant go by other proples opinion and bias. For example, I can promise you that for every 1 person who likes that naminohira sword 10 others will dismiss it and bash it for what it is and what it s not. Heck there was a recent thread where people where criticizing a $160,000.00 Kotetsu so imagine for a $4000 to $6000 sword

Hi Dave Sure thing . Id be happy to give my honest opinion on anything but I must tell you that my collecting interest is very narrow and somewhat unusual mainly focusing on Sue Bizen, Kongo Hyoe, and Naminohira. But I love anything Koto esp schools connected to temples ( yamato schools )

This Naminohira Rayhan mentioned is such a beautiful piece. Plus it s ubu https://www.toukenkomachi.com/index_en_tachi&katana_A060224.html I was going to get it but something I liked more came up so I had to pass. Naminohira has always been one of my favorite schools and they tend to be priced low and overlooked as a more functional school lacking in artistic features. It is also one of the only school where I prefer their Sue over their Ko counterpart

Hi Piers Im not very familiar with shinto so its definitely possible. But the nakago and fumbari looks very muromachi to me. Has a very later Kiyomitsu/Sukesada feel to it. The bosh/kissakinas well

It looks ubu and it looks very much like sue bizen. My guess would be around Tenbun - Tensho based on sugata

In my opinion If you try to learn every little thing before byuing and trying to pick out a perfect 1st piece, you will probably never get there. For me, I picked a nihonto time period that I was most interested in which was muromachi. Specifically sengoku jidai. You will eventually find a blade that draws you in . Wether it s shape ( sugata ) , jigane, hamon, or all the above that fits your budget. You cant really go wrong with a papered blade from a reputable dealer in the $4000 range. This will become your starting point. You may love the school/smith and seek for more from the same or decide to move in another direction. A papered blade in the $4000 range will be fairly easy to find a new home should you decide to sell to make room. Maybe take a slight loss. It may sound hasty but you need a blade in hand to study in order to find out what you truly want. Online listings and descriptions wont get you there. And do not be swayed by bias and opinions. Incredible nihonto were produced in every era and everyone will have a different opinion of the era they like.

Thank you Rayhan I often see them being almost criticized for being simple, rustic and stout but I just love that about this school. This along with their ties to religion and the mongol invasion. They also tend to be very reasonably priced when I see them come up which is a big plus for me. I wish more of them came up but I rarely ever see Ko Kongo Hyoe come up nowdays

Thank you for the input John / Alex. And yes it is indeed an old blade ( Ko Kongo Hyoe ) . I told myself I would never get another mumei/suriage blade but this one just really called to me and I couldnt help it. I ve always had a soft spot for Kongo Hyoe ( esp Ko Kongo Hyoe ) and having Tokubetsu Hozon was a big plus as well.