Takezo

Bishu Osafune Sukesada Papers: NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Country(Kuni)・Era(Jidai): Bizen(Okayama)・Late Muromachi period - August, 1567 (Eiroku 10th year) Blade length(Cutting edge): 71.5cm Curve(SORI): 2.5cm Width at the hamachi(Moto-Haba): 3.22cm Thickness at the Moto-Kasane: 0.77cm Wide at the Kissaki(Saki-Haba): 2.55cm Thickness at the Saki-Kasane: 0.60cm Habaki: oneo part, gold foil Habaki Sword tang(Nakago):Unaltered, Kattesagari file pattern Rivet Holes(Mekugiana): 1 Shape(Taihai): Shinogizukuri, Iorimune, Chu-kissaki Dated and has a wide width and thickness. Hamon is Gunome and Choji with Tobiyaki. Jigane is Itame and Mokume. Nakago is Ubu. Asking: $12,000 Payment: Bank transfer Shipping: Free for continental USA (you pay elsewhere) - but if you want to return it I need to deduct it from the refund This will be going onto Nihonto Antiques soon if it is not picked up here first. Excellent condition, polish is in sashikomi with a very beautiful "light behind the clouds" effect. Strong sugata.

I tend to agree with Robert. Hoshi also brings the nuance into light. When I was at Seiyudo last month they let me take out literally every sword in the store to inspect it. I was there picking up two fairly pricey swords so I think that’s why they invited me to do so. Anyway, they have a Ryokai there that is not listed on the site that they are planning to submit to Juyo and I want to say they told me it was currently around $60k. I asked them if the Juyo paper would increase the price they would sell it for and they said maybe, maybe not. I guess they were implying they would test the market at that time. Like Hoshi said, the paper just allows the market to potentially drive the price up since it’s gone through another level of scrutiny. All that being said, yeah some of these swords are just priced in already. Also what Julien said, two swords could be separated by a slight degree during judging and one wins out over the other. The sword might be important but this other one is more important at the moment. The owner or dealer doesn’t want to go through time and effort again etc. Doesn’t mean it isn’t Juyo, just means it hasn’t been granted it yet, and they just price it at Juyo. But smith name also doesn’t guarantee Juyo. Maybe it never will go. Just because it’s a Shintogo doesn’t mean it’s “important” to NBTHK in an absolute sense.

Definitely will once it comes back

@ChrisTopher10

I was just at Yuji’s shop in Nagoya visiting with him a few weeks ago. He’s doing great, no problems. Really great person and really into what he does. If anyone is not aware, what he posts on the website is like a fraction of what he carries in store. His store is stocked to the gills with treasures. It’s just him that posts things to his website so he doesn’t post that much. If you want to know more than what he shows on the website, just ask. He brought out his prized signed “-“ Ichimonji tachi for us to view while I was there and it’s a beauty. Apparently not for sale though 😂. Anyway he facilitated the polish of a sword for me that we are submitting for Juyo shinsa this year, polished by Sugihara Hiroshi.

Agree. It's basically a fairy tale, probably based on averages of quality across a large quantity of swords. Many of the top tier Sukesada smiths use this signature across the generations. In Fujishiro books you can see quite a few listed as using the signature as well, plus the existing Juyo Token and other really good examples currently sitting at Tokubetsu Hozon. They were definitely commissioning blades to high level samurai and daimyo with this signature, for whatever reason.

White light LED

Not sure if this has been posted, but I just visited the Juyo Token exhibition in Tokyo today and there were some amazing blades. Here is the list they are showing: https://www.touken.or.jp/Portals/0/pdf/english/（英語））第71回重要刀剣等新指定展目録.pdf They had a Hizen blade done in a killer hitatsura temper that was over 94cm nagasa! Absolutely stunning....but my favorite was probably the Yasumitsu. There was also an Awataguchi Kuniyoshi that belongs to Nicholas Benson that is being submitted to TokuJu, even thought its listed under Robert Benson. Also Awatguchi Hisakuni. Amazing to see 36 Juyo from all different smiths for future reference.

Guess I’m late to the party but I’m just discovering the fusion that is Sōden Bizen. Nanbokucho piece around 70cm with a 3cm / 2.65cm width. Morikage’s “Chikakage style”

It looks like it has some really good features

Thanks for this, I also am going the gun case route to bring 3 back in a few weeks. Going in and out of Haneda, but my sellers in Japan have handled the export permits.

I can ask for more info!

totally agree

truly incredible

Just wanted to share some images for study that Keisuke over at https://www.katana-case-shi.com shared with me today during a chat. In the order from the title.

Good to know - thanks!

Commissioned a new sayagaki from Tanobe sensei. Looking for translation - thank you in advance.

@anguilla1980 That is a solid first pick up for Sukesada. Also I just wanted to share a close up of that Yosozaemon that @klee posted, because I also downloaded the original image You really don't see (or at least I have not) long Kinsuji running through the ha in Sue-Bizen pieces. Just proves the smiths had all the knowledge and skills, just not the time or resources (or maybe even just the reason) sometimes.

Juyo Token

@klee thanks! What Kyushu schools did you switch to? Hizen, Enju, Satsuma...something else?

That's true, could also be that. I asked Shono-san at Seiyudo and he says "Kakushitogane is a rare mark that swordsmiths use to confirm that they themselves made it" so maybe that clears it up?

That Yosozaemon was absolutely insane. I have 2 nice ones I can show from Bizen, Sengoku era. 1. Gorozaemon no Jo Kiyomitsu 1537 2. Bishu Osafune Sukesada 1567

All very possible reasons. Does anyone by chance know of anything similar from Naotane to compare to? Maybe it was something he did on other specific blades also? Maybe at the request of the customer? @PNSSHOGUN good question, this one is actually Soshu style, so yeah that would probably rule out Ichimonji @Natichu sure - check below.