Tcat

Yes, especially at this stage in his career. Remember, this is very early Watts, he was only 24 years old at the time of writing and probably still a bit green to the true depth and complexities of the topic at hand.

I for one would love to hear… I have to satiate myself with the “fag ends” of this era, which my father was very much a part of when it came to Rigbys Purdeys and HH rifles but sadly not Japanese swords. Happy New Year Colin.

The answer is right there in your post. The character “刀” can be pronounced “tō” or “katana / gatana” meaning knife, but more accurately, meaning a *single edged blade*. “剑” or Ken is used to refer to double edged blades, hence when you combine the two you get the word 刀剑 or “Tōken”, implying the concept of both single and double edged blades - ie “swords” in general. The western notion that “katana” specifies a Japanese sword which is longer than both a tanto and a wakizashi but shorter than a tachi or odachi is true but also somewhat of a confusing simplification, enshrined now in classification by kantaisho but one we have become so accustomed to that we overlook it. In essence, what makes a katana a katana is when it’s a single edged Japanese sword which doesn’t fall into any of the other classifications. A “katana” is in fact the least specific of all blade classifications because it simply means it’s *not* defined as any of the others. Katana is the definition you are left with when you eliminate all other possibilities. Modelling knives in Japan are called kogatana, ko is simply 小 meaning small and 刀, meaning “small single edged blade” - exactly the same word as used for the kogatana that fit into kozuka and were carried as part of sword koshirae - but they are not the same thing. Now… the word 短, tan, which means “short” (as opposed to long) when combined with 刀 makes “Tantō” - the Japanese do not say “Tan-gatana” but they might as well. Short katana is sort of a direct but albeit confusing translation… But it gets weirder.. the earliest Japanese swords referred to as “katana” or gatana were no longer than around the size of a short wakizashi. These katana were the original “side swords” until society started to redefine what a side sword was, and the term wakizashi came much later.

Rare occasion when he is quite wrong because he is using a quote from an English language source and using English language terminology which isn’t in fact technically applicable to the subject at hand. He should know better. Swords are measured and classified accordingly in shaku, sun, bu and rin. A sun-nobi tanto is a tanto which exceeds the prescribed length of a tanto by *around* one sun. That is to say, it looks like a tanto, walks like a tanto and sounds like a tanto, so it is in fact a tanto, which is why we call it a sun-nobi tanto, but the the authorities in their infinite wisdom *officially* record it as wakizashi on kanteisho. Pure semantics and classification debate which is removed from the actual use / technique and application of each type of weapon. Terminology loophole if you will.

Technically, sun-nobi 'tanto' are officially considered 'wakizashi' on kanteisho.

Wishing you a speedy recovery Jacques. A dog has wiped me out on two wheels before...I know how it feels.

I suspect the metal is not tamahagane nor oroshigane or similar. Undecided as to whether the heat treat is real but fairly certain it is not. I can get in touch with the craftsmen and ask if there's enough interest.

A troll? No better than Jacques

I thought some of you might find this interesting. I cannot find a copy of this article online and think that this is as good a place as any to share it. So, without further ado, here is the segment in question from 'Asia' magazine, May 1939, titled 'The Rusty Swords of Japan- A Study in the Death of a Philosophy' by Alan Wilson Watts. Enjoy.

Well, I'm sure they do, so you might be right. I certainly wouldnt try to argue that the two are completely unconnected, just have my doubts that they are one and the same source due to the chronological gap. From what I understand, the group that produced these micro swords are a contemporary collective of artisans with a variety of specialities. I dont doubt. It's rare for very high quality works to be randomly submitted here for appraisal and commentary. The lesson is, if you see something and its really good for a good price, just buy it. But only if its really good

Haha, well, a tanto koshirea can be 'aikuchi style' and an aikuchi koshirea can be made for a tanto (which, when the two are combined makes an aikuchi tanto, or simply 'an aikuchi') - but neither implies the other. But that's not what you wrote... What you wrote was - So, technically this is false. A tanto is a tanto with or without koshirea. Meanhile the koshirea is not called 'an Aikuchi', it is called 'an Aikuchi koshirea'. The tanto becomes becomes 'an aikuchi' when mounted in aikuchi style mounts. Similar (but at the same time, opposite) to how a kozuka is a kozuka and a kogatana is a kogatana but a kogatana mounted in a kozuka is a kogatana. Moving on....a tanto is still a tanto while in shirasaya. Lack of a tanto sized tsuba does not change this fact. A tanto is defined as blah blah shaku in length - you know this. Meanwhile, a tanto in aikuchi koshirea is still a tanto. Done

Technically, this is completely false. Yes. Also known as an aikuchi. Aikuchi koshirea can also be used on long swords, such as the famous Kenshin koshirea...

I never implied that you did. Indeed, and that is exactly the point at which most people's train of thought ends - hence my comment on this phenomenon. The post is for everyone, it is not directed at you.

Part II has been published...

We are going quite far back old boy so its doubtful. I forgot to mention the work is contemporary. I feel the need to chip in what I believe is a not commonly accepted piece of information / fact about China, a place I lived for approaching 15 years in total...that is...the country has a very large number of extremely skilled artists. Especially carvers and lacquer artists. It is the most common thing in our hobby circle to see a poorly made reproduction sword, and together with others remark in unison ''obvious China fake'', however, this approach leads many to believe that this level of 'work' is indicitave of the length and breadth of what China has to offer in terms of 'Japanese style swords' - which is a dangerously ignorant take. Sorry, Chris W above, I dont mean to pick on you, but when you comment 'Regardless of it being Chinese' you exemplify what I am referring to. Roughly 20 or so years ago when I was working for Sotheby's in London, there was a tachi in shirasaya which was left unsold after an auction and sat in a departmental store room for years. While doing a little tidying up I stumbled across the sword and had to take a look. Well, what I saw was what appeared to me to be a very nice shinshinto tachi with a wonderful tight hizen-like hada and suguha hamon. We had no experts left in London as the department had long since ceased samurai related sales, but I got in touch with the nearest guy who knew about the item and was located in our Paris office. He told me that the sword had been removed from an auction as it had been discovered to be a forgery made in China. He would not elaborate further on this... To caveat, I have owned both Chinese reproduction Japanese style swords and nihonto, and looked at quite a few recognised-as-high-quality nihonto on display. The sword I speak of was 'pristine' and there was absolutely nothing about it which would indicate that it was either a 'reproduction' or 'made in China'. Commissioned and bought, yes.

I have ascertained the micro tanto's origins and have discovered that there are others like it... The work was done in a studio located in China.

If you’re patient and keep your eyes peeled you might find the parts to replace those missing. Eg this just sold:

Lovely edo period nunome zogan rain dragon handachi fittings. My guess is not earlier. Would be interested to see what the experts say. Nice find.

It’s real. Thought it was worth the share. Trying to find out some more info.

Not my hand and I'm not the owner, I know nothing about it other than the photos. They were shared with no text on a WeChat blades magazine channel I'm subscribed to.

Just for fun, here is a micro tanto. I havn't yet seen one so detailed and wonder about its origins.

I dont think the oshigata shows what you think it shows. I'm not callling it dishonest... Just look very carefully to what exactly is depicted rather than what you might hope it implies. Drawing oshigata is indeed an art in and of itself...

Are we looking at the same oshigata? The yakiba just disappears... the oshigata generously shows hataraki at the point it terminates. If present, the boshi appears to be very weak indeed. Based off the photos I have seen, I see no martensite boshi. The obvious band of martensite which is reflecting light back into the camera lense runs off the fukura. Compare the oshigata in question with the other oshigata + sword shared in this thread which has a very obvious boshi. Note and compare how how each are drawn in the oshigata. Note how each photograph...what do you see? I have lot to say about this especially after a few drinks but I will simply ask you this - do you believe that a mistake has never been made on a paper? Also, I'm not the type to accept appeals to authority when I am staring straight at something telling me something the contrary. I just take this to be an automatic type of response, and as with the case of papers, honest mistakes can occur. That isnt what I am implying... See above, as with the case of papers. Do you believe 'AOI' has never made an honest mistake? This is what I see in the photos - The red line is my most generous take for where I believe the hardening to end. The yellow is closer to what I believe. I'm completely open to chaging my mind about this by looking at the blade in hand. Maybe indeed it is a trick of the light, but I wouldnt 'blindly' trust that it is. That is not because I believe others have malicious intent but rather beacause I know that all people including myself are fallible. Ultimately though, I can only rely on my own judgement, which involves a myriad of factors, when choosing to purchase a sword. I certainly wouldnt purchase one based on an oshigata if I had the choice.

Are you sure? You see *something* and you have attempted another 'wishful-thinking' red line. Forget for a moment the oshigata, simply look at the photos of the blade in the light. Ignore what I would call the cynical placement of the reflective glare from the light - focus instead on the white band of martensite and follow it - What does it do? Does it turn back sharply to make that 180 degree U turn or does it run off the edge like car overshooting a corner on a mountain pass? Just be honest with yourself - and don't make me get out my red pen.

I cant help but laugh at this red line, but you do you. I hope you don't think that glare from a light source is a turnback... Even in the oshigata, which I have trouble trusting, it runs it riiiiight up to the edge. A thousand miles from your red line. I'm not commenting any more on this thread or this sword without seeing it in hand. The photos in the light are ambiguous at best and seem to show the hamon running off the blade.