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Hello: While the majority of tanto are doubtless without a shinogi-line, being as they are hira-zukuri and essentially flat on the sides, many do have shinogi lines, and some have yokote. Examples are moroha-zukuri which are sharp at the ha and what otherwise would be the mune,; kanmuriotoshi-zukuri; unokubi-zukuri; shobu-zukuri, and a couple of others less common. Most English language guides illustrate these forms. Arnold F.

Hello: There is only one Mikasa blade being offered by Aoi, AS15041. Passing reference in my initial post referred to its ambitious price without mentioning the price amount. If you go to the site and scroll to the things offered it is listed at JPY 1,400,000, an ambitious price for sure. If you hit on Bid the price there for starting is 280,000, which is less ambitious. Obviously some clerk entering information made a mistake. I hope that what folks find interesting is the Mikasa story and not the comedy of errors about the price. Arnold F.

Hello Again: I think Aoi has a right and left hand problem as the site still show AS15041 @JPY 1,400,000 as of right now. Arnold F.

Hi Ray: Well some clerk probably got a talking to as the 8AM EST price when I logged on was 1,400,000 JPY starting. While they are hardly common that did seem to be a stretch. The price, of course, really is no part, one way or the other, as the unique qualities of all those Mikasa blades speak for themselves. Arnold F.

Hello: An interesting blade popped up on the Tsuruta Aoi site this morning, a tanto by Horii Hideaki incorporating some steel from the Battleship Mikasa, the flag vessel of Admiral Togo during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The auction starting price is ambitious in my opinion, but the blade is worthy of study as such blades represent something unique among the gendaito. Hideaki was "born" Horii Kanekichi, Meiji 19 (1886), Shiga Prefecture, and during his life he was to sign Kaneaki, Hideaki and Toshihide. In 1905 he studied with Horii Taneaki and in 1911 he became Taneaki's son-in-law and heir. In 1913 he was given the name Hideaki by the Token Hozon Kai (NTHK?) and he used that name until December, 1933 when the current Emperor Akihito was born, changing then in respect to Toshihide. In 1918 Hideaki had moved to the Nihon Seikosho Jo steel company forge, Muroran Tanrensho Zuiryu Kan. Hideaki was a skilled and respected smith, worked primarily in Bizen style, though Soshu works are seen. His choji-ba is considered very skillful, though he also worked in suguba and gonome. He was mukansa rated, a shinsa judge himself, and made many commissioned works, particularly a large number for the Navy, as well as gunsuito, the later being a very high honor. Many of the blades made for the Navy incorporated steel from the Mikasa, and as one would expect they tend to display some chikei as a result of that admixture. The Mikasa is Japan's most historic ship, it being a pre-dreadnaught, built by Vickers, and at that time as good as any British battleship. She was completed March 1, 1902, weighed 15,200 tons, was 414 feet in length and with a top speed of 18 knots (21 mph), and she had a crew of 753 officers and men. Her main guns were two turrets of two 40 cal. 12" pieces along with various side pieces. The guns themselves were made by the top British maker, Elswick Ordnance Co., and fired 850 lb. shells at 2,400 fps. She flew Togo's flag at the Battle of Port Arthur 8/9, February, 1904, the Battle of the Yellow Sea, 10 August, 1904, and at the devastation of the Russian Fleet at Tsushima, 27 May, 1905. It was during the Battle of the Yellow Sea that an aft turret starboard gun was hit twice and destroyed, and I believe it was that gun's steel that was used for the Mikasa blades. The plan to use that steel was that of the Suikosha, a Navy officers organization, and the blades were made at the Muroran forge. Hideaki accepted the task and incorporated small amounts of the Mikasa steel in otherwise traditionally made blades. He made 229 swords, some being special order, along with 973 dirks with the famous Z-flag phrase on the blade, and another group of 451 dirks. The work was done between January, 1928 and May, 1932. Most of the pieces were sold through the Suikosha, many going to Naval cadets. Given the Naval officer ownership of most of these blades and the almost total destruction of the Navy during WWII, Mikasa blades are more or less rare. The Z-flag phrase or motto refers to the signal flag hoisted aboard the Mikasa by Admiral Togo prior to the commencement of the Battle of Tsushima, it having been the signal of Nelson at Trafalgar: "England expects every man will do his duty", which for Togo was "kokoku no kobai konno issin ni ari". It is variously transliterated, but amounts to: "The fate of the Empire rests on the outcome of this battle. Let each man do his utmost". Chris Bowen knows far more than I do about Hideaki and the Mikasa blades, so perhaps he will pitch in on this topic. Arnold F.

Hello: I have a few naginata and yari that I would like mount on horizontal wall pegs and have been unsure whether the blade should point left or right. From photographs in Japanese publications I have seen them oriented both ways. We know that swords are pointed to the right on stands, the point being to make them slower to get into action if in the house of a host, if not one's own, but how would a yari or naginata be placed in one's own home? Arnold F.

Hello: It appears to be a Heianjo-zogan, perhaps thick enough to be Early Edo rather than Muromachi. It is a pity that so much zogan is missing as it is a wild flight of fancy. The standard distinction between Onin, which trace at least to the early 15th Cent., and Heianjo, which tends to be derivative and later, is that the brass elements are not pre-cast as with Onin and then placed in reservoirs sympathetic to good placement, but the excavations come first and the brass is then cut to fit sometimes leaving evidence of adjustment. The more brass left the more highly prized the example. I would guess (!) that the maker did not undercut the reservoirs sufficiently enough to get a lasting fits. The lost pieces could also come from rust and poor care over the years. All that being said it is a nice tsuba and sort of unusual. Arnold F.

Hello: Lots of opinions (!), but to squeeze in another point of view I believe this interesting sword is evidence of the fact that the NBTHK gives substantial weight to the historical importance of pieces they examine and particularly those of the Juyo designation. Signed and dated ubu early Nanbokucho blades are rare to very rare, the smith is uncommon and in a good lineage and if we can assume it was damaged (like a boxer's nose that is broken is "damaged") during koto times in particular, than I would view the cut marks as more a badge of honor that a killer demerit. It is likely that the sword has lasted many years since the kizu and survived many opportunities to be shortened, at which time the mei and date could have been incorporated as inlays into the new nakago. Further the sayagaki is done by Homma Kunzan one of the two important Japanese scholars who saved countless swords from destruction during the Occupation based on the argument that they were historical art objects and not just weapons of war. Arnold F.

Hello: Jean has given you the reference to NBTHK papers. Yours is Hozon level, and it was issued Heisei 19, August 21 (2007) and beyond that specific to the blade it says Late Seki and the length is 1.22 shaku. A shaku is 11.9303" or 30.3030 cm. It appears to be a typical blade of the period and a nice rig all things taken together. Arnold F.

Hello: I have been to the DTI a number of tines and have always found the dealers to be helpful and willing to show their goods and answer any questions within the linguistic limits at hand. The DTI experience is an eye opener for any collector and it does not have to be a wallet emptier. If you want to handle nice swords and tosogu you will surely get your fill. For those for whom a trip to Japan is not practical for the time being, and if you want to handle fine swords you can attend a show in the USA where the NBTHK, American Branch puts on, as they usually do, a "meibutsu" type display of outstanding and educational items. I know of at least one Juyo Bi which was available for hands on study, and other Juyo and swords with lower designations, but always worthy of study, are there to be seen and handled. My admiration for the generous owners of such treasures who allow their blades to be handled by anyone in line from senior collector to the most junior novice is very substantial. Gimlet-eyed observers are always near by to minimize the risk of damage or injury, and all such sessions I have observed went well. I do not know if there will be a study session in Tampa this year, but Tampa and San Francisco, and perhaps Chicago, are usually on the schedule. Arnold F.

Hello: If you have a raised rust spot on a blade that is otherwise polished get a British penny made not later than 1970 and use the edge to scrape off the rust. Those pennies made between 1797-1859 are 100% copper, 1860-1922 are 95%, 1925-1954 are 95.5%, and thereafter until 1971 they are 97%. The remainder parts of the coins are tin and zinc. They can be had at most coin shops and shows and can cost as little as 25 cents. They will not, in my experience, show any damage to the polished area outside the rust spot. First prove this to yourself by experimenting on a junk blade!!! To add safety restrict yourself to the rust spot and not beyond. If anyone can't find one, if you are at the Tampa show just ask, and I'll have a few and won't even charge you 25 cents. Arnold F.

Hello: What sad news! Michael's depth of knowledge, extremely retentive memory, scholarly output, and always his cordial and friendly personality and willingness to share his knowledge at length will not be easily or soon replaced. Arnold F.

Hello: If you will hit on Michael's reference above you will find other posts, which strangely are not on this string. Anyway my main point was that the mei doesn't look terrible, but the yasurime are not typical for that very highly regarded shinshinto smith. Yasurime should be a starting point as only rarely would a smith vary that much, certainly not as much as that of the example. Arnold F.

Hello: The "experts" are those who are paid to do shinsa, and sometimes they make errors. That being said, to my amateur eye it looks suspicious. Higo Dotanuki Munehiro is a considerable smith, working in the early 19th Cent. and much appreciated by working samurai for his excellent and good cutting blades done in a rather Bizen style. I have owned several and the mei comes in both a small scale size and a larger size, such as the one in consideration. My "suspicion" is based on the deeply slanting yasurime which is uncharacteristic. Yasurime is easy to ignore or brush away in nakago study, but it is the first thing that should be in conformity. $1,000 USD would be a "steal" if the blade is correct. However $1,000 does not have much downside risk so buying and holding for a shinsa would not be crazy as the upside is substantial even given the cost of restoration. Arnold F.

We are all familiar with existing NBTHK criteria followed in awarding papers from the level of Hozon to Tokubetsu Juyo. The most recent changes of May 19, 2015 can be found on Danny Massey's site, nihontocraft.com, they being amendments to those Danny published in 2006. The Pacific War ended September, 1945, and shortly thereafter the resumption of sword making in Japan was to introduce a new rationale for sword making, namely the "art sword" and a series of shinsakuto smiths and products, often of very high technical and aesthetic accomplishment. It seems to me that the criteria for papers awarded in the past have been primarily linked to the sword as a battle weapon, particularly through taking into consideration the demerits, when present as kizu, which would compromise the blade's functional abilities to a greater or lesser extent. We also know that the NBTHK does not award papers to a blade having been made by as till living smith. Well, things are changing. It has been 70 years since the war's end and the proportion of postwar blades to the total stock is inexorably rising, and for those shinsakuto blades, ignoring the issue of living or dead maker, do you believe criteria should change, and if so, why and in what way? What recursive impact might new critera have on current criteria for pre-shinsakuto blades and the market for blades of each era? At the moment few papers are awarded to postwar made blades, but I would guess that because of market forces and collector interest, that will change, Criteria of course could be left unchanged, but if so that would introduce a bias that would tend to favor the new and more pristine products of the postwar world. Arnold F.

Hello: I think the essence of the question posed is directed more to the functional purpose of the blade than the arbitrary distinction between katana and wakizashi. The 60 cm rule for designation as a katana is an artifact of the modern legal need to draw the line somewhere, and while Guido is technically correct,the missing 0.31 cm would hardly disqualify it for use as the longer of two blades if a samurai were carrying such a blade as part of a daisho. Arnold F.

Hello: Paul's comments are wise indeed. Looking at what can be seen and what is known, my guess would be that it might be worth a shot, however, just thinking interms of probabilities, any blade Tanobe sensei does a sayagaki for has probably (>50:50) run that gauntlet before, though that alone hasn't discouraged some folks from taking another shot. Standards, opinions and who is on the panel all matter, and those things change too. Good luck. Arnold F.

Hello: Well the koshirae is valuable, though probably only a minor fraction. What caught my eye was the Showa 26 registration date and the reputed connection between the ho-ho bird decoration and the Imperial Court. A very nice rig overall. If the blade and koshirae go back to pre-war times together, then the family seeking registration probably had some real status. Arnold F.

Hello: The Museum, with the somewhat misleading name of the "Fittings Museum", an unfortunate victim of the last "great recession" in Japan, had three papers: 1. Bunka Shiryoo, "Cultural Item", which I believe was the equivalent of Hozon; 2. Tokubetsu Shiryoo, "Worthy Cultural Item; and 3.Yushu Bunka-zai, "Important Cultural Item". The Museum itself was wonderful, tucked away near the once location of the old Sugamo Prison in Tokyo, the displays outstanding and staff extremely helpful. I considered the papers similar to Hozon, Tokubetsu Hozon, Juyo (NBTHK), or the NTHK's Yushu. They should be value adding for any piece. Some of the former holdings were sold abroad and were nicely received. The reach of the collection went well beyond "fittings". Arnold F.

Would the person from Olympia who tried to reach me by PM please try again. Arnold F.

Hello: Granted Brian. What prompted the post was hardly whether one or two pieces, but to point out that they are a type of kagami-shi and will paper, and the type has been published in Japan as well. The one on the right seems to be in poorer condition, and they usually have a nice patina of not over handled. Arnold F.

Hello: Unless I am seeing things, they appear to be flip sides of the same tsuba. They are indeed cast, but as they should be as they appear to be Edo era kagami-shi examples. While they, or it, might not be in top condition, they will paper through the NBTHK IMHO, as I've seen such paper in the past, and owned at least one such. Arnold F.

Hello: The card, a "torokusho" does give the place where registered and most important, the date of registration. Those indicating Showa 26, 1951, and probably of somewhat lesser significance, Showa 27, might, and might is the operative word, indicate that the blade was from an important collection or institution, called in for the first year(s) of post war registration when Japan was regaining her sovereignty. Ordinary blades/owners also might have access to the system then as well, so one's enthusiasm must be held in check. The topic has been discussed on the Board before. Arnold F.

Hello Jean et al: Well it might be interesting to debate the issue of the most important determinant of being on the right kantei track, that is which step is first and most critical, jigane/jihada, or yakiba. I do not know but I notice that in going through a published physical description of a blade, both the NBTHK and the NTHK (Yoshikawa faction) treat the former first. I subscribe to the NTHK journal, translated in part by Gordon Robson, and in the text again and again the importance of the jigane/jihada is emphasized as paramount. There might be an inclination for many collectors towards hamon because that is so easy to see, even on a blade in poor polish, whereas getting a real fix on kitae features is harder. When it comes to Ko Bizen, their early date and experimental and off hand approach might not make them the best model to draw inferences from IMHO. Arnold F.

Hello: I was wondering Mihara; were you Jean? Arnold F.