Jim P

Brian 3 more pics

The Koshirae maker was a master to get this to work http://www.nipponto.co.jp/swords3/KT322999.htm

Hi Guys, As this blade is signed katana mei I am looking at Aoe as a possible school are the smiths of the Aoe Moritsugu group known for signing in this way ?

Thanks guys, I don’t think I would have worked this one out in a hurry. Is this way of signing Moritsugu common ? as now I am trying to narrow it down. Thanks,

Hi Guys, Can I please get your thoughts on this mei its on a old katana. I thought it was a strange kuni. But a friend thought it was a strange Kane he also thought the next kanji look like Tsugu. Thanks

HI Justin, Well done nice balanced look. I would like to see it in hand when you come home one day

Hi Grey, Having it in hand my thoughts were old but you have got me wondering I thought late 1500's it looks very over polished and the shape messed with but I am still leaning to late 1500's but it’s still only a low end tanto so I will be selling it as such so for just a bit over $1000 I think its ok. I think it may not have been trying for a important smith as there are a lot of Kuniyoshi's its always good to get some thoughts from others as I wanted to give the best info I could put together some more photos it looks like there was something on the other side ?

Hi Koichi san,Thank you so much for your help I did not see uji 氏

Hi Guido, Are you saying you don’t think its Kuniyoshi ? I know it’s hard to see the mei but that was my guess, Also guys thoughts on age I was thinking mid to late 1500’s Thanks

Hi Guys, Over the next few weeks I will be listing some stuff in the for sale section for a friend so will be trying to put some info together on the items. I have the first kanji but am not 100% on second ? Kane ? Thanks

Hi Guys, Over the next few weeks I will be listing some stuff in the for sale section for a friend so will be trying to put some info together on the items the first is a tanto it has a faint mei and looks like Kuniyoshi but there are a lot of Kuniyoshi so which one ? Thanks

Hi Peter,If its OK what do the Juyo papers say ?

Hi Jamie, Its one of the better Soshu swords to come up lately and as we were speaking of Soshu last week it’s a good reminder. Dirk, I can see the difference but as I know little about Hon'ami papers cannot comment Brian, I also wonder where it will end up? we will see how much the past plays a part

Hi Jean, I did not know that the font was unreadable the way I have set up the background for the site its fine for me but forgot it maybe different for others but presto ! for you Arial

Some Soshu for the masses, the Naoe shizu that was a Masamune well the Honami thought so in the late1950's http://www.aoijapan.com/katana-mumeiunsigned-attributed-as-naoe-shizu

Hi Garry, Why not get Cameron to make you one his work is excellent and you will know it s done properly http://jigokustudios.com.au/about/

Hi john , IMHO, Robert has got it right just enjoy it for what it is, It has some ? marks and sending it to Japan for polish may make them worse the opan layer (ware) on the mune that runs in to the Nakago is just one of the ? marks and I also dont think its Soshu but Bizen,late koto (1500s) are good possibilities. The only way you are going to get some informed info is to send it in for shinsa and no disrespect to your friends you need outside help before you start to spend $ on it.

Hi Roger, Would you know if it was only the main line that had later Hizen School copy's of the earlier work or was the Waki-Hizen smiths eg,Tadakuni have the same problem ?

Hi Roger, A big thank you ! It's not often we have post's of this caliber on Hizento

Rodriguez,look at http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/17736-omura-kaboku-surgeon-sword-smith-ronin-eccentric/?hl=komonjo&do=findComment&comment=183120 Marius, is right, Do you own the blade ? If not you can do better if you do own it enjoy it for what it is. As to putting $ in to it ? It will not be a good project, that's my guess, hope that helps

Hi Henk-Jan, Do you know the seller ? Stephen, Yes I remember blue frost http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/14612-sukehira-translation-help-please/?hl=%2Bblue+%2Bfrost&do=findComment&comment=153318

Hi Paul, Yes I also think its another form of nioi but I am wondering why when the utsuri is well defined as in some of the examples and you can see the shape why its not say a bo-utsuri or midare I think maybe its how dense it is that give it the designation of type ? not just that its random

Hi Paul, is shirrake utsuri a fine form of nioi? Mark, most of the time fuzzy whitish utsuri seems to be the norm but sometimes it can be be more clearer like the example of Darcy’s have a look at http://www.aoijapan.com/katana-mumei-ko-mihara-2 if I am not mistaken that's the utsuri in the photo and its clearly visible and one more, he describes it as a vivid utsuri http://www.nihontocraft.com/KoMihara.htm I have seen a few that look clear and well-defined so are they still viewed as Shirake-Utsuri ? and I wonder if its a ko mihara is it always defined as Shirake-Utsuri as that's the norm ? Ken, You have lost me (were "improvements" on older blades,) ? What improvements are you speaking of as the quality went down after ko mihara ?

Hi All, I am doing some research on Utsuri on Ko-Mihara blades, most examples I have seen all had Shirake-Utsuri in the descriptions.The site http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/utsuri.html described it like a thin cloud but say its hard to distinguish the shape ? or a fuzzy whitish utsuri from http://www.nihontocraft.com/Mihara_Nihonto.html. Can some of you remember if the Ko-Mihara blades you looked at had Utsuri and if so what type ? having a quick look, the only other examples I was able to find was from Darcy’s http://www.nihonto.ca/ko-mihara/index.html ( This sword carries a clear nioi utsuri in the lower section of the blade that begins as bo-utsuri and becomes faint midare-utsuri before fading from view in the mid-section) but I seem to remember there was more clear examples like Darcy’s ? thanks

Hi,I also found only the 3rd gen, in Hawley's that has that mei it gives 1661 but Markus1673-1681 is more in line with the sugata