oli

Another example of his signature: https://www.nihontocraft.com/Takahashi_Naganobu.htm Also a very nice blade.

Here is an example of a Chikushi Ryokai Tanto for comparison: https://eirakudo.shop/971446 , but i think the best would be to send it to a Shinsa for new Papers.

Maybe 2 smiths? NAGANOBU (永信), Keiō (慶応, 1865-1868), Izumo – “Naganobu” (永信), real name Takahashi Rihei (高橋利平), it is suspicious that is listed with the homonymic smith and first nam as Takahashi Naganobu who wrote his smith name with the characters (長信) and his first name Rihei with the characters (理兵衛), so maybe this is a double-entry NAGANOBU (長信), Tenpō (天保, 1830-1844), Izumo – “Unshū-jū Fuyuhiro (雲州住冬広), “Unshū Takahashi Naganobu” (雲州高橋長信), “Unshū-han Fujiwara Naganobu” (雲州藩藤原長信), “Un´yō-shi Takahashi Rōshi Fujiwara Naganobu” (雲州藩藤原長信聾司藤原長信), “Tōto ni oite Unshū-jū Takahashi Rihei Fuyuhiro Naganobu” (於東都雲州住高橋理兵衛冬広長信), “Edo Kōjimachi ni oite Unshū-han Takahashi Naganobu kore o saku” (於江都麹街雲州藩高橋長信作之, “made by Takahashi Nahanobu from the Unshū fief [= Matsue fief] in Edo´s Kōjimachi”), “Chōshinsai Fuyuhiro” (長信斎冬広), real name Takahashi Rihei (高橋理兵衛). He had studied under the 4th generation of the Izumo-based Fuyuhiro lineage (冬広) and was eventually adopted into the family whereupon he succeeded as 5th generation Izumo Fuyuhiro, the 17th generation after Wakasa Fuyuhiro (若狭冬広) who was the founder of the Fuyuhiro line. He used the gō Rōshi (聾司) and Chōshinsai (長信斎). By the way, the former gō means literally “the deaf officer. ” In the first year of Tenpō (天保, 1830) he went to Edo to study under Tsunatoshi and made his smith name Naganobu out of the first two characters of his pseudonym Chōshinsai (Naganobu is the Japanese reading of the characters Chōshin). At that time he lived in the Sannō district (山王) of Edo. Later he was hired by the Matsue fief (松江藩) of Izumo province which he signed using the colloquial name “Unshū fief” (雲州藩). With this employment he moved to the Edo residence of the fief which was located in Hirakawa (平河) in the Kōjimachi district – 743 –(麹町). However, in Genji one (元治, 1864) the fief ordered him back to Izumo because of the bakufu campaign against the Chōshū fief where he died on the 20th day of the fifth month of Meiji two (明治, 1869) at the age of 64. His workmanship is similar to Tsunatoshi’s. His blades show a magnificent sugata but he also made smaller blades with western-style refined steels. Most of his works are in the Bizen tradition. The jigane looks soft, the jihada is muji but tends sometimes to masame, and the hamon is a somewhat slanting ko-chōji-midare with hard and dark spots along the yakigashira. But he also applied a suguha or tōran-midare. Because of the gyaku-sujikai yasurime it is assumed that Takahashi Nakanobu was left-handed. Sometimes he signed in kaisho block script (楷書) on the omote and in gyōsho cursive script (行書) on the ura side, but in later years he also signed both sides in cursive or rather grass script. There is the urban legend going round that one of his blades cut through the barrel of a machine gun during World War II. jō-saku nice blades btw!

weekend bump 1400 Euro (including shipping inside EU)

more

more

more

Hi, for sale is a Mumei Koto Tanto. On the Sayagaki it written Taira Nagamori/平長盛. The old NBTHK Papers attributed to Chikushi Ryokai, translation from the board: Certificate for a kicho token issued on April 20, 1975. 短刀　無銘（筑紫了戒） - Tanto, mumei (attributed to Chikushi Ryokai) 長六寸九分 – Length, 6-sun 9-bu It is very thin and nagasa is about 21cm. Price 700 Euro (including shipping inside EU) For any questions or offer contact me via pm Regards Oli

and i recognise Leen!

more

more pictures

Hi, for sale is this small nice Tanto from Yoshichika: YOSHICHIKA (良近), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Tōkyō – “Minamoto Yoshichika” (源良近), “Minamoto Yoshichika no saku” (源良近之作), “Minamoto Yoshichika kore o kitae” (源良近鍛之), real name Mori Hisasuke (森久助), his blades were famous for their supreme sharpness, he also made so-called sunobe-tō (素延べ刀), non-traditional swords of modern steel which were forged from one block of steel, his blades were tested by the famous sword tester Nakayama Hakudō (中山博道, 1873-1958) and marked with a special stamp which reads “Hakudō tameshigiri-shō” (博道試切証, lit. “Hakudō tameshigiri test seal”) (see detail right), but we don´t know how these blades were tested, it is assumed that the imperial guards ordered about 500 swords from Yoshichika, chū-saku Nagasa is about 19cm and it comes in Shirasaya and old NBTHK papers. It is in perfect condition. Price: 1500 Euro and its located in Germany. Please contact me via PM if you have any questions and also i am open for offers. Regards Oli

Here is an example of Nobotaka Katana: https://eirakudo.shop/182980 Also there is a picture of a Nobotaka Katana in the Book Keicho Shinto from Markus Sesko

Hi Jussi, you have a nice blade and thanks for the work for this kantei. Keicho Shinto is a nice period, i saw some very nice blade with impressive Sugata. Nobutaka is counted as one of the Owari Sansaku (尾張三作), the “Three Owari Masters.” (Keicho-Shinto from Markus Sesko) thanks Oli

Nice blade i like the sugata

here is a rare example of Akihide , which Nakayama Hakudo testet : https://katanahanbai.com/en/katana/kurihara-akihide-2/

here is a nice articel about this topic:

From Seskos book: SADAHIDE (貞秀), Ansei (安政, 1854-1860), Settsu – “Settsu no Kuni Sadahide” (摂津国貞秀), “Sesshū Amagasaki-jū Sugimoto Hironoshin Sadahide” (摂州尼ケ崎杉本広之進貞秀), real name Sugimoto Hironoshin (椙本広之進), he also signed the character for “Sugi” (椙) in the variant (杉), he used the gō Unsenshi (雲仙子) and it is said that he was the son of a certain Kido Yoshizō Unsen (城戸吉蔵雲仙), he came originally from Dewa province where he signed according to tradition with “Ushū Kidō Sadahide” (羽州城戸貞秀), later he moved to Kyōto and became a student of Gassan Sadayoshi (月山貞吉) in Ōsaka, he worked mostly in the style of his master, chūjō-saku would be interesting to have the full translation of the signature

Hi Erik, yes it looks like a real Tanto, but it's in a bad condition to say more. As it is unsigned is also hard to say if a restoration makes sense. Be aware a complete polish and restoration isn't cheap. My guess would be shinshinto period, Regards Oli

the Kondo Isami swords in the book are: Sukeyoshi, Hidekuni, sorry not more

hi, in the book: Japanese Swords and Armor: Masterpieces from Thirty of Japan's Most Famous Samurai Warriors from Paul Martin are some pictures, and yes Hidekuni is the late name of Motooki, regards Oli

As far as i know only his Bokuto survived. But i can ask somebody from his school.

from Markus Sesko's book: KANESAKI (兼先), 9th gen., Bunsei (文政, 1818-1830), Inaba – “Inshū-jū Kanesaki” (因州住兼先), “Inaba Fujiwara Kanesaki saku” (因幡藤原兼先作), “Myōichi Fujiwara Kanesaki” (妙一藤原兼先), “Myōichi Hōsetsu Nyūdō Kanesaki” (妙一峯雪入道兼先), real name Heki Yasaburō (日置矢三郎), student of Minryūshi Toshizane

Hi, i also don´t found much information about the smith. I also was interested in this sword. The only connection to Osaka, i can image could be the Smith Gassan Sadayoshi. The Yoshi Kanji is the same, and Sadayoshi also worked in Bizenden. Maybe ask Matsumoto Touken, maybe in Japanese Publications are maybe more information. And nice sword, congratulations, Regards Oli

Hi, nice, looking forward to. Did it also come in Amazon Kindle shop? thanks Oli