What is this "smokestack"spray of ko-nie feature?

[Ron STL]

Looking in Nihonto Zuikan Kotohen under Tametsugu and Bitchu in general, I came across these two examples with this rather unique "smokestack" characteristic shown. Tametsugu and Nagatsugu. I would dearly love to know what the descriptions say about the steel and hamon for these two smiths. Help somebody who can read Japanese! Thank you, thank you!

Ron STL

[paulb]

A feature of later Aoe work is described as dan-utsuri (ladder or layered utsuri). I wonder if this is what the oshigata here is showing.

I have seen similar perpendicular lines of ko-nie illustrated on Awataguchi blades by Kunitomo and Norikuni but they were smaller and less prolific.

[Ron STL]

Thanks Paul. Maybe this as you suggested, dan utsuri, but looking at the kanji I can't see the kanji for dan utsuri (or any utsuri) in the text. In Gordon Robson's Glossery of Terms he describes dan utsuri as "...distinctive bands moving up the length of the blade." So I guess that could be describing what's on these oshigata. I'm not positive that the utsuri described rises vertically from the tops of the gunome/togariba or if it is layered horizontally above the hamon as one would expect to see utsuri do. Gordon mentions Bizen Kanemitsu and also Aoe works showing dan utsuri. Another person mentioned dan utsuri being found on Nio works.

 

Maybe we'll get a full reading of the descriptions on these oshigata to see if anything is mentioned about this, so prominently shown on the oshigata. I'm studying a sword right now that has what looks to be this same (similar) thing on it. I'll look again at it, but on the sword it appears formed by a ko-nie rising into the ji from a few gunome or togari. (The hamon displays gunome, some more pointed.)

 

It would be nice to get a better understanding of what we are looking at.

 

Ron STL

[cabowen]

There is nothing specifically addressing this feature in the description of the first blade. The second mentions yo at the peaks of the hamon.

[Ron STL]

Thanks Chris. I can see this being called yo on the second oshigata, now that you mentioned it. Too bad the first example does not mention it at all. I just searched "What is dan utsuri" and found this on the Usagiyu sword shop (Tokyo) site and found the attached drawing. Just something to consider.

Ron STL