Catching Up With Change

[seattle1]

Hi:

I am a member of the NTHK branch which is under the direction of Yoshikawa Eichi. It issues a periodical titled Token to Rekishi, as does the NPO branch of the NTHK. A most valuable part of each issue is the report of a kantei session, held periodically by the NTHK and led by Sano Masao and very ably translated by Gordon Robson. The theme is to show a nicely done oshigata and describe the visual information the contestants have seen. The judge then reveals who the smith was and critiques the submissions of the participants.

In Issue 715, Heisei 26 (2014) 10, I saw for the first time, a shinsakuto blade used in the contest. It was a shobu-zukuri wakizashi with elaborate horimono, a Kiyomaro utsushi which, when its identity was revealed, turned out to have been made by Chikushu Sanno ju So Tsutomu, dated Heisei 5 (1993). Kantei are always humbling affairs that tax both memory and knowledge, and new complications came in with that sword. The participants, the number unknown to me, are a group of regulars and some novice collectors, but as a whole they usually do a great job with either right on judgments or close calls. This time one person only thought it to be by another shinsakuto smith, and almost everyone else went for Nobuhide or Kiyondo and no one newer than shinshinto.

This is the first time I have seen a new blade used for kantei and it certainly shows a catching up of sorts. I wonder if anyone else has similar examples?

Arnold F.

 

 

 

[Ken-Hawaii]

Arnold, I'd love to see some photos, if they are available.

 

Thanks!

Ken

 

[Brian]

Sneaky and yet inevitable.

Societies are going to have to start accommodating for this possibility. Kodogu might be even more tricky.

 

Brian

[Curran]

I think the first time someone slipped a shinsakuto into a kodogu kantei session I attended was about 13 years ago.

 

With some kinko works, it can be very difficult. I believe the current (Jan 2014?->) incarnation of the NBTHK kodogu team is being overly cautious bouncing anything they aren't 99% sure.

With iron, shinsakuto are much more apparent.

 

These are just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.