“Bizen Osafune Yamato No Daijo Sukesada”

[MAXBLISS888]

How does one determine the era of the katana since there are more then 60-70 of the similar names “Bizen Osafune sukesada?

 

Thanks for your great enlightenment.

[Jean]

Francis,

 

But how many with "Yamato no Daijo" in their mei?

 

Only one, 7th generation, 1711/1716 ...

[MAXBLISS888]

Dear Jean

 

Thanks for the insight!

 

Regards,

 

Francis

[Marius]

Francis,

 

I'd say, you might want to buy this:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/markus-sesko/e-swordsmiths-of-Japan/ebook/product-22166224.html

 

So convenient to look up a name in a PDF

[MAXBLISS888]

Dear Marius

 

Thanks!

 

Regards,

 

Francis

[Ken-Hawaii]

But those answers really didn't address the question Francis SHOULD have been asking: What does a person need to know to quickly determine the era of ANY Nihonto?

 

Francis, your studies should start with understanding how the shape of blades changed over the thousand years. Take a look at http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/sugata/shape.htmto see how blade shape can be used for an initial identification of jidai. There are many more parts to this puzzle, but this is a good place to start.

 

Ken

 

[MAXBLISS888]

Dear Ken

 

Thanks for the added direction.

 

regards,

 

Francis

[cisco-san]

great source too - http://nihontoclub.com/smiths/SUK910

[cisco-san]

Francis,

 

I'd say, you might want to buy this:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/markus-sesko/e-swordsmiths-of-Japan/ebook/product-22166224.html

 

So convenient to look up a name in a PDF

 

fully agree with Marius, this book is highly recommended:

 

SUKESADA (祐定), 7th gen., Shōtoku (正徳, 1711-1716), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni Osafune-jū kaji-seitō Yamato no Daijō Fujiwara Sukesada” (備前国長船住鍛冶正統大和大掾藤原祐定, “Yamato no Daijō Fujiwara Sukesada, legitimate mainlineage-smith of the Bizen Osafune school”), “Bizen no Kuni Yokoyama Shichinoshin Sukenobu” (備前国横山七之進祐信), “Bizen no Kuni Osafune-jū Yamato no Daijō Fujiwara Sukesada” (備前国長船住 大和大掾藤原祐定), “Yamato no Daijō Fujiwara Sukesada” (大和大掾藤原祐定), “Yamato no Daijō Fujiwara Sukesada saku Bizen no Kuni Osafune kaji-seitō” (大和大掾藤原祐定作備前国長船鍛冶正統), real name Yokoyama Shichinoshin (横山七之進), he signed first with Sukenobu (祐信), fifth son of Shichibei Sukesada who was the 5th gen. of this lineage, he was adopted by the 6th gen. Kōzuke no Daijō Sukesada as his successor and changed his first name later to Shichibei (七兵衛), signatures with the supplement Shichibei are found from the Genroku era (元禄, 1688-1704) onwards, he received the honorary title Yamato no Daijō in the sixth month of the sixth year of Shōtoku (1716), we know also date signatures from the Kyōhō era (享保, 1716-1736), strong ko-mokume, chū-suguha with tight nioiguchi, widely tempered ko-maru-bōshi, chūjō-saku

 

edit:typo

[jason_mazzy]

I believe he is having a sale if you order today

[MAXBLISS888]

Thanks!!

 

Regards