Hamon That Runs Into The Shinogi

[FletchSan]

Hi All,

 

I'm researching a new acquisition. The hamon of this sword is gunome though it runs and flattens against the shinogi in some places.

Is there a particular name given to a hamon to describe this when doing kantei or is it just considered o gunome-midare ?

 

I've scanned part of the blade which doesn't show a lot of detail of the sword though illustrates the pattern of the hamon quite nicely.

 

thanks,

 

Ben

[FletchSan]

A few close ups of where the hamon and shinogi meet.

[Ken-Hawaii]

I have two blades where the hamon goes into the shinogi-ji, but yours is interesting because the hamon is so abruptly cut off. I'm guessing that a polisher made that decision, rather than the smith. Just plain gunome-midare, in my book.

 

Ken

 

[FletchSan]

Thanks Ken. That makes perfect sense that it was a polisher decision to keep the shinogi clear.

 

cheers,

 

Ben

[PNSSHOGUN]

Interesting hamon indeed, was this a mid shinto era blade?

[FletchSan]

I think muromachi - Fuyuhiro

[Bugyotsuji]

Just had a chat and was assured that the normal phrase is that the Hamon is 'Shinogi ni Kakaru' (kakatte-iru, etc.).

[Ken-Hawaii]

Doesn't 'kakaru' mean 'attack,' Piers? Attacking the shinogi? Or is that a literal translation?

 

Ken

 

[Bugyotsuji]

There are different Kanji for for the same sound Kakaru depending on meaning, Ken.

 

EG "Kakarinasai", Shigoto ni kakaru means 'Get to work, or start!"

 

In the shinogi case, I am sensing hikkakaru, like something being caught on branches, reached or partly crossed over.

 

Need to check which kanji is which!

[Ken-Hawaii]

Never heard that term applied to a hamon or shinogi-ji, so I'll be interested to learn something new. 

 

Ken

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Just had a look in the dictionary and was shocked to see how many subtly different examples were given. "Catching on", or "caught across" the Shinogi...? The shadow of the earth could be 月面にかかっている "partly covering" the face of the moon.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Piers, can I assume that these flowery phrases aren't what we'd call normal terminology? Isn't there something simple, like, 'hamon polished off shinogi-ji'? Something that we might see again, & so want to add to our vocabulary?

 

Ken

 

[Bugyotsuji]

It's the word usually used when describing hamon that reach or cross over the shinogi line. Adjectivally used it would be a 'Shinogi ni kakatta' Hamon.

 

(The flowery phrases were just general illustrations of usage that I was trying to come up with for you!)

[FletchSan]

A few more images of the whole blade showing the entire hamon on both sides.

[Guido]

Piers is right, the correct term for a hamon that reaches up to, or almost up to the shinogi, is hagashira shinogi ni kakaru 刃頭鎬に懸かる.

[FletchSan]

Thanks Piers & Guido ! I couldn't find reference to this in any of my books. Would you consider it a Kantei term or just a way of describing it in Japanese?

[Guido]

Would you consider it a Kantei term or just a way of describing it in Japanese?

 

Both

[SAS]

I was under the impression that hamon reaching up near the shinogi was a shinto characteristic; harder steel into the body of the sword making for a less useful weapon when large battles were still occurring as in Muromachi times. . Am I in error?

[PNSSHOGUN]

I was under the impression that hamon reaching up near the shinogi was a shinto characteristic; harder steel into the body of the sword making for a less useful weapon when large battles were still occurring as in Muromachi times. . Am I in error?

Not at all, my first thoughts were it was a Shinto blade so it was quite interesting to hear it was attributed Muromachi. Do we have any further information about the blade or generation of smith, Ben?

[FletchSan]

Nothing other than it being attributed to Wakasa - Fuyuhiro. No generation is mentioned on the NBTHK papers.

Looks like there were only 4 generations, all Koto.

 

http://www.sho-shin.com/hoku.htm

[PNSSHOGUN]

A quick look at the examples of Fuyuhiro online it seems "hagashira shinogi ni kakaru" (thanks, Guido) or at least the hamon running very close to the shinogi, was a bit of a signature for one or more of the generations.

https://www.aoijapan.net/katana-orikaeshi-fumeiorikaeshi-mei-unknown-mumei/
http://www.sanmei.com/contents/en-us/p1510.html
http://new.uniquejapan.com/a-fuyuhiro-katana/

[SAS]

The nakago of the sword in the first link above confuses me; can someone help me out on why this would be done? On the sword in the 3rd link above, it is possible to see the hamon in the shinogiji; that is very interesting. Thanks for posting those links.

[eternal_newbie]

Steve - all I can think of is that the mei was either preserved, or fraudulently added to increase the value, when shortening the blade but the signature didn't convince the NBHTK - it would then have been removed in order to pass Hozon.