Are There Any Prominent Sword Smiths Producing Authentic Style Nagamaki

[barnejp]

Hi Everyone,

 

Are there any prominent sword smiths producing authentic style Nagamaki?

 

Thank you,

Greg

[Ray Singer]

Naginata. http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/ns8.html

 

Swords will be considered naginata rather than nagamaki, unless they have nagamaki koshirae.

[barnejp]

Thanks Ray. Great link.

Is there any current well known sword smith producing naginata blades?

[barnejp]

Has anyone heard of a famous shop near Budokan in Tokyo producing hand crafted blades?

[seattle1]

Hello:

 I am reluctant to raise a demur with Ray who is so quick to reply to questions and so helpful with information, and while I was unable to fully open the reference he gave, I believe it is going too far to say that blades are designated nagamaki only with the presence of koshirae. I have a Juyo Token signed Bishu ju Suyetsugu, and dated Eiwa 4 (1378),a prime time for nagamaki, which has had its nakago much reduced but it is called "nagamaki", it being in shirasaya and with uchi-gatana koshirae. Its designation was in Showa 46 (1971). It bears no prominent hori though there is a residual of a hi running centrally. I have another strange sword a Kunimichi, making Tokubetsu Hozon in Heisei 26 (2014). It has a very straight blade without hori with a designation reading of naga-katana by the Japanese seller. Without the extremely long nakago it would be just a very straight wakizashi. That was a new one on me and the long nakago must have gone with a mounting like a nagamaki but they didn't call it that. Markus Sesko said in that context the kanji just meant a long sword though the length, it being ubu, is a little less that katana length, 22 1/2". Very strangely it has markings at the bottom of the nakago that Markus says refers probably to it being part of a job lot for Daimyo battle. Being make circa Kanei, 1624-44 fits exactly. The most extremely odd thing is that in a catalog of the collection of Suzuki Kajo san, late President of the NBTHK there is an identical sword - almost - with similar marks on the nakago but fully adorned with hori with a long notation that he ordered such a thing. The NBTHK called it a naginata, but there is virtually no sori in either blade.

 I think the point of all this is that the terms nagamaki and naginata are quite elastic, the use of which is not hidebound. It may be that in recent years the NBTHK has tried to put some strictness into the terms, and that I don't know.

 Arnold F.

[Jean]

I have heard that NBTHK issues now kanteisho only as naginata and not as nagamaki. I have not seen any recent NBTHK kanteisho naming nagamaki.

 

In the same way, a kodachi

[seattle1]

Hello:

 You may well be right Jean but if the NBTHK's strictures are for convenience it is a pity as in their blade form, and doubtless their use applications which differ from nagamaki, the shape of naginata tend to have a fair amount of sori whereas blades used as nagamaki tend to be more like swords in shape and without a great deal of curvature. These are just general inferences. One of the interesting cultural features of Japan is a different name for every difference in an object's for.

 Arnold F.

[Ray Singer]

Getting back to this a bit late, but my understanding (in terms of the most recent NBTHK policy) is as Jean mentioned. There have been a few past discussion threads here about this particular topic. I believe one that came to mind first was the thread below (and specifically it was Guido's comment #16 which had stuck in my memory).

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/3708-nagamaki-nagamaki-naoshi/

[Gakusee]

Meito, high papers, great provenance (daimyo + museum ex-ownership) and a beautiful sword in a great koshirae package.

 

https://yuhindo.com/imagawa-shizu-meito/

[Brian]

Where can you buy a top grade work of art that is unique with age and beauty like that for such a small amount?
A POS Banksy rubbish costs multitudes more. We are in such a deeply undervalued hobby here, and people should grab deals like this while they still can
.

[barnejp]

"We are in such a deeply undervalued hobby here, and people should grab deals like this while they still can"

 

Please elaborate...Members would like to know.

 

I have received several replies indicating that collectors are looking for only the most rare items now.

 

Thank you,

Greg