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Help With Norimitsu Tanto


johngdo

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Hello,

 

I was just hoping to get some thoughts on this Tanto from some of you guys. It's not in great shape, but the sugata had me thinking it may be Kamakura period Osafune.

 

The price was right, so I picked it up... What would your overall impression be? Especially thoughts on Mei if you are able to give any.

 

https://imgur.com/gallery/YJCI2IU

 

Thank you for your thoughts,

John

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My kantei skills are limited to polished swords as I need the details to even get somewhat close (meaning no where close), so like Barry suggested a window may help you in your quest.

 

Any major Bizen name (Masamitsu, Katsumitsu, here Norimitsu) has a lot of info to draw on. I did my basic scan (Sesko Koto, Koto Fujishiro, online) tonight and I cannot find one example that signs with the 2 kanji mei. The big guys all had full mei or on top of that added the "something-zaemon" as well. The later Muromachi school swords often had the 2 kanji mei done. Good luck!

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Jeremiah, Look again at Fujishiro pg. 272.  And according to my translation (AFU), some of the other Norimitsu's apparently signed niji-mei, too; there just aren't any examples shown. 

Dave,

I exempted that one example as it does not fit the other 25 or so I had found. Maybe some other Norimitsu's signed this way, but which one or ones? Later era? Want to add to the conversation? Weigh in. 

 

The original poster asked if it fit an early era, and I have no idea, my skills are not that good. Just going by mei work here.

 

Picture examples from that page and a close up of the 2 kanji mei. 

post-4009-0-80626000-1541295091_thumb.jpg

post-4009-0-23519500-1541295108_thumb.jpg

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John, I suggest that you start with Markus Sesko's excellent treatise on tanto sugata (https://markussesko.wordpress.com/2015/04/13/kantei-1-sugata-7/). Then take a look at Robert Cole's site (http://www.sho-shin.com/kozori5.htm), & then check out your blade's sugata against Aoi's posting (https://www.aoijapan.net/tanto-bishu-osafune-norimitsu/).

 

There were also several centuries of Norimitsu tosho, so feel free to browse through Nihonto Club's posts (https://nihontoclub.com/search/node/Norimitsu). Sesko's "Swordsmiths A to Z" has almost two full pages of them, starting on page 828.

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That is pretty harsh, even though it’s a likely scenario. Gotta have a good window to know for sure, I would think. Would the window be done on the tip, then you get a decent stabbing weapon out of the window cost, but then again Stephen is probably right and no reason to give away money

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