Comparison Of Similar Hada Styles Across Time

[Vermithrax16]

I was doing some file cleaning/arranging tonight and I got side tracked and made a comparison picture that is amazing (to me) and figured I would share it here.

 

Left: Yamato Hosho/Tegai (made ~1300-1360)

Right: Suifu Ju Katsumura Norikatsu (made in 1867)

 

Spectacular:

[Ken-Hawaii]

Not a bad utsushi at all, Jeremiah! I don't often see Shinshinto blades with hada that nice.

[Hoshi]

Abundance of Jie Nie is what sets them apart. Classic koto trait. I've yet to see a Shinshinto blade with that much Jie Nie. 

 

I think this is due to the difference in the iron sands used in the old days, before the tatara process was centralized, or blades started to be made with namban tetsu. Could also be a smith's capabilities, but I haven't seen it so far. Perhaps Kyomaro or Naotane could pull it off, I wouldn't know. 

[Surfson]

Not to mention masame hada in the shinogi ji in the shinshinto piece.  Hard to say in the Tegai blade.  

[Vermithrax16]

Chris H.,

The Shinshinto sword has a LOT of ji nie. Like cracked pepper all over the blade. I think what's different for the Koto sword is the nie itself seem .......thicker, more pronounced? Hard to explain but easy to see in hand.