Yasukuni Shrine Sword

[huntershooter]

There is a Yasu Oki blade/gunto on ebay if anyone is looking for one.

Looks to have a few problems (chips in ha).

[Brian]

Link?

[Stephen]

lets wait untill after sunday LOLLOLO

 

[huntershooter]

Apologies Stephen. I will wait 'til after Sun.

Seven day auction, seller doesn't know what he has. Bidding started at .99.

[Stephen]

go ahead, its all good if mine is ment to be sold it will, always good to point out a possible good blade . so link away my friend.

[Stephen]

Todd sent me link in PM

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... otohosting

 

the pitting in the ha and kissaki is a bit worrisome, let our local togis have the say on repair.

[Henry Wilson]

It looks knackered. I am sure you have all seen this:

 

http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/katana/08162.html

[Brian]

Beautiful sword Henry. Any progress on your own Yasukuni collection?

I agree the one on the auction is very distressed. That pitting is significant and it is going to be an expensive restoration. I doubt you will be able to remove all of the pitting from the kissaki. Bet it goes over $1750 anyways, due to the frenzy over Yasukuni blades. Justified or not, trends do set the prices in a crazy way.

 

Brian

[Henry Wilson]

Hi Brian

 

My Yasukuni collection has not grown at all. Just the one is enough for me. I am starting to get some tosogu together and hopefully get a koshirae made for it sometime when the time is right.

 

So far I am considering this tsuba and a fuchi that I can not photo well. I am hoping to get something made like the koshirae 29 (二ä¹) in the book "Uchigatana Koshirae" of the Tokyo National museum

[Kajihei]

...due to the frenzy over Yasukuni blades.

 

Hi All,

 

I am puzzled as to why the frenzy over Yasukuni blades. The Yasukuni Shrine, to the Japanese, represents many ambivalences. War-time excesses (i.e., ultra nationalism) vs. tradition, for example. And there were many other swordsmiths who expended their energy on preserving and reviving the traditional swordmaking without involving themselves in the State Shinto like the Yasukuni smiths. The Yasukuni blades are celebrated for their mystique, no doubt, but I believe they are over rated.

 

My two yen's worth.

 

Kaji

[huntershooter]

Perhaps Kaji.

Speaking only for myself; The availability of fairly exhaustive English language references (book, etc.) makes it simple for me to learn a little of what I'd like regarding these swords/school. Although I have a decent Nihon-to library, I'm finding it increasingly frustrating not being able to read Japanese. That coupled with the fact that the closest human with any interest in Nihon-to is hundreds of miles distant. My only contact with fellow enthusiasts is via email or phone. My occupation precludes attending sword shows. I've never been to one.

The book "Yasukuni Swords" made my quest for knowledge easy. The book came first, then I had to own a Yasukuni blade.

I'm obtaining a Kurihara Akihide blade that's pretty wonderful-but, there is no literature available in which I can gain a deeper understanding of this man and his contributions.

Not easy being a gaijin with an interest in this field.

[Henry Wilson]

Todd puts it quite well and I agree with Kaji as there is a lot of mystique around the Yasukuni blade and I am reluctant to repeat what has already been said before. However saying that what I find appealing is that they are probably the last true school / Den of sword in the long history of nihonto. Also they are probably the last swords that will ever be forged for war and the only such swords made for combat that were produced since koto times as the Edo period was a relatively peaceful time.

 

The good Yasukuni swords emulate quite well the classic Bizen Kagemitsu / Nagamitsu style of sword and they are generally quite "meaty" and healthy gendaito (as opposed to tired and worn as koto swords can be). Put this altogether, and other toughts I quite like them.