Translate & Opinion

[berdlezap]

Greetings, I and my son James have been seriously bitten and infected with Japanese Martial history and very enamored with the blades, smiths, styles, customs etc. My Daddy had a Kai Gunto bring back which he sold without my knowledge in the 60's while I was in the Army in Vietnam Republic of. (Go figure eh} I recently set out to replace it with a Katana for my son to inherit. I got bit with the bug and soon my son followed suit. Suffice to say one by one I have purchased 2 Type 3 & One Type 2. All signed and one I found in Sloughs book (Kinoshita} Yoshitada I will show second.

 

Any help with this first 22.5" blade Type 2 with Mitsutomoe Mon attached to end and surrender tag greatly appreciated. The Tsuka is 9.5" to the Tsuba. The Saya is 26.5" long. Little long for such a short blade. Both decidedly shorter than standard Gunto? Short Katana or long Wakizashi? It appears to be shortened? The thickness at the mune area is .230". Width of blade just above the Habaki is 1.039". If you can read the Nagana Sig who made it and opinion of his rank as a Gendaito/smith. The Nagana is cut straight just below where pic ends. This Katana is so pretty I like it just for that. I've only been at this about 5 months. Lots to learn yet.  

 

[Ray Singer]

The nakago, from what can be seen, looks koto and is signed 千手院 (Senjuin).

[berdlezap]

Thank you sir. Anything I can do to identify it further? The nakago is cut off at 90 degrees about 1/8" below where pic ends. 

[berdlezap]

Any info on this smith or links to 千手院 (Senjuin the smith who made?  So far all I've found is 3 references on Nohinto Club site.  One smith or a succession of?  This sword could be from the 1400's or Kamakura timeline? A translation of what is said on surrender ribbon? Sorry to be a pain. Trying to pin down who and when. Should these questions be in a different area than here? Thanks

 

Name	ID	Name (Kanji)	Gen	Province	Era	School	Teacher	H/TT/FS Rating	Ref	Cmt
Senhō	SEN28	正峯		Ishikawa	Shōwa (1926-1989)			8 / /
Senjuin	SEN12	千手院		Yamato	Teiō (1222-1224)			20 / /
Senjuin	SEN4	千手院	1st	Mino	Kyōtoku (1452-1455)			20 / /
Senjuin	SEN5	千手院	2nd	Mino	Chōkyō (1487-1489)			20 / 250 /
Sensui	SEN29	泉水		Yamato	Genryaku (1184-1185)	Senjuin		150 / /
Sensui	SEN31	泉水		Yamato	Jōgen (1207-1211)			125 / /

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Donnie,

Senjuin is the name of a group of sword smiths who worked beginning in the Kamakura era and are one of 5 divisions of Yamato swordsmithing, which is itself one of the 5 main traditions of sword making in Koto (old sword) times (pre 17th century).  If the signature on your sword is right (not a given as forgeries are common) it tells us that the sword is quite old.  The surrender tag most likely tells us nothing about the blade; rather it will be the name and/address of the person who surrendered the sword at the end of WWII.

Click on Sword Care & Cleaning at this link: https://nbthk-ab2.org/sword-characteristics/

to learn maintenance.

You may have more questions and if you'd like to ask them over the phone feel free to call.  Cheers,  Grey Doffin  218-726-0395 central time

[SteveM]

The surrender tag is an address and name of the person to whom the sword belonged.

西宮市下新田甲子園口一九四
安井重? maybe 重寅？

 

Nishinomiya shi, Shimo Shinden Kōshien-guchi 194
Yasui Shige-something (possibly Shigetora?)

 

Nishinomiya is a location in Kobe city. Kind of in-between Kobe and Osaka. If you flatten out the tag, the last character of the name might be a bit easier to read. 

 

The Senjuin Group from the fabulous Fred Weissberg

https://www.nihonto.com/yamato-senjuin/

[Jacques D.]

If nagasa is 22.5 inches it's a wakizashi. Shinogi zukuri wakizashi didn't exist during Kamakura era. Good pictures of the whole naked blade and of the whole nakago would be helpful.

[Nobody]

The name on the tag may be 

安井重男 - Yasui Shigeo.

[Jussi Ekholm]

As Jacques said above, could you post high quality pictures of both blade & nakago (full).

 

I have quite a few references for Yamato Senjuin, and I should also have some for the later offshoot Mino-Senjuin / Akasaka-Senjuin.

 

I feel it is interesting item worth looking into. The short length is throwing me off a bit.

[Rivkin]

Judging by dimensions this is mid-late Muromachi piece from Akasaka Senjuin school. 

 

[berdlezap]

Greetings and thank you all,

Went to see a local dealer, habaki maker to appraise the {GASSON} SADAKATSU Katana my girlfriend sold to my son James Green. Mainly for advice on proper polishers to send to, contacts and making a new Shirasaya. To bring her back to former Radiant Glory. My son can more afford to do the Very Best! Took this sword and my Yoshitada made one for what he thinks of them. You guys smacked the nail dead on the head. He to says it's a Muromachi era as you do. He believes it was assuredly in many battles receiving damage and thus possibly it's shortness. Alas, the Yoshitada one turned out to be just a standard blade and not San Mai. Pix you requested attached. Thanks again,   Donnie