Advice on a Yokoyama Kouzuke Daijo Fujiwara Sukesada katana

[Jamie321]

 

I had a question on a Bizen den smith - Yokohama Fujiwara Sukesada - the below image is of a katana with his signature.  I understood that the smith was known to produce choji gunome midare hamon and wondered whether its normal to see examples with sugahadeki?  I also believe there are lots of fake or copied blades of this smith.  Does any one have any views on the smith and the quality of the blades?

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

 

[NewB]

Hello

 

The blade you've posted is probably from the Aoi Art Museum. They are experts in the field and they are very straight forward (with very few exceptions). If the blade is signed and papered then you have no worries. If not, they usually say - we don't guarantee or they say - we believe it will pass hozon paper. So be it as it may - yes, there are gunome midare blades and there are suguha blades (consider that Sukesada swordsmiths have gazillion generations). 

The period when the blade was made along with all the other characteristics usually help immensely to have a thorough answer. One picture doesn't help much but that's what i think in the nutshell. Others will probably chime in also.

 

Cheers

 

J.

[Bugyotsuji]

Kōzuke Daijō was a kind of genius, creating many variations, suguha certainly among them.

[David Flynn]

I have a Kozuke Dai jo Daisho.   Both the blades are done in his, Crab Claw hamon.   Unfortunately the Katana is Suriage.  The Wakizashi is Ubu.  Both blades are papered.

[Shugyosha]

Hi James,

Suguba hamon exist in koto Bizen blades and the shinto Bizen school harked back to that tradition so it wouldn't be out of the question, but googling around this was the only example I turned up with a suguba hamon but it does have papers.

 

https://www.aoijapan.net/tanto-yokoyama-kouzuke-daijyo-fujiwara-sukesada/

 

Here's Fred Weissberg's description of his work etc on Nihonto.com and which confirms his work can have suguba hamon. https://www.nihonto.com/sukesada/

 

As John V. says, if it has NTHK or NBTHK papers (but be careful of green NBTHK papers to big name smiths) there shouldn't be anything to worry about in terms of authenticity, but if you have doubts don't buy. Swords by this smith, and good Japanese swords in general aren't exactly rare and if you prefer the gunome choji/ midare style hamon one will crop up before too long that doesn't come with this concern.