Registration paper?

[Andi B.]

Hello,

 

can anybody please tell me, what is this kind of paper is (and what is written on)?

 

 

Is this a kind of registration paper with some characteristics of the blade (or a launderette bill )?

 

Thank you!

[DirkO]

Yes Andi,

 

It's indeed a sort of registration paper (Torokushu).

You can read all about it in this article by Guido Schiller (together with his evil twin quite the dynamic duo here on the forum) :lol:

http://www.nihontomessageboard.com/articles/sword_law.pdf

 

Yours seems to be one of the earlier registration, seeing the form and the early number on it. (< 5000 is called daimyo registration if I'm not mistaken ? Can anyone elaborate on that ? Or correct me ? - probably the latter )

[Andi B.]

Thank you for the link!

 

than if I'm correct

- the blade's lenght is 1 shaku, 9 sun, 5 bu = 59,085 cm ?

- sori is 0,6 cm ?

- it has three mekugi ana?

 

But what is the sword type character "P"?

[Henry Wilson]

I think the "P" is 刀 which reads "katana".

 

I was once told that these earlier registration papers can suggest that the sword is of relatively good quality.

[DirkO]

Yes that was what I thought as well. Registration began with the higher ranked people, so on average this should be better quality than the swords held be the masses. Or at least that's how I remember it.

[Bugyotsuji]

Looks like it was registered in Gifu. It has a Mei, but no-one has been able to read it. 不明 Fumei means unclear.